When traveling to Alaska many search for a unique opportunity that will provide memories that last a life time. Whether it’s the dog sled ride up at Godwin Glacier out of Seward or even something as simple as a wildlife cruise and tour — Alaska is full of these types of opportunities. Perhaps one particular that many don’t give thought to is the Denali Road Lottery held every September. The road lottery consists of a 4 day period where 400 vehicles per day are allowed to drive their vehicles on the park road into Denali Natioanl Park. Considered the “end of the season” the road lottery offers some amazing views into Alaska at a time when fall colors can be at their peak and wildlife is in prime shape.

I have been one of the lucky participants of the road lottery for the last 3 years running. For the cost of a $10.00 ticket I toss my name into the hat each July in hopes of finding my name appear on that list of winners once they are announced in August. It’s a opportunity that even as an Alaskan has allowed me some very memorable experiences.

The 2008 Denali Road Lottery was held on Friday September 12th through Monday September 15th. Through a series of luck and chance I was able to attend 3 of the 4 days of this event. My own winning ticket was for that Monday. But with a system that allows each pass to be transferred in the event the original winner was not able to use their pass, I found myself lucking out and receiving an additional two passes this year.

I left Anchorage bright and early on that Friday morning. Of course as has been the case for the majority of this summer the weather was less than desirable. Driving rain made for some miserable driving conditions in some points, especially when I was encountering continuous road spray from the semi trucks I was sharing the road with. However once I passed Broad Pass and began to pull closer to Denali the skies opened up and the sun began to show itself. After driving into the park to check the colors and then moving on to check into my hotel I encountered my first obstacle of that weekend.

Unfortunately the reservation system for the hotel I was staying at had a glitch that had allowed me to obtain reservations well past their season ending. Quite simply I was scheduled to stay through Tuesday of the following week but they closed for the season on Monday. As a result I was left without hotel accommodations for that Monday night. Now normally this wouldn’t be an issue. But during road lottery weekend it is typical for every hotel in the area to be booked well in advance. Saturday night found me on the phone for hours on end and luckily I was finally able to find a room at one of the local Aramark hotels.

Saturday morning arrived and I met my friend C at the Wilderness Access Center to begin our drive into the park. The taiga forest that encompasses the first 20-30 miles of the park were well past peak colors. But once we passed Stony Hill overlook the colors begin to change. Early on our wildlife sightings were few and far between. It was only after Stony Hill that we saw a pack of caribou lingering off in the distance. We pulled over for awhile and hiked down to an area that would offer us some great opportunities to photograph them. Throughout the day we were lucky to encounter caribou, Dahl sheep and a few grizzly bears that were foraging the hillside eating berries. However those “up close and personal” encounters with animals that I have been lucky to have in the past were very few and far between.

Sunday brought the same sort of experiences. We were definitely lucky when it came to weather. Early weather reports predicted rain for the area. But narily a raindrop was seen that weekend. Each day I drove into the park to pretty much encounter the same wildlife. After my wonderful experiences this summer on other trips that allowed such up close and personal experiences with bears, I instead found myself beginning to focus on taking photos of the park’s landscapes. After all, Mt. McKinley was out in her glory for each of the days we were there. Definitely a rare event.

If you are traveling to Alaska and want to experience an event outside of the norm, give lady luck a chance and throw your name into the hat. Who knows, you may just be one of those lucky few to experience Denali at her best!

Denali Road Lottery 2008
Denali National Park, Alaska

The weekend wasn’t quite what I expected. Hit some snags including having to scramble to find a hotel for my last night there after I found out the hotel I was originally planning on staying at was closing for the season on Monday. They had some kind of glitch with their reservation system that allowed it to accept reservations after their closing date.

Despite some headaches though there was definitely some high spots on the weekend. Including hanging out with a friend that I haven’t seen much this summer.

And as Interior Alaska begins to plan for the winter ahead, so too do I take a page from that book. No major trips planned at this point but I do have a potential road trip on tap this weekend if the weather cooperates.

