Lake Clark NP: BEARS! (06-15-2023)

Our day starts early.  Our flight is scheduled to depart at 9:00.  We are told to be at the airport by 8:30.

Breakfast is not included with our room.   We are out of the room by 7:30. We get our  morning coffee and muffin at Kaladi Brothers.  We are at the airport by 8:15.

When we enter Natron Air's office the two owners are there, another couple heading for the Park and the 2 Boxers.  I hear the owners (We met the wife yesterday. The husband is the pilot.) discussing the weather.  There is a light drizzle here.  Apparently at Lake Clark it is drizzling and windy.  I ask how long the flight is (80 miles; about 30 minutes) and wonder if I should use the restroom.  The owner/pilot says, yes, use the restroom, we might not be able to land and have to return to Soldotna.  (Not what I wanted to hear!).

We load up and leave early (8:40), as all passengers are present and the pilot wants to beat the weather.

Taking our luggage inside Natron's office.

Loading the plane.

In our seats and ready to go.

Lake Clark from the plane.  The water is Cook Inlet.

Landing on the beach.

Safely down! Or to quote our Dad, 'Cheated Death Again!'

Silver Salmon Creek Lodge staff meet the plane.  Passengers and luggage are loaded on to trailers pulled by ATVs.  We meet our guide, Brooke, and head to our cabin.  We have a few minutes to get our outdoor clothes on before we meet our guide at the Wheelhouse.

Off to our cabin.

Our cabin.  It's a duplex.  BB is standing in front of our door.

Inside. 

This outhouse is across from our front door.  No worries, the cabin has an indoor bathroom with hot and cold water.

The Wheelhouse is a gathering place. Inside there is a fireplace, comfy sofas and chairs, hot drinks during the day and adult drinks at night.

At the Wheel House we are given the schedule:

     1:00 Lunch
     7:00 Dinner
     10:00 Guides Stop Guiding

     6:30  More Bears

     8:00  Breakfast

     9:30  Leave

And a brief orientation (do whatever your guide says!).  Now it's time to find bears!

Us with Guide Brooke.

We aren't out very long when we see this sign.  Brooke tells us that the bear pictured is named Crimp Ear and that her picture is used on signs all over the park.  She is a park celebrity.

We get to meet her!  She is with her two cubs that are 5 or 6 months old.  Brooke tells us that Crimp Ear and cubs have only been out of the den 2 or 3 days. Today is the first time the cubs have been seen by the guides at Silver Salmon Creek Lodge   We are probably the first humans to see the cubs.

We see more of Crimp Ear and her cubs plus lots more bears.  We see at least 12 different bears today.

We follow these three bears for hours.  The guides call them the Three Amigos.  They are sub-adult males 5 or 6 years old.  The blonde bear in front is one of Crimp Ear's offspring.

I see each of the Three Amigos poop!  So yes, bears really do poop in the woods.

The morning is cold and wet. Doesn't stop us!

We go in for lunch a little early, 12:30ish, to warm up and dry off in the Wheel House.   

Meals are served on the second floor of the main Lodge.

The view from the dining room window is awesome!

 Lunch is beef stew and Irish soda bread.  Yum!

The weather is better after lunch.   Watching the bears is more comfortable when it isn't wet and cold.

We are watching the Three Amigos when the bears start showing interest in the ATVS and trailers.  It looks like one is going to climb into a trailer.  The guides quickly run towards them waving their arms and shouting. The bears move away from the machines.  The bears like to eat the foam on the ATV and trailer seats.

Brooke pointing out the bear chewed seats.

I am pointing to a patch on the seat.

There is a group of photographers here.  I find myself watching them as they watch the bears.  They carry a lot of equipment and get in some uncomfortable positions.

They stand in puddles.

They lay and kneel on the ground.

Silver Salmon Creek Lodge is on the western shore of Cook Inlet.  I decided I had to touch the water.  

The afternoon goes quickly.  Dinner time sneaks up on us.  It is a salad followed by fresh caught cod over what the chef calls potato salad. (It's not like the potato salad I know...the cod is served over cooked potatoes, onion and cabbage).

We are out again after dinner for a couple more hours of bear viewing. The sky is beautiful.

We are in the cabin by 10:00 getting ready for bed when the electricity goes out.  After a few minutes hoping it will come back on I go to check that staff is aware it is out.  I see one of the staff walking down the path towards the cabins.  He sees me and says 'I'm on it.'  I thank him and go back to the cabin.  Power is soon back on.  

Bedtime.

An AWESOME day!

Sal