Well, we had our first close encounter today with a Grizzly Bear. Three of us, Mary, myself and a friend named Juanita took a hike to check mail and go to the park visitor's center. The trail goes through a campground and down by a creek and under the railroad trestle. Just as we rounded a bend under the trestle there (right in front of us) is a huge bear walking on the trail...it was about 30-40 feet away and lumbering right toward us.
I can tell you - all three of us were in shock...trying to remember NOT to run...make some noise...and back away. We sort of did those things...but we didn't waste any time getting away from the trail (no time for pictures!). We scrambled through the brush, along a social trail and up a bank and found ourselves on the railroad tracks. After a sigh of relief that we had put some space between us and the bear, we looked down the tracks and there it was about 100 feet away and heading right for us. That got us moving again, but after a short distance it turned and went into the woods.
By this time we were right by the train depot so we felt a bit more safe. There had been warnings about a bear in the area the last week or so, but we never thought we would be close enough to be concerned. For all of our other bear sightings we were safe and sound in a bus...it is very different when there is nothing between you and the creature. Just a reminder that we are living very close to the wilderness and, of course, that is why we came in the first place.
From Mary: It was an exciting encounter to say the least, what Ron omitted to say was MY
first reaction was to do circles like a cork screw in the same spot before my brain registered that what i needed to do was just back away... when really all i wanted to do was turn my back to the bear and run!
In the few seconds i had before putting any distance between us i was able to take in just what a magnificent creature this was........ no sign of aggression, but very large, at least 300 pounds, light blond thick coat, huge paws......... my camera was very accessible and how i wish i had had the courage to remain still and just get a photograph.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Mary's Glacier Landing
We are now finding the weeks blending into one another and realize it has been nearly a month since we did a posting so, hopefully without boring you, I will attempt to catch you up.
On July 8th I was fortunate enough to experience a glacier landing which Ron had enjoyed earlier..... it was simply marvelous. The only detraction was the presence of smoke in the air (it is estimated that there are presently fires covering 600,000 acres, the closest one was about 30 miles away) and depending on the direction of the wind it was either clear or very smoky for about a week. During that time I did feel sorry for the visitors, for not only were they unable to see any of the wildlife in the Park on their organized bus tours but they were also deprived of seeing any of the magnificent scenery, not to mention those folk who had asthma/allergy problems.
Our days off are usually spent taking a long walk on one of the trails nearby. Last week we went to an area called Savage River after catching a bus to the trail head some 12 miles into the Park...... It made a nice change to walk along the riverbed, even though the weather was threatening and somewhat ominous. We had our first really close up look at the Ptarmigan (state bird) which until this point had been quite elusive. We also witnessed the Mew Gulls attacking and successfully chasing off a coyote that was preying on their youngsters that had not yet developed their wings. We then ventured off into the tundra where few had been before us; it was just like walking on a soft springy carpet of moss. After a while I began to feel somewhat uneasy as this was territory where moose and bear preferred to hang out and eventually our wanderings brought us to a very steep bank which we managed to haul ourselves up ONLY by clinging to the short stubby bushes. I can say I was greatly relieved when we eventually made it up to the road because we had reached a point where to turn around and retrace our steps was not an option. A "campers bus" passed by shortly which picked us up and within minutes we saw a moose and her youngster plus several large caribou with enormous antlers which are now turning reddish and fuzzy.
Yesterday we did a 9-mile walk beside three lakes, so peaceful (only sound was the buzzing of bees) and the scenery just lovely, but strangely enough very little sign of wildlife, only the odd squirrel. Our feet and legs were protesting toward the end, so we waited for the van that runs every hour and treated ourselves to a half way decent pizza and a beer at a place some 17 miles away from our resort.
We are planning a mini trip (hiring a car) Aug 11/12/13 and driving to Seward, which is about an 8 hr drive south passing back through Anchorage first. We are booked into a lodge for a couple of nights and plan on taking a 9 hour day cruise through the Kenai Fjords National Park to the massive tidewater glaciers hoping to see whales, puffins, and sea lion colonies. By then the season will be nearly over and the temp much cooler but hopefully not snowing, which I believe we will experience before we leave in mid Sept. In the meantime we have Patrick's visit July 31-Aug 3rd to look forward to.
I would say we are in a routine now, my work days vary, some starting at 7 am and others not until 3 pm but at least I am now getting 8 hour shifts with a total of 40 hour/week. The time goes by quickly, my first experience really in retail, which has been a bit of an eye opener. My co-workers are for the most part our age. We are known as " The Silver Fox" group! which I suppose sounds better than " The Geriatric" group. Whenever we are not in uniform we are always mistaken as guests, which brings me to mention that last week Ron and I were chosen as a select few to do a 3 hour photo shoot, posing as guests in various locations to be used as “stock photos” for their brochures, web sites, etc promoting this resort. So once again Ron gets to add this to his "acting resume".
