Spring Coyote
Southcentral Alaska

While each animal is beautiful in their own way if there is one time of year they are certainly not at their peak it’s the time between winter and summer when they are shedding their winter coats and summer coats are growing in. That and I have run into more animals lately out in the wild that are sporting some ugly cases of mange. This girl simply was having a “bad hair day”.

With most people around the country raising their eyebrows in a bit of alarm at the constantly increasing gas and fuel prices, I found myself swept up in a bit of this concern as well when it came to summer travel. With one of my vacations to Southeast Alaska already axed by the exorbient transportation costs, I found myself with a week off and nothing planned. And with being budget conscious on the brain, I found myself trying something a bit different this Memorial Day weekend and that was playing tourist by riding the train down to the coastal community of Seward for some time out on Resurrection Bay. It has been years since I have been on the train and with it being speculated that the trip between Anchorage and Seward is in fact one of the most beautiful, I decided “Why not?” and found myself reserving a spot.

Of course as I left Anchorage bright and early Friday morning the weather wasn’t looking to promising. I had earlier watched a beautiful sunset with the hiccups of pinks and purples enveloping the skies a little after 4:15 that morning. But by the time I hit the train station at a little after 5:45 that morning the clouds had rolled in and the rain and wind began in earnest. By the time I reached Seward a little after 11:30 in the morning with the gale force winds there was horizontal rain “welcoming” all of us to Seward. Not exactly a welcome promise given I had to walk a little more than a mile and a half to my hotel carrying two cumbersome bags. And what was worse - I had 4 hours to “waste” out in the elements before I was able to check in to my hotel. With that in mind I found myself stowing my bags on my friend Jennifer’s boat and then walked over to Ray’s restaurant for a leisurely lunch of halibut and a salad. You ever notice when you’re trying to spread time out you actually seem to get these tasks done more quickly? I set a record I think for being in and out of Ray’s in under an hour. In the end I found myself taking refuge on the M/V Arctic Enchantress for the next few hours while I cozied up and read my book. Thank god for friends. Finally the afternoon passed to where I could check in and wait for another friend to arrive in town that evening.

Our plans were really quite simple. The next morning we were to head out Mariah Tour’s “Captains Choice Tour” for a day of wildlife watching and of course some photography. But of course as was already the established habit, the following morning we were met with very low cloud cover that promised more “liquid sunshine” from the elements. I packed extra carefully that morning by bringing gloves, rain pants and my Gore-Tex shell. I was so glad I did. Now how the Captains Choice Tour differs from the other tours that occur in Kenai Fjords National Park is that these tours are geared towards photographers and birders. Limited to 22 people the boat is smaller which will allow one to get closer to the wildlife. Our vessel that morning was to be the M/V Misty which is part of the Kenai Fjords fleet. After meeting the captain, crew and fellow travelers, we set out for our days adventure with a light rain falling which would continue throughout the remainder of the day.

Now I have always heard the best time to encounter marine wildlife was when it was raining out. Little did I know at the time how true this was. We started out by seeing the sea otters right beyond the sea wall in the bay which is quite the norm for Resurrection Bay. But as the hours progressed so too did the encounters with the wildlife including a very large number of Orca whales that came right up to the boat. Now if I would have been on the ball and quicker with the camera it is likely I would have been able to capture a shot of an orca breaching completely out of the water. As it was I think I was still standing with my mouth agape at having seen one surface directly off the port side of the boat. Now I have seen Orca in my years of living here but they have never been that close. And the wildlife sightings continued as the minutes ticked into hours — the remainder of the afternoon brought us encounters with stellar sea lions, puffins, feeding humpback whales, dall porpoise. Quite simply the list is endless. Despite the long day and feeling quite frigid by its end I was definitely sad to see it end. There is no doubt at this point that the only boats I will sail with when it comes to Resurrection Bay wildlife tours is Mariah Tours. They come highly recommended.

