One of the regulars that visits this site (hi Michael!) sent me an interesting e-mail that got me thinking about some things.  The comment that he enjoys my photos more knowing the story behind them — which in reality is pretty much what this blog is all about. 

But I do admit it got me thinking.  All too often when we buy prints, notecards, etc. that can tell location, artist, etc.  But I’ve never really saw anything that delves into the story behind the photo and the experience behind it.  Might be an interesting marketing idea.

That is if I ever truly begin to market my work.  I’m still decided.  Heck, I haven’t even decided if I should attempt a 2009 calendar again this year. 

Which I know if I decide to, I should have them ready by the end of this month.

“The Hug”
McNeil River
Kamishak Bay, Alaska

Wanda’s spring cubs engage in rest and play while awaiting their mother’s return from fishing at McNeil River Preserve.

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.

Bull Moose
Denali National Park, Alaska

The largest of the deer family and living in a location with the largest population of all, fall brings a natural phenomenon to biology with the arrival of the moose rut here in Alaska. A time when moose breed and adult males joust during the rut by bringing their antlers together and pushing. The moose are at their peak after a summer of foraging and antlers are at their largest size before dropping off in early November.

–

I took one of my suicide runs (i.e. up to the park, in and then back to Anchorage in a day) and was amazed at the hues of fall colors. Intense, electrifying and jaw dropping would be putting it midly. I simply have not seen this strong of fall colors in Denali in years. With that said, I am definitely looking forward to being a participant in the road lottery this year. I ended up with 3 passes (Saturday-Sunday and Monday) so it will be a welcome reprieve from things.

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.