While many may think I’m referring to myself in third person here or even crooning the lyrics to the Rolling Stones song (don’t ever sing that to me - bad memories), it instead refers to perhaps one of my favorite memories of McNeil River and that is my interaction with the red fox named Angie and her fellow brothers and sisters. Angie quickly came known to me within moments of my arrival on the shores of Kamishak Bay. I had known early on that there were red fox born at the campground that spring — given a fellow photographer friend of mine had photographed them during his time there in June.

I knew before going there remained the possibility that they had abandoned their den. And indeed I was right. The den was abandoned by the second day of my arriving. Instead the kits began to spend an innate amount of time in the campground itself. Often sunning themselves in the campground or even pouncing on each other in play. I soon began the observation role and noticed a particular female with a diamond shape black mark above her tail was the one that began to follow me around in earnest and hang around by my campsite.

It was she whose eyes I found staring in one night when she crept under my rain fly and up against the back wall of my tent. Just as it was she that began to pounce on my tent my last night there. I think at that point she was in play mode and was trying to give chase the rain drops that were working their way down my tent. It was only with a stern “knock it off!” that she stopped. I seriously thought she would take down my tent that night with her exuberance.

The entire family would often await our return on the spit each night. But it was she that was often separated from the rest of them and would glance over each of us until her eyes settled upon mine. At the end of my trip it was Tom that jokingly said “We’ll name her Angie for her antics.” It’s a name that stuck and a memory I shall always hold.

And thus concludes my time at McNeil River.

With the Chugach Mountains here in Anchorage are peppered with the yellows and reds of the coming fall, some would say we’re at the end of summer. An ending of barbeques and foraging through Alaska’s backwoods and roads. And indeed for me it is a time to get back to reality. A time when my vacation season has ended and my trips out of town shall be few and far between.

But in the meantime I shall of course end this season with a bang by taking an extended weekend and driving up to Denali National Park on Friday for 3 days in the park for its annual fall road lottery. Through a series of inherited actions I have managed to obtain two more road lottery passes in addition to my own. Thus giving me the opportunity to experience the park on Saturday, Sunday and Monday

I am told the Toklat wolf pack has once more become active and in fact have taken down a Dahl Sheep ram within 1/2 mile of the Toklat stop. And if one is willing to walk 1/2 mile and wait, perhaps we too can experience watching their pups playful antics. One can only hope. Indeed this is my favorite season in Alaska. I love the continuous color that graces our eyes. The chill in the air.

While I’m not quite content with the notion that winter will visit us in the coming months. I am content in all this summer has entailed for me. Indeed next summer shall be no different. For I’m beginning my planning for potential trips to Round Island to photograph the walruses, back to Anan Creek for more bear photography. And perhaps if I’m so lucky a trip to Kaktovik / Barter Island for polar bear photography.

Tis the season for adventure after all.

This is a series of posts that will document my first trip to McNeil River State Game Sanctuary in Southwest Alaska. Given the extent of information here I am breaking it down into three different posts. The beginning which includes my early planning. The day I arrived and what daily life at camp entailed. And the finish which will hold information on what worked and what didn’t. I hope you enjoy this series on McNeil River. It truly is a miraculous place

Ah, McNeil. I’ve been told by many it would be a once in a lifetime thing and that I would come back a different person. I don’t know per say if I’m different but I definitely have much more appreciation of things. Say - indoor plumbing. I readily admit I have become spoiled and taken it for granted. I don’t know how those with dry cabins do it. The thing is I’m used to camping. I have been camping for extended periods a lot. But a week without a shower is just nothing I care to live through again. No thanks. Oh and by the way - those no rinse camping shampoos are not worth it. They don’t work. So back to the drawing board there.

Thinking back there are several things I would change. Namely the food. I was living on the dehydrated camping food for a week supplemented by nuts, trail mix, cereal bars, etc. While some of the food was good (namely any of the Mary Jane Farms Organic Food rocked) I was craving nothing more than fresh food by the end of the week. It’s pretty hilarious when one of the guides decided to bring a turkey sandwich on the last day for viewing and I honed in on it and was totally salivating. So many of us were saying what we would have when we got home. Dianna was saying a steak and baked potato. Mine was a salad. When I returned to Homer the first real food I ended up getting was a vegetarian pizza and some salad to go. It hit the spot. So food - yes that will be rethought next time.

