US National Parks in Alaska - Bears and More!

Quote: Denali National Park & Preserve is home to North America’s highest peak of the same name although you will hear many refer to her at Mount McKinley. Locals however, prefer her native name, Mount Denali. While summer is a glorious time in Denali, we were very excited about taking in the experience as fall takes over. We were here the last week of August, which is still technically summer but make no mistake about it, fall was clearly in the air and the minds of the park’s wildlife!

We arrived late afternoon on Saturday, with our TEK shuttle passes good for Sunday and Monday, with Sunday’s being our "reserved seat" day. We met the shuttle just outside the campground at the main road at 7:30am to being our 60+ mile trek into the park. It was a cool day with drizzle rains that were intermittent throughout our ride through the park. Unfortunately, with the rain and cool weather came heavy clouds and low hanging fog. Much of the visibility throughout the park was diminished significantly. Mattered not however, as there were beautiful meadows bursting with color. I did not realize how many different hues of red, orange and yellow existed.

Because we had plans to take the shuttle into the park again on Monday, we opted to say with our same bus group on Sunday, only getting off for the planned stops along the way including a nice long one (about an hour) at Eielson Visitor Center at the 66 mile marker (MM) along with shorter stops at Polychrome (MM 46 – for photos only), Tolkat (MM53 – for restrooms and visitors center) and the terminus of Wonder Lake (MM 85 – restrooms and photos).

Shortly after leaving our campground, we saw two very large bull moose with huge antlers. One had shed all of his velvet while the other was still scraping away on trees to remove his. We also saw moose relatively close to the road in a pond at approximately the MM75 before Wonder Lake. On the way back towards the park entrance we saw more wildlife including a grey wolf and several pairs of bears (moms with cubs) high up in the meadows (almost too far away to see or photograph them).

The next day was much better for animals including two bears that were right near the road and that scampered behind our bus while wrestling. We also saw more moose and a group of rams, although pretty far away from the road. The weather was a bit better on Monday, which allowed us more time to explore along the way at the visitors centers.

Tuesday morning was our transition day to Talkeetna, so we left our campsite around 7:00am. On the road out, we did see a small herd of around 10 or 12 caribou, a large bull moose and a beautiful black wolf . . . right on the road! I felt really fortunate to see the wolf as when he saw us, he darted down a service road. We stopped the motorhome in hopes that he’d return to the road . . . and he did. I got several nice photos of him as he pranced towards us and alongside the RV.

For those visiting Denali National Park, there is a $10 per person or $20 per vehicle fee which is good for seven (consecutive) days. For those who plan on enjoying the splendor of Denali more frequently, there is an annual $40 pass available. Of course park admission is free to those who have supported the US Park Service through the purchase of their "American the Beautiful" park pass.

The US Park Service has been able to maintain the wildness of Denali by limited access to vehicles. There is a 92 mile road into and through the park, but only shuttle and authorized tour buses may go beyond the Savage River at mile marker (MM) 14. The exception to this is for those camping at Tek and others who may visit before or after the summer season, weather permitting.

One fantastic off-season option is the Denali Road Lottery, whereby 400 vehicles a day for the four weekend two weeks after Labor Day may traverse as far into the park as the weather and confidence in driving allows. The sheer cliff drop offs at Polychrome Pass should not be underestimated and demand total respect!

Inside and throughout the park there are a number of ranger/visitors centers with restrooms and comfortable resting points. Visitors should come prepared, however, with plenty of water and food to fully enjoy their day in the Alaskan wild.

Quote: Denali National Park – Wonder Lake Shuttle

Once you have arrived at Denali National Park & Preserve, you need to be prepared to turn the driving over to them; either via one of the many green shuttle buses that serve the 92 mile park road, or via a brown tour bus which are not very good deals in my opinion based on past experience (2006).

Visitors planning to take in Denali National Park should frame-out their itinerary in regards to Denali as soon as possible and make the necessary reservations in advance so as to assure you get the camps and shuttles that you want. We learned that lesson back in 2006 when I planned for our shuttle "only" four months in advance and was left with a poor start time. Generally speaking, earlier is better for the shuttles as you will have more early morning wildlife viewing opportunities and you can get off and back on with more options along the way out to Wonder Lake.

