After checking out of the hotel and returning the rental car this morning, we started the second leg of our trip with a one-hour Alaska Airlines flight from Anchorage to King Salmon.
Cook Inlet
As soon as we got off the plane and through the small terminal, I made a beeline for the King Salmon Interagency Visitor Center next door while the guys waited for the checked bags. I knew that they would be closed when we returned on Sunday, so this was my only chance to get the passport stamps from this location.
Then we boarded the shuttle for the short drive to the Katmai Air station on the Naknek River. When we checked in, we were weighed along with our backpacks/bags (limit 50 pounds per person). We ended up storing one suitcase in their office. While waiting for our float plane to depart, we ate the last of our sandwiches for lunch.
The pilot was kind enough to let me sit in the front, although the prescription scopolamine patch I've been wearing to ward off motion sickness has been working great without any drowsiness. (So far the only side effect I've experienced has been dry mouth.) Very cool to take off and land on the water - smoothest landing ever!
Naknek River
Naknek Lake
About 25 minutes later, we arrived at Brooks Camp in Katmai National Park. On the beach, we were greeted by an annoying swarm of gnats, but at least they weren't biting us.
☑ Unit #210 for me, #204 for R, and #155 for the boys
Float plane parking
All of us new arrivals were immediately taken up to the visitor center to attend a mandatory bear safety orientation. The ranger went over regulations and guidelines, including how far to stay away from the bears (50 yards), what to do with food (only consume inside buildings or designated picnic areas and store in designated food caches; otherwise no food or beverages besides water are allowed outside at all), and how to behave on the viewing platforms. Afterwards, we were all given a spiffy lapel pin for successfully "graduating" from bear school.
It was about 2:00PM when we went to the Brooks Lodge front desk to check in. Then we grabbed our stuff which had been unloaded onto the porch and headed to our room. Because we're staying here for the next three nights, we were in no rush to get out to the bear viewing platforms especially since they were likely to still be crowded with day-trippers. So we stopped by visitor center again to get the passport stamp for me and pick up junior ranger books for J and M. We also hit the Katmai Trading Post to look through their merch and bought some fun t-shirts to commemorate our visit.
From the lodge area, it's less than a quarter-mile to the first set of viewing platforms next to the mouth of the Brooks River. There are gates on either side of the bridge to prevent bears from accessing the boardwalk. We were excited to see several bears right off the bat...
Can you spot the fisherman approaching Brooks River?
One bear snorkeling for fish and another one farther upriver with Dumpling Mountain in the background
We nicknamed this one "Beach Bear" because it often lounged here on the spit next to Naknek Lake
From the Lower River Platform, it was about a quarter-mile to the Brooks Falls Trailhead and then a about a half-mile more to the Treehouse. Because the Brooks Falls Platform was at capacity, we had to put our name on a short wait list, which gave us time to look at the displays and work on junior ranger activities.
Fours up!
We only ended up waiting about 15 minutes before we could go out to platform. I was able to set up my camera on the tripod, but due to space constraints, I kept all three legs together to use it as a monopod instead. Over the next hour, I took nearly 300 photos with my DSLR, not counting the 200+ pics/videos from R, M, and J's phones. Hard to narrow them all down to just a few, but here are some of our favorite shots...
903 "Gully"
Sockeye salmon on the menu
Nom, nom
Some of the bears are easily recognizable with distinct behaviors and preferred fishing spots.
903 "Gully" tends to perch on the edge of the falls. He got his nickname from the Katmai bearcam viewers because he has been observed chasing and eating gulls along the Brooks River.
We called the bear who hangs out in the pool below the falls, "Jacuzzi Bear". When it caught a fish, it would turn its back to the platform as if it didn't want any people to see it eating.
The bear in the very back of the photo below is 32 (aka "Chunk") who has a broken jaw, likely sustained in a fight with another bear earlier this year. Based on his size, he is clearly able to get enough to eat despite his injury.
Brooks Falls
32 "Chunk" eyeing the competition's fish
"Gully" ceded his spot to another bear
So close!
Stop looking at me!
Having gotten our fill of viewing the bears from this platform, we headed back to the Treehouse and then went to check out the Riffles Platform a bit further downstream from the falls.
Since it was close to dinner time, we started hiking back towards the lodge. Near the bridge, we saw mama bear 26 with her two cubs. So adorable!
Lower River Platform
I have camera envy - look at the size of those lenses!
26 with female cub (left) and male cub (right)
All meals are served buffet-style in the lodge, so we got in line for dinner about 5:30PM. While we were eating, we saw this bear meander past the dining room...
After dinner, we went back out to the river, but a mist had settled in, making it hard to see much. So we headed back to our room and just vegged out, looking through all of the fat bear pics we took today. What an excellent day!
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