Other things that didn’t work were the chest waders. Next time I get better quality hip waders. Thank god they had some spares out at camp otherwise I would have been confined to camp the rest of the week.

There are three guides out there that work for the state - Doug, Ian and Tom. I honestly have a tremendous respect for them. Not only do they get the amazing experience but I don’t know how they do it to be honest. Three months would be a long haul to be in a camp like that. It really is such a remote location. When you go to McNeil it is normal to click with one of the guides more than another. I totally clicked with Doug. Ian was nice. He’s younger and the total outdoor type. He’s married and grew up in Wrangell. In fact Ian is the only married one of the group. I will admit there was one particular guide that I had the tendency to butt heads with. He had this habit of “roving” when he was guiding and meaning he would wander around and not let us stop much.

No problem for me but some of the others in the group were getting tired. So the next time he was our guide I suggested that perhaps we could stop a bit more and simply watch the bears? I was actually very friendly about it and placed it simply as a suggestion. Needless to say it didn’t go over very well and I received a very short comment to the tune of “We’ll go where I think we should go.” He had many people upset with him that day because the way he treated me. But he did later apologize and that night tried to offer me a beer to break the ice. But by the end of the trip all was well. There were just some things we didn’t see eye to eye on. But that is okay. Their job is to make it safe for the visitors. That is first and foremost their main goal. And I completely respect that.

The people in my group though were just amazing. Many of us clicked right away. They are in fact what made this trip for me. Equipment wise I had the most luck of anyone in the group. My REI T3 tent withstood everything I put it through and more. Despite the fact we had very heavy rain several nights and generally rotten weather.

On the way out the guides asked us if we would do it again. And yes, we absolutely would. In fact our same group hopes to enter again in two years and hope to all win the same time slot again.

McNeil definitely was a learning experience. But it was an amazing experience I would suggest to everyone. You truly learn so much about yourself when you’re out there.

This is a series of posts that will document my first trip to McNeil River State Game Sanctuary in Southwest Alaska. Given the extent of information here I am breaking it down into three different posts. The beginning which includes my early planning. The day I arrived and what daily life at camp entailed. And the finish which will hold information on what worked and what didn’t. I hope you enjoy this series on McNeil River. It truly is a miraculous place

After months of preparation the day had finally arrived. To take full advantage of my days within McNeil I had planned to fly in the night before my allotted time and then my departure would fly me back to Homer the day after. Leaving me with a full 4 days of bear viewing and just truly experiencing its majesty and grandeur. Given the flights to and from McNeil River are dependent of the tide, my departure time was for Saturday afternoon around 4:30 p.m. John of Beluga Air had asked that we check in at approximately 2:00 p.m. that Saturday to weigh in our gear.

I was aware of at least one person I would be flying over with and that was Elizabeth, the National Park Service employee that I had ironically met during my June trip to Hallo Bay in Katmai with Ken and Chris Day of Emerald Air. That day we were introducing ourselves to the group and upon hearing her name I paused and then quickly asked, “Are you the same Elizabeth that is going to McNeil River in August?” and it was indeed confirmed. Bingo! It just goes to show you it truly is a small world.

Leaving on that Saturday would allow me a leisurely drive to Homer without getting up too early or having to hotel it in Homer for the night before. Lugging all of my gear out to my car before departure I again began to wonder had I over packed? What would my gear weight come in at? Needless to say I made sure I had some extra cash should the weight take my too far over my 75 pound limit set by the transport. I found myself making good time and arriving at Beluga Air approximately at 2:05 to get ready for departure. No sooner had I pulled up and began to pull my bags out of my car when a young couple came up and introduced themselves as Courtney and Jason from Kenai. Another couple that had been part of the flurry of e-mails a few months prior when everyone was trying to arrange a plane charter. It was definitely nice to put the names with faces. We quickly loaded our gear into the plane and about 15 minutes later Elizabeth showed up and we found ourselves taxing out on Beluga Lake and then taking off. On our way to adventure. Our way to change. At that point there was no turning back and I simply had no idea what the coming days would bring.

