If I Were Going...: September in Alaska #10

I told you that we saw a bear in a stream as we landed at Silver Salmon Creek Lodge (SSCL). According to its website, SSCL, “has evolved into one of Alaska's premier sites for viewing coastal brown bears in their natural habitat. Guests can enjoy witnessing these magnificent mammals as they forage in the local meadows for sedge grasses, dig for razor clams at low tide, or chase salmon returning to their native streams.”

Brown Bear patrolling the beach

Yep.

Silver Salmon Creek

The site goes on to say, “Silver Salmon Creek is home to a subset of local bears, most of which are mothers with cubs and juveniles, although we do see the larger males during breeding season and other times. It is not unusual for guests to watch bears from the deck of their cabins, as the free-ranging omnivores wander in and out of the premises.”

From my cabin

Yep.

In front of the Lodge

“Silver Salmon Creek Lodge is different from most other bear viewing locations in that we move into the habitat of the bear, avoiding the necessity of viewing platforms and designated sites."

On the beach

Yep.

Further evidence

“Knowledgeable guides are always present and vital to the experience of not only getting properly positioned for excellent viewing, but to understand behavioral nuances and gain key information about bear biology.”

Last year's cub

Yep.

Adult Brown Bear

The Brown Bear has lost 98 percent of its habitat in the lower 48 states. About 95 percent of the Brown Bear population in the United States -- about 32,000 Bears -- is in Alaska. That's why we travel there to see Bears.

Two on the spit

The most reliable place to see bears is where they can easily catch and eat salmon.

I am not going to attempt a blow-by-blow of our two days of bear viewing -- there were just too many moments. So, I'll just share some photos and videos. Plus, I'll have a few more posts about some specific events.

To see the bears, we traveled in a small cart attached to an ATV that Dave drove. It gave us great access and the safety of being able to quickly escape (which we never had to do).

And, sometimes, we saw bears by just looking out the window (the pan over is to our cabin).

The first day we dodged in and out of rain showers and, unfortunately, I got my trusty Canon camera just a bit too wet and it died.

Ouch!

Fortunately, Scott had a camera that wasn’t too complicated that he loaned me for the remainder of the trip.

Whew! I would have died without a camera. I mean, seriously. This has prompted me to consider purchasing a second camera body so i will never have this happen again. Right now, the Canon is being looked at to see if it can be repaired and I am trying out one of Scott's Nikons. If I go the Nikon direction, it means new lenses; if I stay with Canon, it means a new camera.

But, back to the bears. We got very, very close to the resident Bears – most often to Agro, a big female ...

Argo

... and to Crimpy Ear ...

The name comes from her crimped left ear

... and her two cubs ...

Such cuties

The three were always together. She's a pretty small bear; her cubs are approaching her size already.

Following Mom

Although wary of each other, Agro and Crimpy Ear fished salmon on the same beach. Agro bore a large wound on her back, the result of a run-in with the much smaller Crimpy Ear a few days earlier.

Fishing is hard work

We also saw “the old sow,” but only at a distance. That may have been her as we flew in.

Who is this?

The Orphan, a two-year-old whose mother hasn’t been seen in the past year ...

Also a cutie

... and another two-year-old that just passed briefly by ...

Just passing by

After all the rain, it was a treat for us, and the Bears, to see the sun come out.

Does it get better than this?

Among the fabulous things we witnessed, were ...

Resting Bears

Napping Bears

Curious Bears

Funny Bears

Fishing Bears

Eating Bears

Satisfied Bears

Swimming Bears

Ambling Bears

Playing bears

… and a charging Bear (but I am saving that for a separate blog).

In addition to shooting on the beach, we also shot the orphan cub on a grassy riverbank … and got some great close-up expressions.

Riverside Bear

And, we tracked Crimpy Ear and her cubs to the river to watch them fish.

Fishing in Silver Salmon Creek

Well, really to watch her fish and the cubs eat (more on that in another blog, too). We even got a shot of a Bear and an Eagle at the same time.

Extra special

Although there are other animals – Moose, Caribou, Wolves – in the area, we saw nothing but Bears ...

Lots of Bears

... Bald Eagles ...

I didn't get many Eagle shots

... Common Ravens ...

Ravens are important to indigenous peoples

... a Northern Harrier (very hard to photograph because it was very fast) ...

This was my first Northern Harrier

... and a few distant Seals ...

Harbor Seal in the surf

But, oh, the Bears.

Close enough!

Not only were they there when we were out photographing, they also showed up a few times by our cabin and we could see them walking around as we sat at the dining table in the lodge.