Alaska Is For Bears

VACATION TRIP OFFERED TOUR OF A LIFETIME

STAFF PHOTOS PAUL NIELSEN 
Alaskan brown bears graze at Katmai National Park in Alaska. A fly-in tour to see bears took viewers to within yards of bears.

STAFF PHOTOS PAUL NIELSEN Alaskan brown bears graze at Katmai National Park in Alaska. A fly-in tour to see bears took viewers to within yards of bears.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Alaska's Katmai National Park has one of the largest populations of Alaska brown bears in the 49th state. Paul Nielsen, an NWA Media sports reporter, and his wife, Susan, visited to the park last summer.

Up Close With Alaska Bears

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KATMAI NATIONAL PARK, Alaska

After my wife, Susan, and I decided to spend last summer’s vacation in Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula, we decided we wanted to go on a bear viewing trip.

Our research led us to Katmai National Park, which has the largest concentration of brown bears in the world. About the only way to get there, however, is by small plane from Homer, or one of the few surrounding communities.

There are guide services in the area, and all promise up-close encounters with bears. “Walk with the Alaskan brown bear,” or “Up close with bears” were the mottoes seen over and over again.

We finally settled on Sasquatch Alaska Adventure in Homer after finding every review posted by customers on TripAdvisor rated the service excellent. It was the best decision we made on our 10-day trip to Alaska.

Sasquatch just completed its third summer of operation, but Zach Tappan, owner and chief pilot/bear guide, has been guiding people on bear viewing trips for over 11 years and has been a licensed commercial pilot even longer.

Bear trips out of Homer, which is on the southern end of the Kenai Peninsula, begin in late May and end in early September. Our trip was July 2.

“I’ve always flown out of Homer and we live here year-round,” Tappan said. “We usually do just one trip a day, but sometimes we do two.”

We arrived about 30 minutes before our departure time, met the seven other paying customers, Tappan and Tim Hendricks, who would pilot the second Cessna 206. The weather was typical for early July, with an expected high in the upper 50s.

Then we put on our waders. Our guide asked if we had enough bug spray to ward off the mosquitoes, then we boarded the plane with Tappan at the controls.

The trip is about 90 miles each way and the flight is a treat in itself.

We left the Homer airport on time, flew over the Homer Spit and on past the small village of Seldovia, which is only accessible by air or boat. We flew by Mount Douglas and the Douglas Glacier that encompasses most of the mountain.

“The whole mountain is basically an ice field,” Tappan said.

Mount Douglas is an active volcano. On this clear day we were able to fly by the summit and see the surrounding glaciers. The views were breathtaking.

After this brief tour, we headed to the beach.

As we got closer to landing on the beach, we could see bears feeding in the grassy marsh areas and near the numerous rivers and creeks full of winter runoff from the surrounding mountains. We watched as Hendricks landed his plane, then Tappan landed our party on the beach with what was a very smooth landing.

“The beach right there really doesn’t have a name,” Tappan said. “There are four of fi ve rivers right there and they named them all Douglas. We call it Douglas North.”

We headed inland, and when wecame to an open area near a creek, we could see bears everywhere.

Out first up close encounter was with a brown bear sleeping along side the creek, tired from digging and eating clams as evidenced by a large hole and pile of sand. The bear was about 40 yards from us on the opposite bank.

We then crossed the creek and moved out to a more open area with about 30 bears in sight. More could be seen with binoculars.

Along with bug spray, binoculars are a must-have. I really didn’t think the mosquitoes were as bad as advertised.

Over the next hour or so, we would slowly move among the bears, always looking to avoid bear poop. We’d stop for awhile to watch the bears feed, play and watch us. During this part of the trip we were only 30 to 50 yards from the bears.

There were a few momma bears with cubs, but on this trip they kept their distance.

Tappan said on some trips mother bears with cubs actually move closer to humans.

“It depends on the mother, but if she has had good experiences with people, she’ll face the people more than the other bears,” Tappan said.

“She has to be protective of her cubs from the other bears as well.

Some of the mothers are more comfortable around people.”

After lunch on a perch overlooking two open areas full of bears, we started a meandering hike back to the beach. It was on this part of the trip that we got our closest encounter with an Alaskan brown bear.

The group stopped as a bear was slowing walking toward our party.

Tappan said the bear was headingto a small pond about 10 yards in front us.

When we first spotted this large bear, it was about 75 yards in front of us. In a matter of minutes, that distance was no more than 15 yards. The bear noticed our group, stopped, turned around and made an exit by going around us.

“On a typical trip, we usually get within 20 yards at least once,” Tappan said. “We see the highest number of bears in late June and early July, as far as quantity.”

As we got closer to the beach, we saw more bears digging for clams and another feeding just off the beach by the planes.

After three-plus hours on the ground and walking about 3 miles, we were airborne again. Our trip back to Homer was a different route, as we fl ew by Mount Augustine, an island volcano visible from Homer. It was a crystal-clear day and the view of the mountains and the coastline was another added bonus.

A smooth landing at Homer ended a trip of a lifetime that we’ll remember for years to come.

Outdoor, Pages 8 on 11/28/2013