Approximately an hour and a half later we touched down on Kamishak Bay and pulled up to the center spit that divides the Bay. We were met by a State of Alaska employee that introduced himself as Doug. We lugged our gear up to the cook shack with the instructions that we would meet inside the cook shack in approximately 30 minutes to go through our orientation. Another group member Dianna at that time came up and introduced herself and helped me unpack all my gear and put my tent up. Given it was a new tent for me (the REI T3) it was a bit different than what I was used to. Little did I know in the coming days the true worth of what this tent would show.

The rest of the evening was spent situating ourselves, getting to know each other and generally spending time socializing in the cook shack. The cook shack serves as the “community center” for McNeil and is where most people spend their time. Whether its drying out their gear after a hard days rain or preparing food, the cook shack is where it happens and serves as a place of enjoyment in a very remote area. Throughout that day as I began to get to know Elizabeth, Courtney, Jason and Dianna in earnest I began to feel as a part of the family. We all clicked so well and it really did make the experience that much more joyful.

We were told to meet up at the cook shack the following morning at 9:00 a.m. and we would get our instructions for the days viewing. I wandered around the camp a bit more and the eventually turned in early. Eagerly anticipating the next day. It was that night that the rain rolled in.

McNeil River feeds into Kamishak Bay and the area is known for having dismal weather. It is not uncommon to experiencing driving rain and winds. In fact you are considered lucky if you are able to experience sunny weather during your time there. That first night the winds began in earnest and I found myself waking up several times with the thought that I was glad my tent was staked so securely.

Monday morning rolled around and I pulled out my rain gear as it looked like our viewing would take place in typical Kamishak weather. I.e. rain and wind. My choice of foot gear for my trip was a pair of Stearns Chest Waders with neoprene booties and wading boots. I had a heavy duty rain parka and my camera gear was well protected by my rain cover. We met up at the cook shack and found out our guide for the day would be Tom. Tom has worked at McNeil River for nearly 10 years and is a fountain of information. We were told by other members he had a tendency to be a “rover” and as a result we would be walking. And indeed we did walk that day. We started on the North side of the bay and watched a sow known as Wanda (short for Wanderer) with her two spring cubs. Wanda obtained her name early on given her tendency to let her cubs wander quite far from her. In fact later on in the trip she became separated from them by a distance of 1/2 a mile and we were met with the startled bawls of her cubs trying to get her attention. She later ended up running at full speed back to them after they gained the attention of a sub-adult male. He was a bit too curious for mom’s sake and she quickly chased him off.

Throughout the day we began to wander the river banks and would rest for a few minutes before continuing on. This is where I began to encounter my first problem. My chest waders leaked and by the time mid-day came around I was cold and shivering. We were offered a choice to catch the skiff back to the cook shack at around 3:00 that day or continue bear viewing until later in the evening. That day I was the only one to take the early out. I rode the skiff back across the lagoon with Doug and spent the rest of the day drying out, sitting in front of the fire and eating my first warm meal. I also had my first run in with the red fox kits that were born in the campground that spring. I spent some time up at their den taking photos and then went back to the cook shack. Perhaps one of the best things about the cook shack is there is a tendency to have spare gear their. I sorted through some left behind hip waders and found a pair that would work. Granted they were two sizes too big for me but at that point I was willing to put up with that over leaking chest waders. By that time the rest of the group returned and we spent the evening warming up, generally chatting and eventually turning in. Again as the tendency the rain storm rolled in that night and I awoke several times to driving rain. My tent held up quite well though. Little did I know what I would encounter the following morning.

