This was the first day, of an overnight camping trip to the North end of Lake Clark, aptly named Little Lake Clark.  It connects to the main Lake Clark by ways of a channel, which can be dangerous, but navigable by those that know the way. Our first stop was Cave Falls, which we made quick work of scaling and then descending. The view there was breathtaking, but bad rock formations kept us from attempting the rappel at that location. So we descended the trail with minds on fishing to come and other waterfalls to explore. Once back in the boat, lunch was broke, and water placed behind us, we arrived at a few fishing holes. Grayling, Lake Trout, and Dolly Varden graced not only our poles many times that night, but also our plates. However an oddity occurred upon that trip. Whilst skinning on of the aforementioned lake trout, inspection of the stomach revealed fat and claws, which combined became a porcupine foot. It was a strange sight to say the least. It must have been a good meal for the trout.

That night stories were told around the campfire, and rest for the weary was accomplished. We started the morning with French Press, healthy pancakes, and bear sausage. That got us going. Due to mixed priorities and scrambling skills, our group split, but we still managed to scale on of the very promising locations for the long awaited water fall rappel. It took quite the scouting process and adventure traverse to gain the top of the Water falling sight. But once we made it there, we jumped right into putting together gear and donning harnesses for safety and necessity. We used 6 cams and nuts to attach the main line to the wall, and wrapping a tree, so there was no possibility for failure. Safety first is a good saying any time.

  So as the story began, I was the first to test things out, and I was very pleased to be out there, not just that, but being on rocks, out there, which is a whole new level of enjoyment when you involve the created with the creation. It went smoothly, and as soon as  I touched the ground, I was scrambling to get back up on the rock, not only to continue the exhilaration, but also to reset the system for the following rappels. The two that were with me, Anna and Ryan were new to this as well, and although some experience was behind them, the magnitude of the event was daunting.  They both caught on quick and I believe have a new perspective on the whole rappelling + waterfall adventures. No one got hurt and we made it down safely, so that always equals a grand success in my book. Chock that one up for future adventures. Who said Canyoneering is only possible in warmer locations.

ShareThis

The benefits of Idaho outweighed the losses however. I got to spend a lot more time with my family. Did things with friends, and was involved at church. I got to do various summer outdoor adventures that I had not been involved in for so many years. Over all, it was almost like it was before Alaska. But not. You can never get Alaska out of your blood once you have been here, and I was no exception. I missed it a lot, and yearned to be back in the wilderness, away from all the busyness of city life and work. I actually wanted the simple life at times, even though in Alaska that involved a lot more work for water, electricity, food, transportation etc. But after spending so many years with that ingrained in my blood, it was hard to be away from it.  So needless to say, when I was on my way back to Alaska, I was really excited. It took me a while though to get my mind off of Idaho, and switched to Alaska mode, but once we arrived in Anchorage with its crisp clean air, and long shopping lists, I was back in gear.

My stay in Anchorage was prolonged a bit longer due to the increasing amount of needed items, but it made for more time to get acquainted with some old and new friends, and also get some last city life things out of the way before heading to the bush. The real thrill officially arrived when I boarded that plane, and we took off heading for the mountains. It was a gorgeous day, not all that typical for Alaska, so I was extremely thankful for the blessing of good weather. The views were once again breathtaking. It felt like the first time, and like coming home, all mixed up into one great experience. We flew over the mountains filled with pure white snow, and enormous glaciers, that fed the numerous rivers and waterfalls so far below. The sun was nearly blinding us, but we did not care, it was the perfect day for entering the beauty of Lake Clark. After a quick stop in the village of Nondalton, we landed at Port Alsworth, and I stepped off the plane and soaked up the beauty and freshness all around and the familiar faces that I had missed so much.

I am now writing inside of our cabin, across the lake from Port Alsworth, in the fading light of long summer days, and realizing the correlation of my renewed experience in Alaska, and what should be taking place every day in my own life. Just as my vigor and amazement of my home in Alaska had almost faded into familiarity, I can see how I have allowed my love for God, and the amazing life he has blessed me with, begin to become commonplace, and no longer full of wonder and thankfulness. I have been given so much, and He has placed upon my shoulders such a big calling that I can never just take it for granted and go on living like its no big deal. Being saved from death, given eternal life with him, and a message that brings love and hope to broken hearts is such a privilege that I should never forget nor get used to. I need to go through every day, with a renewed passion and desire to serve God, love People, and be a light. Just as I am going to change my perspective on the natural things I have, I am going to start to see every new day as a fresh one, appreciating the small things, and love God as though it is the first time, and as though I am home, all mixed up into one. (Written this summer while in Alaska).

ShareThis

But then you go even further, across the lake 4 miles to a small bay, with the population ranging from 0-25 seasonally. This is where our lodge is situated, and it’s also in a part of Alaska called “The Bush”. Now this term and scenario is not uncommon, and in fact a large portion of Alaska has no road access at all. Although it is common place in Alaska to be “off the grid”, some people do not understand what that means. So in this post I am seeking to make that clear.