Sunday’s adventure was a return to something I haven’t participated in in many years — that of sea kayaking. I caught my morning transport with the M/V Chugach and was dropped off bright and early for a rendezvous with the Sunny Cove gang and our agenda for the day was to paddle over to Sunny Cove and Starfish Rock before eventually returning to Fox Island for a salmon bake before I would catch the M/V Greatland back to Seward and then eventually on to catch the train where I would return home to Anchorage and back into my own little world. Now even though it has been years since I have been sea kayaking it was much like riding a bike. The moment I geared up and my kayaking partner and I sliced through the water it was a true reminder of how much I had missed it over the years. Now Resurrection Bay is notorious for having storm systems swing through the bay as quickly as a by your leave.

And that day was no different. The storm system that had swept through the bay less than 24 hours before had dissipated and now we were enjoy an afternoon of paddling under sunny skies. I had warned my kayaking partner early on that it had been years since I paddled. Of course I got the typical “don’t worry about it - I’ll handle the paddling and rudder.” I have always been something of a power paddler and I have a very quick front stroke. One that seemed to take even my kayaking partner by surprise. So much so that less than an hour later the guide was joking with him about taking the “easy way out” and letting me do all the work. Obviously I’m paying for it today with sore musles.

In all serious though Sunny Cove Kayaking is yet another one of those great Alaska oufits that is recommended. Ilya and Gunner who were our guides for the day were completely professional and made those that had never even kayaked feel completely safe on the water.  Plus both had a very good sense of humor.  I will be going back for one of their longer guided tours later in the summer. In the meantime the gear head inside of me is now plotting the purchase of a tandem necky. Double rather than single because I am one that thinks the doubles are more fun.

In the end it was a great weekend and a wonderful start to my week off. And a wonderful step in to the summer ahead.

Sea Otter
Kenai Fjords National Park
Seward, Alaska

Each year once spring swings into action, or, in most cases the snow melts to a more manageable level, the National Park Service opens the road in Denali National Park to private vehicles to the Teklanika stop at mile 30. On any given day vehicles can navigate the first 14 miles to the Savage River and tour busses begin their jaunt into the park well past that marker. A system that began in 1972 busses have long been the main means of transportation into the park. It is only during the spring and during the annual road lottery that happens every fall that people can experience the world renowned park road experience from the comforts of their car.

And thus with the tourist season looming it was decided that I would grab my road trip partner C and head off to enjoy the Denali Park Road just one last time from behind my own wheels. As the clock struck 5:00 a.m. I found myself pulling up to C’s Eagle River home so we could begin the day with plenty of time to enjoy the park to its utmost advantage. Early forecasts indicated the potential for partly sunny skies and if there was any one hope I had it would be that it would be a fruitful day when it came to wildlife viewing. Of course I had my hidden hopes of seeing the wolf, lynx and bears I had been hearing so much about. I watched with envy as I watched fellow Flickr photographers post such findings earlier in the week after their own trip into the park. Would I see my beloved bears? Would I see the illusive wolves and lynx? I could only hope.

After catching up we found ourselves in the park a little after 9:00 a.m. after making a few earlier stops. Right away we of course began to see Willow Ptarmigan and Snowshoe Hare in essence. Both whose coats were beginning their color change to their summer neutrals. As we reached Teklanika and turned around we stopped at a pull out and enjoyed a picnic lunch while our eyes swept the distance. It was during that lunch that I had casually thrown out the idea of driving to Nenana to try the Monderosa Restaurant which bragged about the best hamburgers in Alaska. Cristine being the perfect adventure partner who is constantly open to my whims and sometimes crazed ideas tossed out a “Sure! And lets go through the park again on our way back down.” It was then I knew we were going to have a very long day ahead of us. But with nothing planned for but a hike the following day, I was all for it.

It was only after lunch and we were on our way out back to the entrance did we begin to see larger game including a moose foraging with her yearling calf, numerous caribou and perhaps one of my favorite sites of the day — a red fox who was marking his territory alongside the park road. It only began to get better when closer to the park entrance we came upon another group of caribou that began to wander closer to the road. Would they cross the park road I wondered? We got out of the car and began to take pictures. No sooner had I planted myself alongside the road’s edge when a bull caribou noticed me and began to walk closer. Not knowing what was on his mind I quickly made my way back to the car and inside. Shortly there after he led his cows across the road almost acting as a crossing guard.