I awoke the following morning to some very bad news. Dianna who was in the camp space next to mine had a leaking tent and as a result all of her gear was soaked through. Including the additional clothes she had brought. She didn’t think that she would be able to make it out and in fact was so scared about the situation that she thought she might have to have her pilot come and get her. But we all chipped in to help her out and make her more comfortable. I gave her a spare pair of rain pants I had brought along and was so happy to hear they fit. She pulled up her tent and given it had stopped raining we set the tent on top of the cook shack (it has a balcony) to let it dry out while we were out viewing for the day. By that time the sun started to show and we were set to begin the day.

Given each day tends to be different at McNeil there are obviously days that tend to be different than others. When it came to prime bear viewing Tuesday was the best day of my trip. Our guide that day was Doug who quickly turned into my favorite employee at McNeil. He is again a regular long time employee of the reserve and perhaps the most laid back. His viewing style is also different from other employees Tom and Ian. That day we were truly gifted in our experiences and what they brought. It included the sow charge I wrote about in my earlier post and just generally a lot of up close and personal encounters. It is a day I will always remember. Plus my loaner hip boots didn’t leak so I was happy. It was a long full day and we made it back to the cook shack a little after 8:00 p.m. that evening.

As the week continued and each day we would head out, we began to notice we were having fewer and fewer bear encounters. Quite simply none of the days could compare to what we had experienced on Tuesday. I began to take the early boat ride back and spend more time around the camp. Because by that time the fox kit female had began to follow me around in earnest and I had begun to have more experiences with her. Including that night I found her nestled under my rain fly and awoke to her eyes staring in at me. Some of my favorite times were those afternoons spent just sitting in the campground and having the fox kits come up to me as if to say, “Who are you?” They are definitely acclimated to the presence of people.

Perhaps the most challenging and difficult day for me began on Thursday morning and the last day of my viewing permit. I was scheduled to depart on Friday evening for my ride back to Homer. I awoke to find a yellow jacket and the fact that I had been stung. Normally not a big deal I would think. But given I had never been stung by a bee I did not know I was allergic to them and I awoke to a swollen face and I could not feel the lower half of it, including my lips. While I could breathe my throat was still somewhat closed up. It was obvious I was going into anaphylactic shock and I had no epi pen or Benadryl with me. I went into the cook shack to see if anyone could help me. Elizabeth was the only one up at that time and when I gravely explained what was going on, she disappeared and went up to the employees cabins to see if they had anything in their emergency kits that would help. We were warned back during our orientation that should emergency services be required that it would be a several hour wait.

And at that time we simply had no idea. Luckily Doug had antihistamine in his emergency kit and I took what he had. A few hours later the swelling had abated a little bit and I was able to fully breathe - though I was still miserable. That combined with a very bad sunburn I had received the day before led to a physically draining day for me. And by the end of the day I was honestly glad to go home.

My time at McNeil was one I shall always remember. The amazing encounters along with the beautiful scenery. Perhaps the best part for me though was the friendships that were foraged. I clicked with Dianna the most and in fact we have continued to remain in touch. We are actually planning road trips in the coming days and weeks.

McNeil definitely challenges and individual. But above all it serves as a learning experience. About yourself, Alaska, and its people.

This is a series of posts that will document my first trip to McNeil River State Game Sanctuary in Southwest Alaska. Given the extent of information here I am breaking it down into three different posts. The beginning which includes my early planning. The day I arrived and what daily life at camp entailed. And the finish which will hold information on what worked and what didn’t. I hope you enjoy this series on McNeil River. It truly is a miraculous place.

To those that are familiar with its name; McNeil River constitutes images of some of the biggest and largest bears in the world — that of Alaska’s mighty Coastal Brown. Their hefty bulk swaying as they stare so intently into the falls before them while they eagerly await their next meal of chum salmon during our annual summer fishing runs. A time when winners of its annual lottery can participate in some of the best bear viewing opportunities in the world as they experience them on an up close and personal basis.

The McNeil River State Game Sanctuary is located on the northern boundaries of Katmai National Park on the Alaska Peninsula in Southwestern Alaska. The Alaska State Legislature designated the area a wildlife sanctuary in 1967 as a means of protecting the world’s largest concentration of this majestic animal. An access permitting system was created that would provide the public with the opportunity to view and experience the wildlife of this area while preserving the land at the same time. The program limits the number of people who may be present to no more than 10 individuals per day between the timeframe of June 7th and August 25th.