When it comes to travel, many people in the US have it easy. If you desire to go somewhere, you can hop in your car and go. If you need something from the store, you can walk, drive, or bike down and purchase the item that you need. Along with the incredible number of cafe’s, diners and fast food restaurants, food and almost anything can be obtained fairly quickly. It is easy to take for granted all of the things we have and how easy it is to obtain such comforts and delicacies. Now, lets take a look at what it’s like when all of those things are removed. It’s called living in the bush of Alaska, or any extremely remote location that is cut off from roads and or not easily accessible. Now not everyone that lives in the bush of Alaska lives this way. There are many remote villages that do not have any road access, and yet have grocery stores, full size schools and clinics. They may have it easier than, say, a cabin out in the mountains with nothing but a dirt runway nearby. So there are many different scenarios that people may find themselves in, when considered out in the Bush. No matter which way you look at it, all of the scenarios pose some level of difficulty, and they all have their own ways of making do with the situation.

Man and Boy Fishing in Port Alsworth, Author Unknown

Our lodge is located in The Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, with the only mode of transportation in or out by plane or boat. Although, this location that I have made my home is neither one of the previously mentioned village or cabin scenarios, it is a happy medium between the two. The nearest town to our lodge is Port Alsworth. Founded by Babe Alsworth, a missionary bush-pilot, and his family, Port Alsworth has a population of about 170, which varies based on the season. It is the home base for several businesses, including rural flight services, Lake Clark Air, and Lake and Pen Air, along with several different hunting and fishing lodges. The community is very tight knit, where everyone knows everyone, and has a special atmosphere about it that is hard to match. All that being said, there are many large city amenities missing in the community. Such as, a cafe, grocery store or clinic/hospital. Although it does have a strong church, and plenty of people to lend a helping hand when needed, many of the typical town fancies are non-existent.

So, you may ask, how does everyone survive in such a place with difficult access, and no local store? Well the answer is simple, planes. Planes are the mainstay of Alaska, and allow for transportation that would otherwise be impossible. Although the water system does allow for limited barge and boat access, it is a long process that adds much difficulty, unless extremely heavy machinery requires it. The planes that access the area come in all shapes and sizes. From a two-seater Supercub, to a four engine  DC-6 cargo and fuel plane. At one time they were even able to land a C-130 Hercules on the one mile long gravel runway, but certain restrictions made it impossible to continue. Standing on the end of that runway and watching that huge plane take off and land, truly makes your heart skip a few beats. The planes that fly into Port Alsworth typically originate from Anchorage, or Kenai, where they load up on passengers and freight, not necessarily in that order, and haul their loads back and forth, many times a day. The trips average about an hour, depending on the route and plane, and offers breathtaking views on good weather days, which in Alaska, tend to come and go quickly. The planes offer connectivity to the outside world, and also allow everything from building supplies, tools and boats, to bags of groceries, mail, and dog food, to be transported to the remote residents. It is the air taxi or moving van, to carry what you need, but it all comes at a hefty price tag.

In order to build a cabin or lodge out in Lake Clark, such as what we began to do back in 2007, takes a lot of planning, and a lot of transportation. The typical process looks something like this.

Items are purchased in Anchorage, ordered from Seattle, or just rounded up and packaged for shipping

Then these items are loaded into one of the many cargo planes, big or small.

Next the plane transports the cargo to the destination, either over the mountains or through the pass, depending on the weather.

Once the plane arrives in Port Alsworth, it is unloaded either by hand or heavy machinery, and stacked for sorting and temporary storage.

It is at this stage that every item must be transported across the lake, either on the ice in the winter time, or by barge or boat in the summer time.

Once the equipment or supplies has reached the other side of the lake, weather permitting, then it is unloaded by hand into a 4 wheeler for distribution. No heavy machinery exists on that side of the lake to haul big pieces of lumber or metal, only manual labor.

It is by this process that we built our lodge, from the ground up. Cleared the ground, poured the footings, and built the house, and every piece, small or big had to follow that entire process to arrive on the site. So when you find out you forgot an important piece of equipment or part, it can take days, or even weeks, to get the item you were needing. You get really good at making do with what you have. Thankfully we have the strong community all around us, on both sides of the lake, that help us out whenever we need it.

Not only can you not go down to the store and buy what you want, you also have to produce your own electricity. Although Port Alsworth has a community electric coop, it is still all run on generators. That is what we have at our lodge, a generator system, along with a battery bank system for non generator power. Many other alternative resources have also been considered as a replacements, including solar power, Wind, and hydro power.

These extra processes required to maintain a fairly modern wilderness experience are costly, but they add enjoyment for those that seek a less extreme take on living in the remote areas. However, nothing is easy when it comes to living in the Bush, but seeing the rewards of being off the grid are huge. Self dependence is not for everyone, but I am privileged to be a part of it.

ShareThis

If you would like to experience Alaska at its best with Wilderness Pro, check out the website.

ShareThis

Several days earlier…

It was a beautiful day as the plane took off from Port Alsworth en-route to the base camp of West Wind Guide Service. Seth Kroenke was my pilot, but it was not the first time we had covered ground, high above the ground. The flight was fairly uneventful, but we did gaze upon a few groups of Caribou, which are not as prolific as in the past, but seem to be making a come back. The hour long flight gave us a first hand view of just a small chunk of the vast wilderness known as Alaska, with miles and miles of open tundra, alder strewn valleys, unnamed creeks and wild rivers. It was perfect hunting country and we were headed to the heart of it. I was coming out to guide an 8 day grizzly hunt, towards the end of September. I was working for Tony Lee for the first time, and was looking forward to learning from one of the best.