As we made our way outside of the park and up to Nenana we continued to find ourselves in varying conversations. After passing through many sudden rain showers we stopped in Nenana to eventually ask for directions to the Monderosa. Set across the Tanana River Bridge in Nenana the Monderosa is set in a natural log building and came highly recommended. Though having a somewhat limited menu I wasn’t concerned given I was there for one thing and one thing only — the burgers I had been told so much about. We quickly ordered and a short time later a very large burger and a plate full of fries arrived in front of me. In a way it reminded me of a bbq with the charbroiled taste. While I cant say if it was the best burger in Alaska it certainly was delicious and the Monderosa is definitely a place I will go back to in the future.

By that time it was nearing early evening and with that in mind we decided to head back to the park. While our second run through didn’t net us any more animals that we had not seen it did net us quite a bit more in terms of vast numbers. The caribou especially were quite active. It wasn’t until after 9:00 p.m.that we left the park under a beautiful near full moon. Cristine of course asked to make a quick detour at Chulitna Wayside. A few moments after that we encountered a porcupine crossing the road and I decided to stop in an attempt to get a picture of him. However he went quickly scurrying into the underbrush and I found myself at one point attempting to follow him through thigh high snow. In the end I got pretty close to him after he climbed a tree and allowed me to get my photo.

There is only on other time I can remember a trip to Denali taking 21 hours. And that was during the road lottery 2 years ago. But it certainly was worth it and was a perfect celebration to the start of spring.

Now beings the onslaught of the tour season and a busy summer ahead for me in terms of adventure.

With Alaska currently in the grip of spring and leaves beginning to bud on the trees it serves as a perfect reminder that while many of us are awakening from the winter slumber and turning our eyes towards summer, so too is local area wildlife. Soon the moose and caribou will be dropping their spring calves and with it the hungry bears emerge from their den.  And with May 11th being the beginning of bear awareness week comes the consummate question - what should you do if you encounter a bear in the wilds?

First and foremost, learn to recognize what type of bear you are encountering. Bears can come in a variety of colors and when you are encountering a “brown bear” it in fact may not be.  Brown Bears or Grizzlies as they are known in the interior portions of the state tend to vary from blonde to black in color. In profile however the brown bear has a distinctive shoulder hump while black bears do not. Their claws can be between 2 to 4 inches long and are often clearly visible in their tracks. Black bears tend to be slightly smaller than brown bears and have a more “roman” profile. However when you encounter one in the woods you may not reasonably find yourself thinking, “Okay, does this bear have a roman profile?” Quite simply look for the distinctive shoulder hump.

When learning to differentiate these types of bears you quickly learn that when encountering a bear you should react differently. The similarities in your actions of course would be to stand your ground and begin to talk softly to the bear. This lets them know that “Hey, I’m human!”. Now is not the time to turn around and begin yelling “Mommy!” and running for your life. In my own experience I have found that you appear less non-confrontational when you slowly turn your head and look at the bear out of the corner of your eyes as this is indicative of a non-aggressive mode of appearance. Interestingly enough this was a reaction that was mentioned quite frequently in “Lonesome for Bears” by Linda Jo Hunter.

When it comes to potential encounters you have to realize that if you are out in the great outdoors you will eventually run into a bear. If the bear has detected your presence again talk to them to allow the bear to identify you. And to also notify them that you are not a threat. Wave your arms to help identify you further. Most importantly do not run. Assess the situation. Is this a brown bear or a black bear?

Bears may try and bluff charge you depending on how they are feeling in this situation. Most of the times they simply want to get away as much as you do. Bears don’t set out each morning thinking, “hmm, lets have a human for lunch today”. Most are simply caught unaware during an encounter and are looking for their way out.