Accessible only by float plane or boat, as winners of the McNeil River Bear Sanctuary Lottery you are required to camp out. There is an established “campground” but no bear fence or anything along those lines. One must be willing to sleep within a well known bear preserve with limited resources. No cell / communication service is available though the state employees that work there and help administer the program do have a satellite radio for emergencies. Requirements include packing in all of your camping gear, food and clothes for the period you are there.

It was only during one of my earlier adventures last spring that I decided I would enter to see what was my fate. As luck would have it, I was chosen as a winner for a week in mid-August despite it being my first year attempting to win. Provided by the list of recommended equipment and a list of air carriers that were licensed to travel to McNeil it was shortly after I was notified that my planning began in essence. There were times over the following months that I became overwhelmed with all the requirements and was tempted to throw up my hands and quit. After all, while I have had many camping adventures over my years here this was by far the most remote. And this was also the first time I would be traveling and camping by myself.

Perhaps what continued to drive me during that time was the e-mails I received from fellow winners within my same date period. A couple introduced themselves while many just attempted to coordinate air travel. Did anyone want to charter a plane? What is your experience camping? What kind of food are you bringing? These were questions that were volleyed many times. I was one of the lucky few in that I reserved my plane transport early and began to plan in earnest. While those winners were just names on a screen then, little did I know that upon arrival friendships would be foraged to the level that they were.

The particular company I had picked for transporting me there (Beluga Air out of Homer) allowed for 75 pounds of gear in addition to body weight. Which is honestly one of the most giving carriers out there. I would be flying in a DeHavilland Beaver and was quoted a per seat price and told that anything over 75 pounds would be a dollar per pound. I do admit to being a bit nervous about the equipment weight because a friend who had recently come back from McNeil a few weeks ago prior to me said he carried in 110 pounds and was told that he actually came in light compared to other people. In the end when I checked in I only came in 2 pounds over at 77 pounds and even I thought I had overpacked.

The next big question was what to take for food. Having heard stories of people that packed in alcohol and gourmet food to make the situation I big party, I decided to pack light and my food for the week mainly consisted of backpacking food, nuts, trail mix bars, oatmeal, assorted small bag of hard candy/chocolate and a loaf of bread and small jar of peanut butter to make sandwiches when we were out hiking each day.

Each month at McNeil tends to be different. In June to early July they tend to take the groups out to Mikfik Creek where the bears are feeding on sedge grasses and enjoying the early salmon runs. July was of course mainly found them at the falls where the big boars would catch salmon or fight to defend their territory. The time period in which I arrived found the sub-adults and sows with cubs wandering aimlessly through the rivers. Fishing on late run salmon and eating berries. By that time of year the bigger boars have left the area and most of what we encountered were the sub-adults and sows/cubs.

As the days ticked down, thus began my journey to McNeil.

So what was my biggest moment of excitement at McNeil River. Did I get nervous around any of the bears? Not really. Though there was this particular moment that caused each of us to have an “oh my god” moment.

It was typical to leave camp each day around 10:30 a.m. and view the bears until about 8:30 at night and then go back to camp. This time of year the bears in the area are th sub-adults and the sows with cubs. The big boars have already left McNeil for the summer after fishing up at the falls and getting through mating season.

We would wander the rivers during low tide and in some cases sit on the islands / river beds to watch bears for awhile. On this particular day there was a sow with a yearling cub fishing to our left at the base of the river. About 20 feet away. Suddenly we noticed a sub-adult coming down from the bluff above.

It was very obvious the sub-adult was trying to simply get around them. Unfortunately he ended up getting in between the cub and his mom. The cub then took off running in fright. The direction he chose to run was directly at the group of us. He was about 3 feet away when he veered left and kept running down the river. His mom was right on his heels and charging right at us and then after the other sub-adult. I will never forget the look in her eyes.