Upon arrival into camp, I was greeted by Tony, camp packers and guides who were preparing for the next group of hunters coming out the following day. I was immediately impressed with the organization, and was shown around. The actual base camp was located off the hill, about a half mile, which took a good little walk to reach. They said that one of the reasons for that was to make sure the clients were in good enough shape to go on the hunt if they could make it up and down the hill a few times. Tony flew out a couple other camps and guides that evening but I remained in camp for the night, which I was grateful for when I saw what was on the menu. Needless to say the food was first class and I slept very well.

The morning began with an amazing breakfast and it filled us all up beyond the necessary limit. It wasn’t long after a short trek up the hill, and we were air born. Tony had a great spot for us, on a hill with a flat saddle that proved to be a great landing strip. By the time Tony got back with my client, Jim, I had the camp all set up, and it did not take long to get organized and head out to have a look around. It was another gorgeous day, but unfortunately that does not add up to gorgeous hunting weather. It wasn’t until near sun down that we started seeing activity. 30 caribou were scattered in several groups throughout the surrounding hills. A beautiful sow grizzly with two full-size cubs was making slow progress, while being distracted by a large patch of berries. The area seemed to have good potential so we went to sleep with high hopes for a good start of the hunt.

Up in the morning, with eggs and bacon sitting well in our stomachs, we traversed the short distance to our lookout from where we could glass a large amount of area. The wind had picked up over night, so we continued to layer up to fend off the icy chill that seemed to pierce ever deeper. The morning rays were just beginning to arc across the sky when Jim eagerly tapped me on the shoulder. “There’s a bear!” he whispered. I almost didn’t believe him, but turning and looking through the binos, I saw the reason for the eagerness. It was a nice colored bear, about a mile away, but in a good spot feeding nonchalantly on a berry patch. It didn’t take too long to make our decision, and even though it was only the first day, it looked like a good opportunity and a good bear. The stalk took us right past our camp, so we were able to drop some of our unnecessary gear. We covered the distance as quickly as possible, and it wasn’t long before we were staring right across the gully from the big bruin.

To Be Continued, come back on Friday for the 2nd half of this story.

ShareThis

1. Always be prepared.

There is a saying, “Hope for the best, Prepare for the worst”, and it’s true. The better you are prepared you are at all times, the greater the chance of survival when things go wrong. Weather and water conditions are usually a motivation to get out, and many times is a illusion of relative safety. However, just because it is sunny and calm does not mean it will stay that way. Always be prepared for a disaster, problem or change of plans.  You cannot know for sure what the conditions will be like half way through the day, and especially here in Alaska, you cannot always trust the weather man. Weather is the biggest concern, but also be prepared for a medical emergency. There are different levels of preparedness, and it is up to you to determine what is adequate for the type of excursion or time of year that it may be. However, here is a list of some basic things to have on board at all times.

• Life Jackets. Much like a seat belt, they only work when you are wearing one, so forget the fashion and done a life saver.
• First Aid Kit. It’s always good to have one on board, and any number of accidents can take place while boating,
• Extra clothes and rain gear. Weather can change quickly, and it never hurts to have extra jackets to shed water, but also having dry clothes and or sleeping bag is critical to survival in the event of some one overboard.
• Oars or paddles. If you lose power, you have to switch to manual power to get home again. Make sure you have two oars though, which will make paddling much easier
• Radio. Some form of communication to help is critical  and will have to be determined based on the local system. Up here it is marine band VHF, where someone can be contacted at all times. Personal location devices such as SPOT, are becoming very inexpensive, and can save lives in an emergency situation, and is a good safety contact to have.
• Survival kit. Just think about the if-then scenarios, and what would make life easier and safer in those conditions. This can include various items such as
  • Fire Starter
  • Hand warmers
  • Emergency food
  • Tarp or space blanket

• Extra fuel and oil. Necessary items to keep a motor running properly.
• Tools and spare parts. Having a good assortment of tools is valuable for maintenance of the boat motor.
• Throw rings or pads. Good seat cushion and safety retrieval device.
• Signaling device, such as flares, whistle, foghorn.
• Anchor and tie down lines.
• Current tide tables if boating in the ocean or tidal effected regions.
• The United States Coast Guard also has a-lot of information on safety and preparedness.

2. Make a boat plan.

If something goes wrong while you are out on the water, and no one knows where you are going or the time frame you will be traveling, then they will not know to come looking and bring help. It is a good back up to have some one checking on you and being aware of your where a bouts. Basically a boat plan is telling someone where you are going, and the amount of time it will take, and usually you check in with them via radio or phone upon arrival. That way if they don’t hear from you they know to come looking for you and where to look.

3. Use common sense.

If there are waves building, high winds, or people that may get sea sick, then you may want to consider if it is worth going, especially if it is just a pleasure trip. However, in some of the remote places in Alaska require boating as part of necessary transportation, such as in Lake Clark where I live. In those cases some less than perfect boating conditions must be endured to get where you need to go, and accomplish tasks. But even in those cases, common sense must be used to make good decisions.