If you run into a brown bear and he makes contact, “play dead” is something you will often hear. This tends to further the example in letting them know you are not a threat. Bring your legs to your chest and bury your head into your legs. Cover your neck with your hands. Or you may simply chose to lay on your stomach if you are wearing a backpack but again cover your neck with your hands. The backpack affords you some protection. Often the bear will become bored and wander off. This is the time to retain your patience and determine if they are still around. If they have vacated the area make your way towards assistance.

When it comes to encounters with black bears your actions should they make contact should be the exact opposite. Yell, scream and fight back. One of the black bears most sensitive places is their nose. Try and punch it if you are able to. Above all your actions during these attacks determine potential injury. Learning to recognize bear behavior should be your first and ultimate priority, especially when traveling through bear country.

Another constant question I get is what equipment do I carry when out hiking? Do I carry a gun? It actually might surprise people to hear that I don’t. Despite the fact that I am quite familiar with firearms and know how to use them well. At times while I do carry bear spray my choice of protection is actually quite different. On my belt at all times are 2 simple things:

[1] A plastic whistle
[2] A flare gun

Why a whistle? If you are injured and there are people in the area, a call of three short blasts from a whistle often indicates help is needed. And the reality is a flare gun is used for a dual purpose when needed. You can not only use it for its obvious intention, but if you are bluff charged by a bear one remedy is to point the flare gun and shoot it at the feet of the charging bear or at the ground between you. While it obviously may not save you if there is an attack, it does have the potential to give an animal pause and cause confusion - thus breaking the charge. And the reality is that most charges are just that - bluffs. You have a bear backed into a corner and they feel a charge is their only way out.

Some of my own tips I have learned over the years while out hiking.

So while I may not be the expert when it comes to animal behavior or encounters, I do know from having lived in Alaska for over 30 years I have learned to educate myself. It’s learning to recognize and know what to do in a situation that may ultimately save your life. By being aware - bear aware.

Resources
Bear Attacks, Their Causes and Avoidance, by Stephen Herrero, Winchester Press.
Safety in Grizzly and Black Bear Country; NWT Renewable Resources.

Lonesome for Bears: A Woman’s Journey in the Tracks of the Wilderness
By Linda Jo Hunter
Photos by Amy Shapira
ISBN-13: 978-1599212104

Product Description
In Lonesome for Bears, author Linda Hunter weaves information about wild bear management and habitat conservation with compelling anecdotes and recollections from her years living among a particular population of bears in Alaska. She relates how she went from being terrified of bears to missing their company. Entertaining and informative the author is able to debunk popular myths about bears and offer startling new insight into their behavior gleaned from her interaction with them over the years. Illustrated with amazing full-color photos of the bears discussed in the text.

Review
Lonesome for Bears is the story of Linda Jo Hunter who was a leading bear guide and caretaker with her husband at Redoubt Bay Lodge in Alaska for a number of seasons. Lonesome for Bears shares with us the story of the bears that inhabit the area including Baylee, Amy, Mona, and James and their growth and behaviors from season to season. A professional tracker Linda delves into her experience with bears and gives some first hand insight into their behavior, experiences, and interactions.

Whatever your experiences with bears you may hold, Lonesome for Bears brings with it a moving account and wonderful perspective of what living life around them can be like. Linda’s skillful writing brings with it knowledge about what could potentially be a serious subject with a lighthearted approach. Because of this she succeeds in weaving a captivating tale of her experiences in Alaska with heart. Lonsome Bears is a wondrous and stirring read.

Truly enjoyable.

Black Bear
Southcentral Alaska

It was such a beautiful day outside I decided to go hiking up at Potter Creek by myself. But shortly after I left the house I realized I didn’t have my bear spray, whistle or flare gun with me. Things I normally carry while hiking in bear country. I didn’t go back as I figured I wouldn’t run into a bear so early in the season. Would I? The reality is I should know better..

There’s a reason my friends jokingly call me “The Bear Whisperer”. Given I have a tendency to find them wherever I go.