A perfect example of never EVER get between a mom and her cubs. In the end she did drop her fish almost directly at our feet. Her cub followed here very closely for the remainder of the afternoon.

A very memorable yet heart stopping moment.

Alas I’m back from my trip to the McNeil River! *hugs my indoor plumbing*

The Bad:
*My Chest Waders Leaked!!
*I was stung by a bee. And yes I found out I’m allergic to them. For awhile there was enough concern that some were wondering if they were going to have to medivac me out.
*I got a pretty bad sun burn on my face.

The Good:
*Bears bears and more bears.
*I now have a fox named after me.
*Made some wonderful new friends.

It was in all honesty everything I had hoped for and more. A full writeup will be coming in the next few days. But to keep you appeased in the meantime I have put together a small gallery of select photos from the trip. Simply click on the image above to view it.

Wrangell is simply the kind of town you can immerse yourself in to be at one with the locals. A place where you can experience first hand what true Alaska hospitality is all about. Of course I may not have thought that the moment my Alaska Air flight touched down from Juneau. All I saw at the time was very low lying clouds and the rain start in earnest. Rain that would plague me for days to come. And as we departed and I waited for my luggage that would never show up I found myself panicking. After all, I was going to Anan Creek the next day with a forecast of two inches of rain predicted to fall. How on earth was I going to manage it with lost luggage that held all my rain gear?

All I had with me was the clothes on my back and my camera in my backpack. No change of clothes, “no raingear!” I wailed to the Alaska Airlines luggage attendant. With apologies written all over her face she paused “Do you even have a toothbrush” she asked? To which I responded that everything was in my bag. She gathered me in a hug and said “you wait here.” only to reappear with a generic overnight cosmetic set holding the necessities - toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, and razor and an offer to borrow her own rain boots. A kit mind you that I would look at with true appreciation the next morning.

Wrangell is simply “that kind of town” I found over the next few days. A small town which found locals waving to me and stopping to ask me if there was anything I need. After all at the lodge I became the girl known as the “one with the lost luggage” and word quickly spreads. With its layer of marine fog hanging over the Wrangell Narrows I was reminded in those three days that there is a heart to this place and it will take care of you. No matter what may happen. On my last morning I watched as flocks of eagles nested in nearby trees with their cries intermixed with the croaking of the ravens. Even in the driving rain it reminded me there is something about the water and its marine life. And as you step outside you can smell the freshness of the seaweed intermixed with the smells of fish.

A town of a little over 2000 people, Wrangell is filled with a rich heritage and the type of old souls that make their life living off of what Alaska provides. While nearby towns of Juneau and Ketchikan thrive off of the hustle and bustle of the tour ships Wrangell is one town that hasn’t sold its soul for the mighty dollar. People come here because it’s a reminder and step back in time of way things used to be. Where things move at a casual pace and they deal with what is handed to them.

As I stopped by the front office that morning to pay my final bill and tell my host Bruce that I would need a ride to the airport he and I began to talk about living life in Alaska. This is actually the first time I had been able to sit down and talk to him at the lodge since I arrived. I could tell he was waiting for things to slow down a little — especially given the lodge had been continuously full since my arrival. Highly unlikely given what began as a construction camp has built into one of the most popular destinations within Wrangell. People come from all over the world to stay here and experience life here. With nearby trips available to LeConte Glacier or Anan Creek it’s no wonder that Wrangell is building itself as a tour destination, outside of the cruise ships.

On that lone Sunday, since my trip to LeConte Glacier was canceled I found myself walking into town several times to do a bit of shopping and grab a bite to eat. Though I found my meal of halibut overcooked it didn’t stop me from sitting on the wharf watching the lone cruise ship depart after a scant few hours there. The salt air filled my lungs and blue sky peaked through the low hanging clouds. On my way back I found myself waving to people that I have come to know in my brief time there. People that like to stop and talk and get to know you. I had become a bit of a regular in town simply because I allowed myself to experience life and its slower pace there.

Because Wrangell is simply that kind of town. Weathered and full of life.

I shall miss her.