On July 8th I was fortunate enough to experience a glacier landing which Ron had enjoyed earlier..... it was simply marvelous. The only detraction was the presence of smoke in the air (it is estimated that there are presently fires covering 600,000 acres, the closest one was about 30 miles away) and depending on the direction of the wind it was either clear or very smoky for about a week. During that time I did feel sorry for the visitors, for not only were they unable to see any of the wildlife in the Park on their organized bus tours but they were also deprived of seeing any of the magnificent scenery, not to mention those folk who had asthma/allergy problems.
Our days off are usually spent taking a long walk on one of the trails nearby. Last week we went to an area called Savage River after catching a bus to the trail head some 12 miles into the Park...... It made a nice change to walk along the riverbed, even though the weather was threatening and somewhat ominous. We had our first really close up look at the Ptarmigan (state bird) which until this point had been quite elusive. We also witnessed the Mew Gulls attacking and successfully chasing off a coyote that was preying on their youngsters that had not yet developed their wings. We then ventured off into the tundra where few had been before us; it was just like walking on a soft springy carpet of moss. After a while I began to feel somewhat uneasy as this was territory where moose and bear preferred to hang out and eventually our wanderings brought us to a very steep bank which we managed to haul ourselves up ONLY by clinging to the short stubby bushes. I can say I was greatly relieved when we eventually made it up to the road because we had reached a point where to turn around and retrace our steps was not an option. A "campers bus" passed by shortly which picked us up and within minutes we saw a moose and her youngster plus several large caribou with enormous antlers which are now turning reddish and fuzzy.
Yesterday we did a 9-mile walk beside three lakes, so peaceful (only sound was the buzzing of bees) and the scenery just lovely, but strangely enough very little sign of wildlife, only the odd squirrel. Our feet and legs were protesting toward the end, so we waited for the van that runs every hour and treated ourselves to a half way decent pizza and a beer at a place some 17 miles away from our resort.
We are planning a mini trip (hiring a car) Aug 11/12/13 and driving to Seward, which is about an 8 hr drive south passing back through Anchorage first. We are booked into a lodge for a couple of nights and plan on taking a 9 hour day cruise through the Kenai Fjords National Park to the massive tidewater glaciers hoping to see whales, puffins, and sea lion colonies. By then the season will be nearly over and the temp much cooler but hopefully not snowing, which I believe we will experience before we leave in mid Sept. In the meantime we have Patrick's visit July 31-Aug 3rd to look forward to.
I would say we are in a routine now, my work days vary, some starting at 7 am and others not until 3 pm but at least I am now getting 8 hour shifts with a total of 40 hour/week. The time goes by quickly, my first experience really in retail, which has been a bit of an eye opener. My co-workers are for the most part our age. We are known as " The Silver Fox" group! which I suppose sounds better than " The Geriatric" group. Whenever we are not in uniform we are always mistaken as guests, which brings me to mention that last week Ron and I were chosen as a select few to do a 3 hour photo shoot, posing as guests in various locations to be used as “stock photos” for their brochures, web sites, etc promoting this resort. So once again Ron gets to add this to his "acting resume".
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Lynx Encounter - (Click Lynx for more photos)
Coming across the Lynx was the highlight of our day in the park...we have included a few more photos of that day....click to see.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Happy 4th Of July - Latest Adventure
Happy 4th of July........
It is a beautiful 73 degrees here with more of the same expected for the next 5 days.
Our employee dining area is decorated in red, white and blue...... hot dogs and hamburgers on the outdoor grill........ there is going to be a hot dog eating contest along with other games later today, so an effort is being made to include us in this national holiday.
So, we are still here ......... having fun..... but thought it time to say hi and update you with our activities.
Our 4 day visit with Andrew and Kate just flew by all too quickly, as we knew would be the case, but we managed to pack in quite a bit. Unfortunately the weather went a little cooler and Mt McKinley was hidden in the clouds the whole time. During one of our work days they took a bus tour into the Park and managed to see some of the "Big Five" animals (bear, moose, caribou, Dall sheep and wolf) however, during our days off with them we went river rafting, hiked several trails, the most memorable being a rather steep (at least for Ron and myself, sore feet, blisters and lost toe nails) hike to what is called "the look out point, on Mt Healy. As soon as we reached our destination point the weather changed very quickly as it can in the mountains, and we thought it best not to be in the high open area with the possibility of lightening so we scurried back down a short distance to the cover of some trees while the storm passed....... however the views were wonderful and well worth the effort.
We ate out at several of the restaurants which made for a nice change from the cafeteria style food we had been eating so far, and now we are back into our work routine again....sigh.
I am making a job change, however, starting today I will be working 8 hour shifts in the gift store instead of 6 hour shifts as hostess in the cafe. I have to say I am looking forward to this change as I am sure I will find the time passing by much quicker and will enjoy chatting a bit with the guests (one can't fit in too much of a conversation just escorting guests to their tables).
