BEARS!!!!

Bob's first salmon while dipnetting at the Kasilof River



Grizzly at the falls

A week ago Friday, we flew to King Salmon on the Katmai Pensiluar then took an Otter float plane to Brooks Camp. When a bear is on the beach where a plane land, it has to wait until the bear/bears move on. That's also true when a plane want to leave the camp. Many passengers waited hours to take off. We had to attend "Bear School" when we first arrived, then carried all of our jear to the campground. Nancy and Patty in one tent, Gail and Barb in another, Bob and Paula in a larger one. We set up our tents, cots, sleeping bags with Bob's help. Before we could go see the bears, we had to put all of our food and equipment in caches. We were told that we couldn't sleep in the clothes we ate in because of so many bears in the area even though we had an electrical fence around us. We had a portalet but no running water for a bath. Then we set off to see the bears . There was a bridge over the river then a 1 1/2 mile walk on a path through the woods to the boardwalk at the falls. There were rangers positioned to "stop traffic" if bears were in the area around the bridge. BUT no rangers on the path through the woods. There were 70+ bears (grizzlies or brown) in the 1 1/2 sq miles so the chance of meeting one was pretty good. The bears were focused on the salmon not US but we still had to make noise so they knew we were there. Patty and Nancy ventured off on their own one morning. They had to get off the path and go into the woods when they saw a grizzly coming down the path. They waited til the bear settled in for a nap in the woods. They were so busy keeping their eyes on that bear that they didn't see the two larger ones until they were only feet from them. Needless to say, they didn't venture off by themselves again.
After the first day of "bear gazing", all of us were bitten up by white sock flies. We had been taking brewers yeast so the mosquitoes didn't bother us. Patty go bitten the most especially on the face and around her ankles. Bob gave her a net to wear over her head for the rest of the stay.
Another day on the way back through the woods, 9 of us had to run into the woods twice to escape two subadults (teenagers). They were playing on the path and knew we were there but continued to play. On our second time going back to the boardwalk to wait for them to get off the path, Barb noticed that there was a larger grizzly chasing the two. Now we had 3 bears running down the path right behind us. Paula yelled, "Move fast into the woods BUT don't run". The problem with that was that she and Barb went to the left and 7 of us went to the right. The big bear stopped and stared at them instead the 7 of us. The purpose of staying together is to look BIG to the bear. Paula and Barb weren't as big as the 7 of us. Paula said, " Good bear, go on down the path." We were glad that he was focused again on the 2 subadults and went on down the path. Us ladies bought fishing licenses. Bob tried to help all of us but we weren't too good at casting. As Patty was fishing on the river, the ranger yelled, " a sow and her baby is coming down the path and to get into the woods". The bears decided to go through the woods also and came out only feet from Barb, Nancy and Patty. The sow just looked at us and continued into the river. We had several other "heart stopping" encounters with the bears but we know how lucky we were to have had this experience (thanks to Paula and Bob). The lodge's bathroom was the only place we could wash our hands with warm water so we stopped by there often. Paula and Nancy, at different times, ran into to bears going there. The bears were given "free reign". Unless they were a threat, the people were the ones that had to move. Our last day while sitting by the fireplace in the lodge and waiting for the plane to arrive we saw many bears walking down the paths in the lodge/cabins area. We flew back to King Salmon on a Beaver float plane with Patty as the co-pilot. We could see the vast amount of land that was bog and unhabitable. We had a hamburger and beer there and got back to Anchorage around 10 that night (daylight just like it was noon).
Again we saw how nature takes care of itself, the salmon coming to spawn, the bears coming to eat the salmon, the birds coming to eat some, then the river taking back whats left.
We saw courting and mating rituals. Hierachy was seen as the smaller bears moved
out of the way of big boars. We saw even some big ones give a sow and her cubs wide berth. Grizzlies are blonde and various shades of brown. There were no black bears here.
We flew back to King Salmon on a Beaver float plane with Patty as the co-pilot. We could see the vast amount of land that was bog and unhabitable. We had a hamburger and beer there and got back to Anchorage around 10 that night (daylight just like it was noon).At 8:30 the next morning we were packed again and ready to leave for Johnson Lake to see dip netting . We rode with Bob and saw again how beautiful Turniagain Arm area and the Kenai Pen. was. While Bob set up the camp, we headed for Homer, a beautiful area on the coast. There were 10 of us this time. Patty and Nancy, Gail and Barb had the tents on the lake. It was wonderful to wake up and have your coffee overlooking this beautiful lake. Patty and Nancy went canoeing then walking around the lake. Only Alaskans can go dip netting for salmon. The head of the household can get 25, all others can get 10. We went to see them once from the bay and the other from the mouth of the Kenai River. It was fun to watch hundreds of people standing chest deep in COLD water with these huge nets bringing in salmon. Tonight we will help with the processing of the salmon.
We have had so many wonderful experiences, thanks to Paula and Bob. We continue to thank them.