4. Keep boat and equipment maintained.

A few minutes to look over your boat, and making sure your equipment is up to par, can save you from problems and possible dangerous situations. Make sure you have enough gas to get where you are going. Check for leaks and or water in the bilge of the boat. Make sure the motor oil is full and changed as often as indicated in your manual. Regular maintenance of your engine is critical, and if you are within access of a dealer or repair shop, have it checked out annually, or do a run through yourself. Early identification of problems are better than finding out too late.

5. Keep your boat safe

If you are only keeping your boat at a dock then simply keeping buoys or bumpers between the boat and the dock can keep your boat from wearing on the hull. However if you are going to be pulling up on the shore on a lake or river, then care should be taken to keep your boat tied securely and that your not having wear on the bow of the boat from sharp rocks or rough gravel. Using a boat ladder made out of wood or simply a small log, to pull the boat up on, can add a lot of life to the hull of your boat. Also try to only land your boat on sand or small gravel that will not damage your boat. And also make sure that you pull your boat up adequately to keep from getting swamped from waves, or rising water.

Boating, whether for pleasure, business, or necessity, should be taken seriously, and as long as you take the right precautions you can keep it fun and enjoyable.

ShareThis

It was Tuesday evening and we were just sitting down to an amazing dinner prepared by Tabitha, when Joe Billings, one of the guides that works for Preston Cavner, came into the entry way, with a serious look on his face, and he told me to come now. I did not know what to think, but as soon as I got out the door, he told me it was a plane crash, and that it was Preston’s Plane. I could not believe it, and took off on a run toward the lodge next door. So many thoughts raced through my mind, all of the what ifs, but I had to put those to the back of my mind. I got over there, and immediately I knew it could not be good, everyone was on the verge of tears, but they did not know much, only that Preston’s plane had crashed in Anchorage, and then Joe told me the thing I was dreading. He said one of the Boys were dead. My heart sank so low I could not speak. Preston had flown into Anchorage the day before, to restock supplies, and decided to take the family along for a day in the big city, which consisted of himself, his wife Stacie, and his two boys, Hudson and Myles. They were also picking up a young girl from Texas that was going to be a nanny for the family out here in Lake Clark. They were over due, since they were supposed to have already left Anchorage. But then a police officer had called, and was looking for family information, but Joe could not give him much so he came and got me.

I had to grab a-hold of myself, knowing that I had to do what I could, so I got on Stacie’s Computer, and started looking up family contacts. I had a couple of the family names and numbers written down, when the police officer called back. He began to ask several questions, about the family, asked for the contact info for the family members. He said the family was in critical condition, and at the hospital, but then he told me the news that I had been dreading. Myles was dead. As soon as those words left his mouth I could not hold it back any longer, and the tears began to flow. He was only 4 years old, in the prime of childhood. It has been several days now, and still it is hard for me to recount the tragic moment. He would not tell us much other information, except that the rest of the family was in critical condition and mostly had injuries from burns. I had to hang up, and could hardly speak. I was just barely able to get out the information to the crew at the lodge, but everyone over at my house still did not know. A few people called in, and I hardly remember who they were, but I did what I could to relay the information, through waves of tears and sadness. The tears were not only for Myles, but also for the whole family who were unconscious, and mostly unaware of their loss, but were in such bad shape.

I decided I needed to tell everyone at our house, so I walked over, trying to see through the tears. As soon as I came to the door they knew something was wrong. It was so hard to say the words, that Myles was gone, and all of us felt the pain and wept. I praise God that I have not been in this type of situation many times, but since that is the case, I did not really know what to do or say at a time like that, so we just held each other. We then returned to the lodge, and prayed together. The phone began to ring constantly, with people wanting to know what had happened, and also reporters looking for a story. It all just blurred together in sadness and confusion. But there was something that stood out from all the mess, was when I had to call the family to inform them of the tragedy that had occurred. That was truly the hardest thing I have ever had to do, to tell someone, one of their grand child had passed away. So much liquid was shed from everyone’s eyes that evening, it was hard to talk at all. We were finally able to find out some information between news reports, and friends who had made it to the airport in Anchorage.

So this is most of what we know that happened. Preston was flying his Cessna 206, with his wife Stacie, his two sons, Hudson and Myles, and a young lady from Texas, and had taken off from Merrill Field in Anchorage Alaska, shortly after 5pm. The reports say that he only got about 14 ft. into the air, and started coming down towards busy downtown. The plane was nose up, and coming down quickly. It clipped the top of an apartment building, and then crashed into a vacant building next to a used car lot. The plane was almost immediately on fire, and almost as quickly people came racing over to help with the rescue of the passengers inside. Many people came and lifted the wing of the plane to allow others to help those inside. They were able to get 4 of the passengers to safety, but Myles, the oldest son, was not able to be rescued in time. However the fatality would have been much worse if it wasn’t for the good Samaritans that came to the rescue. A huge thank you is in order for those people who risked their lives to save those in danger. Visit the Anchorage Daily News for the full story with pictures from the accident and the rescue.