For those who feel the 86 miles to Wonder Lake is just too much riding (considering it will be close to 12 hours roundtrip!), you can buy shuttle tickets for lesser distances but for the small savings, it would be my suggestion to buy to Wonder Lake and if you decide to cut your day short at Toklat or Eielson, you have those options. To put it into perspective for you, the shuttle to Wonder Lake (MM 86) is $42; to Eielson Visitors Center (MM 65) is $31 and to Toklat (MM 53) is $24 (all prices quoted are for adults). At the very least, you will want to buy to Eielson as it is there that you will have a wonderful view of Mt. Denali if the mountain is "out" and not shrouded by clouds or fog.

Many, us included, worry about the availability of bathrooms when traveling in such remote and inaccessible areas. There are stops along the way at key points of the journey, but sometimes they are just not at the point when you need one immediately. You should keep this in mind when you venture into the park on any of the buses, especially as you plan for your daily dietary and biological needs. We eat lightly for breakfast and carry plenty of snacks along with bottled water for the long trip.


Denali National Park - Tek Campground

Perhaps the best value in experiencing Denali National Park and Preserve is though a camping experience at Teklanika/TEK Campground. Located approximately 29 miles inside the park, this is the furthest you can drive during the summer and only if you have camping reservations here.

Camping at TEK is permitted by RV or tent in one of 53 camp sites along the Teklanika River. I have also heard of people who literally sleep in their car or van here. Once you are parked at the campground, you are not allowed to move your vehicle again until your departure from TEK. Campers can buy a TEK Shuttle Pass for $31 per person which is a real bargain considering that the pass is good for the duration of your camping reservation at TEK and the normal price for the one-day Wonder Lake Shuttle (the most expensive shuttle pass) is $42. Even with their three days for the price of two purchase, TEK campers are getting a minimum $84 value for just $31!

The shuttle bus pick-up point is just outside of the campgrounds and a short walk away. When purchasing your TEK pass, you make a reservation for your first park shuttle. We planned for ours on the first shuttle of the morning since that is when most of the animals are up and about. The 6:15a Wonder Lake Shuttle was scheduled for TEK (MM 29) at 7:25a.

In addition to the nice campsites, with community toilets and bear-proof food storage buildings, there is fresh water that can be used to refill your water tanks. We were in campsite #9 which was right next to the vaulted toilets which was nice so that we didn't have to fill our holding tanks during our initial RV experience. This particular campground provides good hiking access to the Teklanika River where we enjoyed a leisurely hike after dinner on Monday evening. Be aware, however, even this late in the season, there were a lot of mosquitoes.

Camping at TEK was one of the best experiences of our Great Alaskan Adventure. We stayed the mandatory three nights here at a price of $53 ($16/night + $5 reservation fee). Add to that the $20 park admission fee and another $62 for our TEK Shuttle Passes; we were taken care of for a mere $135 for the three nights.

There are other campgrounds within the park including one at Wonder Lake that only provides for tent camping. Many people enjoy staying there because of the opportunity to catch Mt. Denali at dawn/dusk for beautiful alpenglow photo opportunities. Check out the park's website for more information on camping options inside Denali National Park.

Quote: K2 Aviation is based in Talkeetna and serves as one of the best departure locations for a Denali flightseeing tour. They offer several options of varying flight times around Mt. Denali, most with the option of a glacier landing for an additional $75 (also adding 30 minutes to your flightseeing tour). The tour we took was the Grand Denali Tour which was two hours (including the glacier landing).

They say if you don't like the weather in Alaska, give it an hour . . . or drive about an hour in some other direction. Wednesday in Talkeetna was a good example. K2 had high expectations of being able to get out if the fog around the town airport cleared, so we were told to come on down around 10:45am. Sure enough by 11:20 we were off! There were seven other guests in our group aboard the deHavilland Otter airplane (which seats a max of 11 including the pilot).

Our K2 flightseeing trip had a bit of a detour once up in the air due to clouds throughout the area, to include the pass necessary to access the glacier scheduled for our landing inside the park. We were told it would be a 50/50 possibility. The good news was that there was fresh snow on the glacier they use for landings, so that was not going to be of issue for our trip.

