At least I got to see one Grizzly Bear up close!
This wasn't quite what I was hoping for.
In my mind there are a couple of things that I automatically associate with Alaska: Snow, Ice, King Crab, Oil, and of course Bear. We had one close encounter with a brown bear but no pictures to show for it. I learned that no matter what, you never ever ever run from a bear, Except when you're with three other people, and they all run.
I had heard the rules of wildlife interaction. They were even broadcast daily on the motel's information television channel. Repeated often: "Don't run if you encounter a bear, it will most likely spark their instinct to chase. Just respectfully give them a wide berth and move away slowly and deliberately." Also: it's better to make plenty of noise to alert them to your presence so you don't startle them.
All that being said, we had driven up a gravel road and found a small pool that was full of salmon.
While we were checking out the fish we heard a bear on the other side of the stream, a few hundred yards away or so, howling or growling. We didn't see the bear yet, but the sounds were getting closer. So we did the touristy thing of course. We got the cameras ready and walked down the stream hoping to get a glimpse of some true Alaskan wildlife. The brush was rather thick, but we could hear the twigs snapping and knew we were getting fairly close. As we drew nearer, the weeds and trees started parting and swaying, and a dark shape moved towards us quickly. The guy that was closest to the commotion then bolted for the truck. I knew that we weren't supposed to run, but that tiny voice of logic said, "you don't have to be first, but you sure as heck don't want to be last in this race." It's like the old joke, I didn't have to outrun the bear, just the slowest guy. So after the first dude took off, the rest of us sort of simultaneously had the same thought and followed suit. We never did get a good sight of the bear, nor a picture. I think the bear was just bluffing us. Either way, we sat in the truck for a bit, but the bear never made another appearance, so we moved on.
I did see a few bear from the air when we along some of the flatter parts of the coast, but never close enough for a picture.
I had to settle for this up-close encounter with Grizzly Bear.
Maybe next year!
At the same marina, I thought this was kind of funny.
I "Hope" everyone uses the doggy waste bucket.
In my mind there are a couple of things that I automatically associate with Alaska: Snow, Ice, King Crab, Oil, and of course Bear. We had one close encounter with a brown bear but no pictures to show for it. I learned that no matter what, you never ever ever run from a bear, Except when you're with three other people, and they all run.
I had heard the rules of wildlife interaction. They were even broadcast daily on the motel's information television channel. Repeated often: "Don't run if you encounter a bear, it will most likely spark their instinct to chase. Just respectfully give them a wide berth and move away slowly and deliberately." Also: it's better to make plenty of noise to alert them to your presence so you don't startle them.
All that being said, we had driven up a gravel road and found a small pool that was full of salmon.
While we were checking out the fish we heard a bear on the other side of the stream, a few hundred yards away or so, howling or growling. We didn't see the bear yet, but the sounds were getting closer. So we did the touristy thing of course. We got the cameras ready and walked down the stream hoping to get a glimpse of some true Alaskan wildlife. The brush was rather thick, but we could hear the twigs snapping and knew we were getting fairly close. As we drew nearer, the weeds and trees started parting and swaying, and a dark shape moved towards us quickly. The guy that was closest to the commotion then bolted for the truck. I knew that we weren't supposed to run, but that tiny voice of logic said, "you don't have to be first, but you sure as heck don't want to be last in this race." It's like the old joke, I didn't have to outrun the bear, just the slowest guy. So after the first dude took off, the rest of us sort of simultaneously had the same thought and followed suit. We never did get a good sight of the bear, nor a picture. I think the bear was just bluffing us. Either way, we sat in the truck for a bit, but the bear never made another appearance, so we moved on.
I did see a few bear from the air when we along some of the flatter parts of the coast, but never close enough for a picture.
I had to settle for this up-close encounter with Grizzly Bear.
Maybe next year!
At the same marina, I thought this was kind of funny.
I "Hope" everyone uses the doggy waste bucket.
posted by IFly at 9/14/2006 06:00:00 PM
1 Comments:
Ok, that would get my heart pounding, to see the branches moving like that and hear the twigs snapping away.
'course, if a giant grizzly ever shows up again, Don't Take the Photo! Otherwise that might be your Last. Photo. Ever.
Unless....you have some real powerful zoom lens... (g) LOL!
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