All of the information from the crash continued to pour in on the news stations, websites, and people calling in. It was so overwhelming and it was almost a relief to go to sleep that night, but it would be a lie to say that it was a comfortable nights rest. All of us were so physically and mentally exhausted, from worry and tears. Over the night the family was flown to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, and Rachel, the young girl, was flown to Seattle. The extent of their injuries required specific treatment from burn patient specialists, with burns deeper than 3rd degree. It took a few days to get a full prognosis of their injuries, and you can see the current status of the family on the website from the hospital, which requires a registration, but it will then send email updates whenever they are available. Also some close friends of the family started a Facebook Page for the family, called “Praying for the Cavner Family”, and there is also a facebook page for Rachel. It is so awesome to see all of the people from all over the country coming together with prayer and support. It is so encouraging. Many people in Portland have offered help to the family, who are staying in Portland. If anyone is interested in helping financially they donate at the Preston and Stacie Fund. And if you would like to donate to Rachel’s expenses, here is a message with information, “Any individuals/families who so desire to assist with helping off-set the extraordinary expenses related to Rachel’s plane accident can make their checks payable to “Grace Church of Kingwood” and in the Memo Section write “Rachel Zientek Family Care . Any and/all (100%)of such designated funds will be used for the sole benefit of helping pay direct “Out-of-Pocket” expenses for Rachel. These donations are unfortunately not tax deductible.” If you wish to make a donation, you can mail it directly to: Dave Kinison 3326 Three Pines Kingwood, TX 77339.

Right now time and healing will tell how this will end, but it will be a long process, and there will be many months required for a full recovery, but I believe in a big God, and I know He can bring healing. We are praying for complete healing for the Cavner Family, and for Rachel. The extended family also needs support during this hard time, so please pray when ever you think about it. We are all helping and hoping that they will pull out of this, but especially with a death involved, there is not just physical, but also spiritual and emotional healing required to recover from an event such as this. I did not write this to ask for sympathy in this time of crisis, but rather to offer hope, and to inform those that would like to know. There are a lot things coming up now that can further complicate the situation, but we are still depending on God for strength through it all. His will be done.

ShareThis

My first client was Terry, who had never been to Alaska hunting before, and it was my privilege to be the one insuring that he went home successful. The first few days of the hunt proved to be slow, and we only saw a couple bears. Not the best way to start a hunt, but that’s the way it goes. We did have some pretty nice weather though, and that made up for the lack of bears a little. You never know when the wind or even snow will fly with both the Bering sea and the Pacific fighting with each other, with us in the middle. So we would take every nice day we can get. The third day we decided to check out the side valley, which had provided a great resource of bears last year, and it looked promising. We did not see any bears all day though, which made it tough. So we were just starting to head back to camp, when I decided to look up on the hill one more time, and sure enough, there was a bear, feeding on some grass on the south facing slope.

It was difficult at first to see just how big he really was, but by looking at the alders being dwarfed by him, I reasoned that he was worth a stalk, so Stalk we did. The hiking seems to go by faster when you are in pursuit of a big bear, but that does not mean that it is not hard. It was a long mile to cover to just get close enough. By the time we got there, the bear had been feeding, and we had thought that he had left the area, but once I got my spotting scope out and tracked him down, he was sleeping, in a slight depression, which gave us the much needed time required to finish the stalk. As we worked our way up the steep hill, it reminded me of sheep hunting, except there was a slight lack of stable boots that are usually present on a sheep hunt. And we were crawling though brush, which also never happens on a sheep hunt. We had no way of knowing where the bear was, but rather just went off of instinct. I had just cleared the brush, and I glanced over and saw the looming shape of a bear to the right of us, just walking through the brush back up hill. Terry was just making his way over to me, and the bear must have heard us because he was being very cautious and glancing our way. As soon as the shooting sticks were in place, we had just enough time to grab ear plugs and get a good rest. Seconds later the bear stepped out from the brush, 90 yards away. I said “shoot” and bear dropped, but then started down the hill. My gun roared and Terrys again. The black ball of fur quit stirring, and our cheers rose into the air.

As we walked towards the enormous animal that lay in the brush, I could not contain my excitement. It all happened so quickly, and made our hearts race, but then it was over. I did not realize the bear was so big, but when we lifted the paws, or at least tried to, we immediately realized the trophy quality, and the sheer mass of bear. It was incredible, a giant for sure. We were a quarter mile from our packs, and it was right at sundown, so darkness was rapidly approaching. So we got the bear all set up, which was not much, because with a bear that big, you don’t do much moving around. He must have weighed around a thousand pounds. So we headed down the hill, gathered our packs, and departed three miles back to camp. We would take care of the hard work and pictures the next day. It was so nice to finally make it to our tent and cot, after stumbling through the dark. We were worn out from the long day and the tough stalk, and we got some much needed rest.

We woke up quite late, and had a good breakfast, and then headed back to the bear. The evenings were cold, and bears don’t put off too much scent to attract other predators, especially up on a hill, so it was no problem to take care of the bear the next day.  It took quite some time to get all the pictures and videos done, but the bear was so big, we needed many pictures from all sides to capture his massive size. It decided to snow and sleet off and on through out the whole process, so we had to alternate between rain jacket and fleece. thankfully we had both of us to work on skinning of the bear, but it still took two whole hours, which was nearly twice as long as it usually takes for an average bear. But this bear was above average, and although I was not excited to be having to pack it out, it was a labor of love. I know Terry was very pleased with the big bear, and we just continued to re-live the stalk and the shots of the previous day, and it was a great feeling to have success only a few days into the hunt.