Most of our flight was at around 8,000 to 10,000 ft. altitude and the views were amazing, including peaks, glaciers and the vast tundra landscape. In addition to Mt. Denali (aka Mt. McKinley which is 20,320 ft.), we also flew by Mt. Foraker (17,400 ft.) and Mt. Hunter (14,573 ft.), two of the other highest peaks in the Alaska Range. We thoroughly enjoyed the breathtaking experience of a glacial landing (and take-off!) on the Eldridge Glacier which is inside Denali National Park. Looking around the glacial bowl, there was an eerie quietness; a peaceful stillness all around. Wearing the glacier booties provided to us back at the airport, our feet were kept dry from the snow as we walked around the landing area.

Our pilot Tony was very good at describing the features of the mountains, while providing full commentary throughout the flight. His narration could be heard through the individual headsets we each wore during the flight. It was also pretty cool to hear his communications with "air traffic control" in Talkeetna. At no time did either of us feel queasy or concerned for our safety. K2 has one of the best safety records of the companies that fly into Denali and they will not put their guests at risk if the conditions are not safe for flying or doing the glacial landings. He said that all of their pilots have at least 1,500 flight hours in Denali National Park, assuring only the most experienced are trusted for passenger flights.

The Grand Denali Tour with glacier landing is $360/person for the two hour experience. If you wish to by-pass the landing, the tour is 1.5 hours long and costs $285. Other tours of Denali National Park offered by K2 include the McKinley Experience (1 hour) for $195 and the McKinley Flyer (1.25 hour) for $240. Add $75 (and 30 minutes) for the glacier landing. Also there is another fee added for the USPS entrance into Denali National Park ($10/person or $20/family) unless you have an annual USPS park pass or were in Denali National Park immediately prior to your flightseeing glacier landing trip (within the last seven days).

K2 does participate in the Northern Lights discount coupon program with a 25% discount offered to a party of four; so essentially you pay for three and get one free . . . but you must have four in your party. Be sure to check out the discount book before booking so that you know what tours are eligible for the Northern Lights discount.

This is a very popular tour and while they offer several scheduled times per day, they often sell out especially when you consider that they have to postpone or cancel trips due to weather. Worry not about your deposit, as they are very flexible in assisting guests with rescheduling. If you are not able to reschedule a weather related canceled trip, they will give you a full refund of your deposit. Other cancelations (more than 48 hours in advance of your scheduled flight) will incur a 10% fee. Cancelations within 48 hours are fully forfeited.

Many of my Alaska traveling friends suggest scheduling your flightseeing tour as early in your trip as possible and to leave some flexibility for the following 24 hours in order to accommodate a possible reschedule. I can say now that I’ve taken this outstanding tour, this is very wise advice. If you really want to have an experience of a lifetime, while in Alaska, be sure to plan to see Denali from the skies above.

NOTE: K2 is also affiliated with Rust’s Flying Service out of Anchorage: www.flyrusts.com which is a great choice for those interested in doing a summer bear viewing tour or one of their glacier trips offered year-round. (I’m planning a March flightseeing trip with them in 2011.) Rust’s also participates in the Northern Lights discount coupon book.

Quote: Having read a lot about the boat tours offered out of Seward, I was really looking forward to this one with Kenai Fjords Tours. After spending what seemed like most of our vacation in rain, we were pleased to wake up to a beautiful morning with sunny skies. It was a glorious day for a sea cruise.

We boarded the catamaran about 20 minutes before our scheduled departure time of 11:30a. Even though this was now considered the off-season (the week after Labor Day), our tour was pretty full with only empty middle seats inside on both decks. The seating layout was not very comfortable; I cannot imagine sitting three across at the small tables so I was happy to have a little space between David and me.

Our captain prepared us for what he said would be a nice boat trip to the Kenai Fjords National Park and some beautiful glaciers that would probably be calving. He said that since it was now fall, many of the marine life typically seen on this tour would probably not be around, including the humpback whales that have headed south to the warmer waters of Hawaii. I was admittedly disappointed with his announcement, and did not want to feel "lucky" if we did see an animal or two. It was nice that he was wrong!

