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Day Two - Many of the people on our trip would spend their time on the river fly fishing, but I preferred to stand in the middle with my waders on, camera ready. It's a good thing, too. These two came out of nowhere and met nearby. Let's just say with limited mobility - they were closer than I would have preferred on Day Two. It was amazing how quiet they were as they moved. When bears were near, many times I would not notice them until someone else pointed them out. Notice the difference in their coats. Extraordinary! |
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Can you imagine standing at one point in the middle of a river and being able to see eight bears all around you along the shoreline?! One of the best parts about going to spend the morning on the Kulik River was shuttling past all of the bears in our boat on our way to and from our intended lookout spot. |
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Here's a common sight. The cold water certainly didn't stop the brown bears from wading out for an extended meal. And the sockeye salmon were plentiful. Wading through the water, it was nearly impossible not to bump into them - the salmon, that is! The larger bears would eat twenty to thirty fish a day. |
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This afternoon, a few of us switched gears and went on a hike. It's a terrific trek across the tundra out to Kulik Lake - so beautiful and multicolored this time of year. You had to watch your step as you marched across the tundra. Looking down so much made coming within close proximity to bears all the more startling. |
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A few days prior to our arrival there had been an incredible wind storm with gusts up to 85 MPH. The first tree you see here was a casualty of that windstorm - until Suzi Hanna and I decided to prop it back up again with a few rocks. Speaking of trees, have you ever seen pine cones clustered so tightly before? Photos with magnifying glasses near their corners can be clicked on for an enlargement. |
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