Once we arrived back at the camp, I set to fleshing and turning the hide on the face and head. It is a process of splitting critical areas of the face, such as the eyes, lips, ears and nose so they do not get rotten. It’s a preparation process for the taxidermist, that starts with the fleshing, then leads to salting the hide, to remove all moisture, and then sent to a tanner to be preserved for mounting into a full mount or a rug. This process takes some time and a detailed eye, but it went well, and once it was done, we set to measuring the hide. As soon as I set the ten foot tape measure from paw to paw, I could not believe when it did not even reach the end of the wrist. it was over eleven feet from claw tip to claw tip, and it was 9 ft 6″ from nose to tail, so squared, it ended up being 10’3″, which when I found that out my jaw nearly slammed the tundra! I could not believe that we had a bear that was over 10 feet! And the skull measured over 28 inches, which is the width and the length added together. The skull size is what they go off of for a Record book bear, and 28 is the minimum, so that makes it a Boone and Crockett Record book  bear. But you know what, even if it wasn’t, the experience and just how big the bear was, was enough for me, and the score is just a plus. I am one to much rather have a great experience than just a big animal, and we had both.

This was only the first hunt, with two more to go. A Father and son from Mexico, which kept the excitement going. Head to Part 2 for the rest of the story.

ShareThis

Too much Fog, must turn around! Although those words were not spoken, you could see it on the pilot, Dave Wilder’s face, as he throttled forward and pulled left on the steering wheel of the Cessna 206, throwing us all to the mercy of pulling G’s. The bushes were so close, if the windows were open, I am sure we could have grabbed a handful of leaves. Barely making it out of that valley we entered another one, that looked a little bit more promising, at least that’s what the passengers were hopping, not knowing if they could grab onto the seat backs any harder for fear of bursting veins in their hands. We were on our way through the mountains separating the Bering Sea from the Pacific Ocean, called the Alaska peninsula. This was not my first bronco ride in a small plane in Alaska, so I was not too worried, but that does not mean that I was enjoying myself. The ride was not over, but after 3 hours in a seat, we were  wishing it would be soon. We ended up cruising along a river, nearly water skiing, ending up at the Pacific finally, but with several miles of beach still to go to arrive at the base camp for the Peninsula Bear hunts. Before it was all done, we had a few more hair raising, or rather, stomach raising, moments that would keep our heads swimming for most of the day. The plane passengers consisted of three guides, Joe Billings, Eric Lantzer, and myself, and then Jason House who we named our assistant client.

After being safely on solid ground once again, we were met by Jessi Markiss, who had been left at the base camp for two weeks, to repair and rebuild the main cabin, which had become a home for bears over the previous winter. He had done a mighty fine job, and it didn’t take much time till we were all moved in and feeling comfy in the newly redone “Stepovak Bay Hilton”. It was a few days before any clients arrived, so the following day we built some blinds to be used by the bow-hunters. While setting up one of these blinds, I accidentally called in a huge bull moose, to 80 yards. This was accomplished by walking through the brush, with two empty water jugs, which sounded like a bull raking his antlers, a common sound during the rut. It was quite a rush, but I did not have a camera to capture the unique moment.  Back at base camp, food was sorted, camp gear set out, and water jugs filled up at a stream located at my spike camp. A few of the guides were dropped off at their respective spike camps, while I worked around the base camp. The first round of clients arrived on the 30th of September, the day before the season opened. Three bow-hunters, and one rifle hunter. Jason, also a rifle hunter, had arrived with us, and was already in the field, watching from a hill, where they spotted 50 bears in one hour, on one river! It was shaping up to be a great season. The weather was typical for the peninsula, raining and windy, but slightly warm, and visible enough to make the short Super Cub flight to my spike camp. The location was picturesque, with water falls cascading down the valley walls, and magnificent glaciers wrapped in jagged rock. My first client was Mike Blair, who had a lifelong dream of hunting bears in Alaska, so early the next morning we headed out to make that dream a reality.

Our mornings start well before sunrise, with a breakfast and coffee, before donning our gear, and trekking out to our local spotting knob. It was only a 15 minute walk from our camp, so it wasn’t long before we spotted our first bear. But it was only a small one, traveling the nearby creek. In only a few hours we spotted about 15 bears, including sows and cubs, and also two cow moose and one big bull. We put a stalk on one of the big bears we spotted, but the distance prevented us from arriving at the spot before he was gone. At about midday we headed back to camp for lunch and a nap. In the afternoon we headed back out, to our hill, to see what was on the move. We spotted about ten bears, but none gave us a good pursuit option. Although, in a side valley, we saw a bear feeding on grass, but by then it was too dark to go after him, so we decided against it. The next day we followed the same routine, but with a few less bears, but the same bear in the side valley, only up higher. We decided to go and sit in that valley anyway, to see if the bear was prone to return to the valley floor. Sure enough, it wasn’t but an hour or so before Mike spotted the bear, right across the creek from us, about 300 yards. We were excited, but calm, setting up our shooting rests. The bear was fat, and dark, and in the size range that Mike was looking for, so we agreed that it was a shooter, but we needed to wait for the bear to feed a bit closer. It didn’t take long, before he was 240 yards away. All I had to do was say the word, and Mikes 375 roared to life. The first shot was a good one, but it took two more from his gun, and two from mine, to finish the job. Bears are tough animals, and when it was tearing through the grass, I was glad for the 240 yards that separated us. The shouts and back slaps ensued, and we quickly got to the bear, shaking hands, and actually touching an animal that could tear your face off. It is an amazing feeling. Mike was one happy camper. Due to the approaching darkness, and many other bears around, we left the bear to come back in the morning.