Willow Ptarmigan
Denali Park, Alaska

The Willow Ptarmigan - Alaska’s state bird, is a game bird of the grouse family. In legend and lore it was thought that the Ptarmigan was a protector who would warn people through its croaking call. In winter the Ptarmigan turns completely white with the exception of its black tail. It is said that the town of Chicken, Alaska is in fact named after this magnanimous bird by miners of the era who could not spell ptarmigan so it reverted to “chicken” for which it is said they resemble.

Whatever the cause the Ptarmigan is an interesting bird to watch. This particular day in Denali afforded a view of one in the middle of the park road. And the day I found out how stubborn they can be when he refused to move and in fact would charge a car with his whistles and clucks and then stop again in the middle of the road. I think people soon got the point an he turned out to be many people’s favorite viewing exercise of the day.

No one said you couldn’t get your mother an original Alaska Gift for Mothers Day!  Because you care enough to send the very best…

When it comes to travel there are those company’s that tend to stand out for top notch quality customer service. Whether it be just feeling a connection with the owners or expert in-depth knowledge in the services that they offer. And with tourism in Alaska being one of the number one draws to the state and the long lines of those that want to experience Alaska, the questions often arise. “Who do you recommend for…”

There are many great resources out there when it comes to finding out information about Alaska. Perhaps two of my favorite places are Trip Advisor which holds a wealth of knowledge about offerings around the state and in general the atmosphere of the state itself. There is a great team of local talent offering input on everything from places to stay, places to eat or even itinerary help. These are known as “area experts”. Whether it is requesting information from Healy and Denali area to Kodiak or even Seward. Trip Advisor should always be your first stop when it comes to collecting information about Alaska.

Another great local resource is a yahoo group called Alaska Living started many years ago by a local who has since passed on. But her spirit remains and the core group of Alaskans that belong to the list can’t be beat. The strongest focus of information seems to be relocation information. But Alaska Living is another such resource that shouldn’t be missed.

So what are some of my own favorite places? Being one that travels extensively throughout the state of Alaska there are several places that have become my own favorites. These are companies I have enjoyed going to again and again. And in some cases are the only places I’ll stay or the only guides I will travel with. Some of the more noteworthy includes:

Emerald Air Service, Homer Alaska. Offering bear viewing over in Katmai National Park, Emerald Air Service is one whose safety record and knowledge of the area are unmatched. Operated by Ken and Chris Day, Ken is a pilot of the company’s dehavilland Otter while Chris imparts unmatched knowledge about bears and the area itself. The company offers day trips over the waters of Kachemak Bay to the beautiful lands of Katmai National Park. Not one that is typically a fan of flying in small planes, I found Ken’s skill aboard the Otter to be top notch. The plane was obviously kept in top mechanical form and our landing was like landing on glass. Because of this wonderful match, when I’m going to Katmai for a day bear viewing trip, I will travel with no one else.

Denali Highway Cabins, Paxson Alaska. I happened to have come across this gem of a place a few years ago during one of my fall trips around Alaska. Given its central location to the Denali Highway, I booked an overnight stay and have been going back ever since. Operated by Audie and Jennifer, the Denali Highway Cabins offers a very comfortable place to stay surrounded by some of the most beautiful country within the state of Alaska. A variety of tours are also offered including everything from daily bird hikes to an evening float along the Gulkana River. I was lucky to experience one of the evening floats upon my last visit. Audie’s knowledge of the area is unparalleled. Plus Jennifer makes some beautiful handcrafted goods which are a tribute both to the eyes and the stomach. If you’re ever in the area of the Denali Highway or Paxson, book a visit at the Denali Highway Cabins. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

These are just a few of the recommendations I give without any doubts and recommend with the utmost confidence. Of course another question I often receive is “Have you had any bad experiences?” Well yes, who hasn’t. There was the time I booked a cabin outside of Denali National Park and I felt like I was on my own roller coaster the moment I entered the door. Why? The cabin sloped in excess of 3 feet from the front door down to the bathroom. And with hot water that didn’t work, obviously that made for a very cold September night. Or there have been those times I had food poisoning.  I would like to think though that my positive experiences far outweight the negative.

All in all there are those gems that we experience here in Alaska. The gift is finding them and building the friendships with those business owners that last for years to come.