We were just heading out into Resurrection Bay when a small raft of sea otters was spotted. Unfortunately, they were a bit far off and the captain wasn’t able to head in their direction so we sailed on with his reassurance that we’d see more. Now I was confused . . . would we or would we not see wildlife? Not far from there we saw black bear on the gravel shore. It was very far away, but I was able to snap a photo or two that I could crop out the bear’s image.

As we continued on our trip we learned about the native people from this area of Alaska as well as the geology and history of the land that became Kenai Fjords National Park. Once out in the Gulf of Alaska, the water did become a bit choppy, but I think most were OK with it. I only saw one person who was noticeably sick from the water motion. The rock formations at the turn in towards Aialik Glacier, our destination for the afternoon, were huge. On some of the rocks we saw stellar sea lions and a large number of birds at another cliff type rock jutting out of the water.

On our way up to Aialik Glacier, we also passed by Holgate Glacier which is sometimes the destination of this particular tour. For our trip, however, our captain briefly entertained the idea of doing both, but alas we spent too much time at Aialik waiting for a major calving. There were a few lesser break-aways, each coming with a loud cannon-like erupting sound. I was fortunate to capture a decent size ice dump at the far right end of the face of the glacier.

There were some harbor seals on some of the icebergs floating in the water. A couple of interns from the Alaska SeaLife Center were with our group to do some research on the harbor seals and stellar sea lions relative to population counts of the animals seen. For that reason, we took a slight detour to the Chiswell Islands where there was a rookery of the stellar sea lions. They were very loud honking as we approached and watched them.

We did see a blow from an unseen whale, which resulted in probably 20 minutes of pursuit that never did result in a direct view of the whale. David did say that he saw it surface briefly, as did several others near him on the back of the boat. Where I was, looking into the direction of the sun, I saw nothing. The dall’s porpoises enjoyed bow-riding in our wake and I did get to see and photograph them.

They have a couple of different options typically available during the summer season, but unfortunately we were about a week too late to be able to take the 9 hour Northwestern Fjord Tour that so many speak highly of. At $169/person, that tour goes further into the Kenai Fjords National Park than any of their offerings. In addition to a wildlife guide on board, the price includes a light continental breakfast and lunch. At 150 total miles traveled, the potential to see wildlife is plentiful. Many come back with reports of whales (both humpbacks and orcas), otters, stellar seals and puffin.

We did the 6 hour National Park Tour which was perfect from a scheduling point of view. We met at the small harbor boat dock an hour prior to our scheduled 11:30a departure. A chicken sandwich wrap lunch was served shortly after boarding at noontime. It was accompanied by a snack bar and small baggie of mini carrots. Later in the afternoon, the crew served up warm chocolate chip cookies. The price of $139 for adults and $69.50 for kids (ages 2 to 11) is decent, although the best "value" is probably the 9 hour Northwestern Fjord Tour.

This is one of the premium offerings in the Northern Lights discount coupon book with their 2:1 discount on their National Park Tour. This alone will more than justify your $50 purchase of the book!

There are other options if you are considering a summer visit as they also have an 8:30a departure and an added "Fox Island" tour that adds a couple of hours (total tour time is 10:00a – 6:30p) and a prime rib and grilled salmon dinner (for an added $20 to the $139 tour price).

For those lacking a full day to dedicate to such a tour, you may want to consider the shorter Resurrection Bay Tour, keeping in mind that you will not get out of the bay and this will limit your wildlife sighting opportunities while out on the water. They market this tour for those families with children who otherwise might not enjoy a longer time out on the water.

Quote: Our hosts at Silver Salmon Creek Lodge (SSCL) were David and Joanne Coray, both of whom are committed to providing guests with the absolutely best Alaskan experience available. I found my early dealings with David to be informative, helpful and accommodating. Our onsite experiences were equally impressive, as everyone on staff was very nice and generous with their time and knowledge.

As soon as we landed our arrival party of five (three overnight guests and a couple in for just the "day" viewing tour) was already excited by the presence of a momma sow and her two first year cubs. This family would be around and the main subjects of many photos over the next 24 hours. We were greeted by David Coray and our guide Jenny, who would load us up on the "SSCL Limo" (a four wheeler with two cargo carts made for hauling people) to take us up to the lodge to get our stuff settled in. It was there that we received our bear orientation and knee high rubber boots. Not fashionable, but they sure kept our feet (and pants) dry.