This past Tuesday Ron and I took the 12 hour bus tour to the end of the Park Road, which is only 92 miles. Our overcast gloomy weather lifted and although Mt McKinley remained mostly hidden we had a magnificent day. We had 15 sightings of bear alone, some way off in the distance but on one occasion a momma bear and her two cubs were alongside our bus on the road. But the image that plays over and over in my mind is the one of a large moose which we observed for quite some time, standing in a lake foraging under the water (she kept her head submerged for a good 25 seconds each time) then just seeing the water cascading off her head, flattening those small ears briefly, while munching on roots, before repeating the process almost as though in slow motion, really was quite magical and having binoculars we felt as though we were right beside her.
We also had several sightings of caribou, one magnificent creature just trotting along the road toward our bus (I was fortunate enough to be just one seat back behind the driver).
After our long day sitting we decided to exit the bus from a drop off point some 3 miles from our lodgings and walk a bit and are we glad we did for we were privileged to a very rare sighting of a Lynx just a matter of 10-15 feet away. We observed her stalking, catch and eating a small mouse. She knew we were watching her but did not seem too concerned. We came home feeling very tired but knowing we had had a very special memorable day........ THIS is what it is all about, THIS is why we are here.
We are hoping to have a 3 day get away in August to Seward as we have heard this is a very pretty area to see, and while there take a Kenai Fjord Tour and hopefully see whales, puffins, visiting the tidewater glaciers, but before then Patrick will be visiting us for a few nights at the end of this month.
With summer once again with us we are enjoying having the windows and door to our room open, yes the mosquitoes get in, but they are not too bad here compared to being near the lakes in the Park.
It is a beautiful 73 degrees here with more of the same expected for the next 5 days.
Our employee dining area is decorated in red, white and blue...... hot dogs and hamburgers on the outdoor grill........ there is going to be a hot dog eating contest along with other games later today, so an effort is being made to include us in this national holiday.
So, we are still here ......... having fun..... but thought it time to say hi and update you with our activities.
Our 4 day visit with Andrew and Kate just flew by all too quickly, as we knew would be the case, but we managed to pack in quite a bit. Unfortunately the weather went a little cooler and Mt McKinley was hidden in the clouds the whole time. During one of our work days they took a bus tour into the Park and managed to see some of the "Big Five" animals (bear, moose, caribou, Dall sheep and wolf) however, during our days off with them we went river rafting, hiked several trails, the most memorable being a rather steep (at least for Ron and myself, sore feet, blisters and lost toe nails) hike to what is called "the look out point, on Mt Healy. As soon as we reached our destination point the weather changed very quickly as it can in the mountains, and we thought it best not to be in the high open area with the possibility of lightening so we scurried back down a short distance to the cover of some trees while the storm passed....... however the views were wonderful and well worth the effort.
We ate out at several of the restaurants which made for a nice change from the cafeteria style food we had been eating so far, and now we are back into our work routine again....sigh.
I am making a job change, however, starting today I will be working 8 hour shifts in the gift store instead of 6 hour shifts as hostess in the cafe. I have to say I am looking forward to this change as I am sure I will find the time passing by much quicker and will enjoy chatting a bit with the guests (one can't fit in too much of a conversation just escorting guests to their tables).
This past Tuesday Ron and I took the 12 hour bus tour to the end of the Park Road, which is only 92 miles. Our overcast gloomy weather lifted and although Mt McKinley remained mostly hidden we had a magnificent day. We had 15 sightings of bear alone, some way off in the distance but on one occasion a momma bear and her two cubs were alongside our bus on the road. But the image that plays over and over in my mind is the one of a large moose which we observed for quite some time, standing in a lake foraging under the water (she kept her head submerged for a good 25 seconds each time) then just seeing the water cascading off her head, flattening those small ears briefly, while munching on roots, before repeating the process almost as though in slow motion, really was quite magical and having binoculars we felt as though we were right beside her.
We also had several sightings of caribou, one magnificent creature just trotting along the road toward our bus (I was fortunate enough to be just one seat back behind the driver).
After our long day sitting we decided to exit the bus from a drop off point some 3 miles from our lodgings and walk a bit and are we glad we did for we were privileged to a very rare sighting of a Lynx just a matter of 10-15 feet away. We observed her stalking, catch and eating a small mouse. She knew we were watching her but did not seem too concerned. We came home feeling very tired but knowing we had had a very special memorable day........ THIS is what it is all about, THIS is why we are here.
We are hoping to have a 3 day get away in August to Seward as we have heard this is a very pretty area to see, and while there take a Kenai Fjord Tour and hopefully see whales, puffins, visiting the tidewater glaciers, but before then Patrick will be visiting us for a few nights at the end of this month.
With summer once again with us we are enjoying having the windows and door to our room open, yes the mosquitoes get in, but they are not too bad here compared to being near the lakes in the Park.
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