Most of my travelling since the pandemic has been closer to home. I found myself wanting to play the tourist around Alaska now that I no longer work in the tourism industry. Living in such a massive state means that there is a lot to explore, lots of legends and stories to experience for myself.
One such legendary spot for me has been Katmai National Park. As a ranger I had started following the fat bear week competition and using their images to teach tourists about the eating habits of bears. When my friend mentioned she had reserved a highly coveted spot in the Katmai lottery for her birthday I had to join in.
June is not the peak season at Katmai. The salmon run has barely begun and the classic image of the bears crowding brooks falls is still a few weeks out. It turned out to be a fantastic time to visit anyway. Instead of waiting in lines to see the falls we strolled around the walkways and camp grounds with just a few other visitors. Fly fishing was the main draw for guests, most coming from nearby Anchorage. They assured us that Brooks camp in June without all of the crowds was best. Our sunny week was filled with hiking, canoeing, and staying up late to watch for bears roaming the beach.
The mouth of of the Brooks River
909 after avoiding an unwanted courtship from "Chunk"
The empty boardwalks over the river.
A rainbow over the lake
Fly fishing was the main attraction in June.
It was too early for bears at the falls but it was not too early for bears in general. We were lucky enough to see a boar (male bear) chasing a sow (female bear) down the river one evening, we saw the same sow placidly grazing the meadows on Dumpling Mountain as a thunderstorm rolled across the valley, and we saw a previous Fat bear week champion, 747, stroll past the dining hall while we ate dinner. One of our late night beach excursions was rewarded with spotting a sow and two cubs, her own and her niece, on an evening walk.
909 jr. with auntie 910 and cousin 910 jr. walking the beach around midnight.
A paw print on the beach.
As usual I had my eyes on the ground much of the time, looking for some late morel mushrooms in the woods and finding all the plants I like to gather at home. Seeing the occasional bear paw print in the sand, and watching the pumice stones floating in the lake. Katmai is well worth the trip, even in the shoulder season.
Sunset on the lake
Pumice floating on the lake surface, mosquitos everywhere.
Dumpling trail