We went out to do some photography before lunch, mostly of the momma and cubs. It was especially amazing when another female bear came lumbering down the beach from our left. Off about 200 yards were Tim and his Natron plane, along with a couple who appeared to be on one of Natron’s flightseeing trips. How special for them to have this bear walk right under the plane’s rear tail and then on down the beach.

I think we spent about 90 minutes out shooting before it was time to go in for lunch. The bears had the same idea to mosey on off elsewhere, as the tide was coming in and would be too high for them to be out in the water or to fish. Our group plan was to go back out later in the afternoon once the tide started to subside. This area of Lake Clark National Park is very much affected by the tides, and the extreme highs and lows that were experienced during our two days would be especially impactful on bear activity and therefore our viewing opportunities.

We went back out around 3:30p to watch a couple of the fishing guides fishing with wet flies for silver salmon. They caught and released several while we were there. As the tide became noticeably lower, a bear or two made their way to the point where Silver Salmon Creek and another waterway merged. Shortly thereafter, the momma with her two cubs in tow arrived. At one point there were all of the known bears were at the creek fishing or watching the other fish . . . seven or eight in total.

Unfortunately, these bears found the water too deep to catch any salmon as they splashed about trying to catch something to eat. This is the time when bears have to fatten up before hibernation later this fall so ideal fishing is critical and these bears all moved on to the main mouth of the creek where it comes into Cook Inlet at the beach where we first saw them earlier in the day.

Making our way around in the muddy grassy areas so as to keep enough distance from the bears as they moved was important so as to not startle or appear threatening to them. Once they settled in, we were able to do the same. As we arrived back at the beach, the momma had just given her cubs her first catch. The loud commotion could be heard for several minutes before we arrived at the beach. They had been fighting over the fish until it eventually split in half, leaving the cubs to go into opposite directions to feast on their salmon supper. Even the arrival of a gull would cause the cubs to create quite the commotion. It was amazing how loud these two were . . . and very purposeful in their growls to protect their food. They didn’t look so cute and cuddly when they showed their teeth as they vocalized.

Watching the bears fish was very special, especially with the snowcapped mountain backdrop behind them. I was surprised, though, that they really didn’t seem that good at chasing down the salmon. I think I only saw two or three fish being caught by the bears, and unfortunately, they were too far away for me to get decent photos in the diminishing light. By about 7:30p we had last enough light that it was time to go in for dinner. I for one was ready to go in. The evening air was a bit on the chilly side and my gimpy old knees were not very happy. I was more than happy with our day out with the bears and the photos I took. I also knew that David probably had some great video from the day’s activities as well.

About the meals at SSCL, I had read about the "gourmet meals" prepared by the staff, all homemade and served family style. Regardless of what I had read, nothing prepared us for what we would experience during our three meals there. For lunch we had these freshly made "hot pocket" type sandwich that was made with homemade dough filled with a ground beef filling that was flavorful and hearty. Accompanied by pasta salad and a relish tray of pickles and lemonade, lunch was very filling . . . and that was before the basket with homemade chocolate chip cookies arrived.

That evening was "a special night" (although we never found out why it was special) and the kitchen staff pulled out all the stops in preparing and outstanding dinner for the overnight lodge guests (close to 20 of us in total). We started with an appetizer of chilled king Alaskan crab legs and a dinner salad. For our main dinner entrée, blackened salmon served with garlic potatoes, a veggie medley and dinner rolls. As if that wasn’t enough, the homemade bread pudding with warm rum sauce was simply exquisite. OH My oh my did Camden outdo herself in preparing that dessert.

The next morning, breakfast was equally impressive with peaches, oatmeal, French toast and sausage. We enjoyed the family atmosphere of the dining area and kitchen. Truly you felt like you were at your favorite grandma or aunt’s house for a large family gathering . . . without the bickering or hard feelings. They have a wonderful set up, with the dining area looking out to the second floor windows to the patio deck and beyond to the meadows. I really would have liked to have had more time to spend just relaxing up on the deck watching the world (and bears) go by!