The following day was raining, but even that could not dampen our spirits. Many pictures were taken, and we relived the moment over and over. I was very happy to have aided mike in fulfilling his lifelong dream of hunting the big bruins. We worked together to complete the job, and pack the bear back to camp. It was a bit later when Preston arrived, to bring us back to base camp. We were greeted there by two of the bow hunters, that had also been successful, and had taken bears on opening day. They had quite the stories to tell, shooting a bear standing up at 2 yards with a bow, that will make your legs shake a little. It was a few days until the next plane arrived, so we filled time by fleshing (Removing flesh from the hide) and salting hides, (to remove moisture and dry out for shipping), playing cards, and eating. Tough life for sure. When the next round of clients came in, I went back to my camp with Nick Busche, and Berg Hansen. Berg was along to film Nick’s hunt. We were a good team, and ended up getting a bear near camp on the first day. All of it was gotten on film as well, which was great. But just as quickly as they came in, they flew out and Preston flew Jason, the assistant client, into my camp. I was happy for the opportunity to hunt with Jason, owner of Antler Shack, who is quite a character, mainly in the comedy arena, but also a multi-faceted artist, who builds antler art, and has a beetle farm for cleaning skulls. So it was a pleasure to have him in camp, and to have another chance to hunt the hunters.

Since it is against the law to fly and hunt the same day, we could not shoot anything, but we decided to head to the hill, to see what we could see. We spotted a few bears along the river, but nothing big.  We did see a big old bull moose, walking past our camp, which we tried to call in, but he was too wise for us. For a change of scenery we went over to the side valley that Mike had had his bear harvest. The carcass had not been eaten much,  from what we could see through our binoculars, so we hiked up the valley a ways. It was Jason that was looking back to the carcass when he spotted a bear! It looked big and dark, but it was hard to be sure in the fading light. Sneaking closer we watched the bear walk through the brush towards the carcass, take a few bites and then begin to paw at the ground and start to bury the carcass. This was something I had seen pictures of but never witnessed. We could hardly contain ourselves as we hiked back to camp. We got up early the next morning, however the weather was nasty, with heavy rain, so we decided to wait it out in our sleeping bags. It wasn’t till after lunch that we ventured out to the side valley. Just as we got within sight of the carcass, we saw fur. It was the bear. Sleeping on top of the carcass that he had buried. It was incredible, for a bear to be out in mid day, in the sun, sleeping on a carcass. It proved to be the perfect scenario for us to get close. Circling back, we were able to crawl up to within 70 yards of the bear. Then it became a waiting game.

For over an hour we waited, with more than one anxiety attack every few minutes when he would lift his massive head and look around lazily, and us getting ready, and then as he put his head back down, we would wait again. All the while I had Jason’s video camera rolling. Not only was this an incredible experience, we were going to get it all on film. It seemed like forever, but finally, he slowly got up, stretching his front legs, but he never got up any higher than that. With a whisper of “I’m Gonna Dump Him”, his muzzle blast nearly blew me away, but it did its job, and the bear dropped like a rock. His roars were loud, but i don’t think they were as loud as us. One more shot in the back quieted him, but he was paralyzed from the first shot so he was not going anywhere. The camera was rolling and victory was sweet. Whenever walking up to a bear, they always looks smaller than you think, but once we saw those feet, and the head, we knew we had ourselves a Monster, or in the words of Jason, “A Tank”. We could not believe it, and it was quite some time before we actually calmed down enough to take any pictures or more video. We did not know exactly how big it was, but it was huge, definitely the biggest bear I had ever been involved with.  The pile that he had made was about 3 ft tall, and he had cleared an area at least 50 ft. in diameter. Cameras clicked away, I think more than on a red carpet at the Oscars. We even hailed Preston on the radio, and had a fly-by of approval. And to wrap it all up, it was a beautiful sunny day, which is pretty rare for the Peninsula. We got back to camp by dark, tired and still excited. We could hardly sleep, but we did, and in the morning we headed back to base camp.

Once there I only had a short while working on the big bear hide, before I was called out to Eric’s Camp. The river there had flooded, and the bear that they had shot was unreachable due to the high waters. So in pouring rain, and hard winds, Preston literally “dropped” into a little gravel bar,  and sent me from there to retrieve the bear. He was able to fly Eric to there as well, and together we skinned the bear. The Super Cub only holds one passenger with gear, so we had to wait our turn to fly back to base camp. Once there we had to finish the process of taking care of the hide, which involves a lot of knife work. We helped each other though, and got done before the night was out. The next day brought yet another round of clients, and the departure of those that were done. only one hunter left empty handed, but he will be back to pursue those brownies again in the near future. One of the hunters that arrived was from Canada, and he was my fourth client. We returned to my camp again, hopping to continue the quick successes we were having there. Sure enough we saw a bear on one of the carcasses while retrieving water. The next morning we went up the side valley again, and after waiting for a while, spotted a bear on the carcass. He ended up bedding down in the brush just above the torn up area. A wide sweep through the brush, and a stalk up the hill brought us to 100 yards. A similar situation to Jason’s Bear, but we only had to wait a little while before the bear got up, and Tim put him down with one shot. Once again, excitement was exuded, and pictures and memories were created. It was not as big of a bear as Jason’s but still a good bear. We made it back to base camp the following day, and we were met by yet another successful hunter, who had harvested an awesome big bear. The weather cleared up and was nice all the way until we left a couple days later.

We left the area 5 days early, which was greatly appreciated due to the fact that it was a very long hunting/guiding season for us, and I was happy to be at the end of it. Those small comforts of a warm shower, and a soft bed, are luxuries to guys like us that spend more than 60 days out in the field, in a tent, on cots or on the ground, and it was a great thing to come back to. The season wrapped up nicely with 10 bears taken on the Peninsula. The work continued back here at the Lodge, drying hides and such, but many great memories were created, and it was yet again another season come and gone, but it will always be something that is thrilling and heart pounding, to hunt the hunters.

ShareThis

It is odd the think that at 1 am in the morning, it can be light enough to see, let alone experience adventure with out the aid of artificial light. Well in Alaska it is possible! Having just past the summer solstice not long ago, on the 21st of June, the endless summer nights are still in full swing. Many people come to Alaska, and have to cover the windows, and wear shades on their eyes, just to catch a few z’s. But what I have found is that when you work hard, and enjoy the outdoors, it is quite easy to fall asleep, even under the sun, rather than the moon and stars. It is a very different concept for sure, but it is something that must be dealt with. And what better way to deal with it than to go on an adventure. And not just any adventure, but a climbing one!

Before this year I really had not done much consistent climbing, but after an extended stay in Idaho this spring, (check out adventure in Idaho here), and meeting a few people that were really into it, my already present desire for climbing began to grow. I was privileged to attend a few local climbing competitions, not to try and win, but to meet new people, and to learn more about the sport. I was able to do both, and grew a lot. One was a bouldering competition, and the other a top rope competition. Meaning one was without ropes, and one was with. If you ever get a chance to try out a competitive climbing event, I would strongly suggest it. Whether or not you are skilled enough, it puts you to the test, and really grows your climbing knowledge. And you get chances to get Schwag, i.e. free stuff. The climbing extended beyond the gym though, and I had the chance to climb with others outdoors, which is much better than indoor, so if you are able and want to try something new, jump on some real rocks. The feeling is phenomenal. However, make sure you are with really experienced people, with the right gear, because it can become a very serious situation, and more dangerous than in a gym with pads.

When I finally made it back home to Alaska, I still had the climbing itch in my fingers and feet, and it would not go away except with some use of both. So a few other hardy fellows and myself set out to find some climbable walls, cliffs and boulders in the Lake Clark region. The amount of rock and cliffs were in a large abundance, however, finding some with decent faces, and non-crumbly rock was another matter. We got lucky though, and the first cliff we found produced some great results. Although it was only some thirty feet high, it satisfied my craving, at least for a little while. We had several people in our party, and we even got some new climbers on a wall, and they learned the “ropes”. It was very rewarding to see others enjoying the sport, which is what its all about, sharing the experience with others.

The lack of a wide array of climbing spots and gear was limiting, but it did not keep us back. We stuck with top roping, and bouldering, which proved successful, on short walls that had a sufficient amount of solid rock. The best climbing outing came about on a trip with a different destination. It was a full day trip that took use 30 miles up the lake, to a gorgeous place called Little Lake Clark, home to the Cave Falls. It is a water fall that cascades over a hundred feet, into a roaring basin, that creates its own wind. All of which lies behind a huge cavern, that is large enough to climb into, and observe the water fall and the lake from within. (Look for a post about that amazing place, coming soon). Along the hike some granite boulders were observed, and proved to be sufficient for a short little send up its beautiful face. Then our destination became the inlet of the Lake, and we were surrounded by huge granite walls, with a beautiful sun above. The nearest wall was not the highest, but once again served to give us a few different routes. An easy 5.8, that most everyone was able to try a hand at, and then a 5.11 with a wicked overhang, that had less holds than was needed to accomplish the accent, for our slightly amateur skills. It proved a good challenge though, and filled our day with many hours of fore arm burning enjoyment.

Since then I have not been able to return to the granite cliffs, and unfortunately there are none closer than 20 miles by boat. But we have not forgotten the joy we had from climbing together, and I am looking forward to getting out again soon, and testing the arm and finger strength. Once again, the adventure had to be discovered, and I hope that you will get out there and discover yours.

ShareThis