Given that a lot of the bear viewing fly-in day trips cost in the range of $450 to $600 per person, the $795pp charged by Silver Salmon Creek Lodge is a very good value, especially when you consider that price included roundtrip transportation by small aircraft from Soldotna, overnight lodging and three full high quality meals. To the point of the Coray’s being accommodating, I really wanted to have added time in the morning before our departure back to Soldotna, so they made it possible for us to stay through the morning for an additional $50 per person. This was especially appreciated since there was a negative tide that morning which in theory would make for outstanding clamming along the shoreline. Because of the cold and rainy weather that morning, however, there was no clamming or bear viewing for that matter, to be done. Ordinarily our return flight would have been shortly after breakfast, probably around 10:00am.

(Con't in Part II - with more photos including a lot of bears!)

Quote: With the morning weather being so poor, my hubby David used the time to catch up on his sleep since he was still feeling the effects of a bad cold. I spent my time making the most out of the internet connection, catching up on some blogging and other things. Of course, I kept looking outside to see how the fog and clouds were looking . . . and was very excited when around 11:00a the lodge was a buzz with reports of the sun breaking through. I got David up and we made our way outside to catch a ride down to the beach to watch our favorite momma bear and cubs.

As we arrived out there, a group of photographers were already assembled taking photos of her nursing her little ones. The sun coming through the clouds created a beautiful affect on their fur. Once fed, the cubs were punky and ready for exploration and play, while the sow just rolled over and went to sleep. Every once and awhile, she would raise her head to see where they were, but she was assured to see them playing not too far from her. It was obvious that she was very comfortable around humans and did not feel she or her cubs were in any danger from us.

Shortly after 1:00p Natron approached the beach landing area, setting the plane down perfectly. After unloading five or six passengers, plus luggage and food provisions for the lodge, he was ready to load David and me up for our return to Soldotna. The 30 minute flight was smooth out of Lake Clark but did experience some bumpiness as we broke through the clouds to land on the other side of Cook Inlet. It wasn't bad, just a bit unnerving flying through the clear skies over the open water and then the dark rain clouds on the approach into the Soldotna airport. Tim Pope is the owner and pilot at Natron Air and was a very personable man. I enjoyed his sense of humor and expect our paths will cross again one day when I return to Lake Clark NP.

A little about our accommodations . . . we were in the main lodge building on the first floor. We had a lot of space, with a sitting area and private entrance/exit out into the front yard. There was also a private bathroom in our room, making it very convenient. We had a double bed plus a single (trundle) bed so it was plenty of space for us. We were very happy with our room. They also have a number of cabins plus another "annex" lodge on the property.

I look forward to the time when we can return to Silver Salmon Creek Lodge to spend more time with the Coray’s, their wonderful staff and of course, the bears. For those interested in more information, I encourage you to take a look at their website (http://www.silversalmoncreek.com/) that includes information on all of the activities available to their guests (including fishing for halibut and salmon, clamming, kayaking and bird watching).


About Lake Clark National Park & Preserve
http://www.nps.gov/lacl/index.htm

"You can’t get there from here" comes to mind unless you own a plane when talking about visiting Lake Clark National Park & Preserve. Home to Mt. Redoubt, the volcano that sprang to life in 2009, Lake Clark also offers plenty of fishing, camping and bear viewing opportunities. There are several air taxi services that provide fly-in transportation into the park. Depending on your departure point (Anchorage, Homer or Soldotna) and your park destination, the flight will take between one and two hours.

There is a visitor center inside the park . . . Port Alsworth, which is open during the summer season from June through August, Monday through Saturday 8:00a – 5:00p. In the off-season, they are only open Monday through Friday, same hours.

Another visitor center is located in Homer. The Alaska Island and Ocean Visitor Center is open Memorial Day through Labor Day daily 9:00a – 6:00p; and Tuesday through Sunday 12:00n – 5:00p.

For those wishing to stay inside Lake Clark National Park but would prefer not to camp, there are about a dozen lodges throughout the park. More information may be found at the US Park Service website: http://www.nps.gov/lacl/planyourvisit/lodging.htm . For our trip to Lake Clark, we opted for the Silver Salmon Creek Lodge which is located across the Cook Inlet from Soldotna. The primary reason for this choice was their overnight bear viewing program which comes highly recommended by photo journalists interested in the coastal grizzly bears.