Surprised By a Grizzly Bear

When we were in Valdez, we usually started our day with a light breakfast, then, we would go to Solomon Gulch for some bird ( mostly bald eagles ) photography.

Bald Eagle, Valdez, Alaska

By 8:30 am, we would leave the area to have our heavier breakfast to fuel our major activities of the day, such as hiking and kayaking.

One of those mornings, we were surprised by a grizzly bear. We saw some kids running on the road following the bear as the bear crossed the road to go down to the water. We were at the other side of the stream. The sight of kids running followed by adults was scary since that is one of the biggest no-no when you see a bear, "DON'T RUN", or you'll scare/surprise the bear. That's when bears may attack humans, for offense is their defense.

However, the bear didn't mind the running kids and some adults at all. The bear just continued to go down to the water. 

Grizzly Bear, Valdez, Alaska

The bear was made very busy by flocking sea gulls blocking her way to the water. She would shoo the sea gulls to clear her way to the water to get salmon. She'd finish one salmon very quickly then go back to the water to get another one.

Why do the bears in Valdez and other coastal areas do not mind humans at all, unlike the bears in inland mountains? Because of so many salmons. In between us and the bear, was a stream overcrowded by salmons, where it seemed very easy for the bears and sea lions to get their food.

Salmons

The sea gulls? They most of the time flock around sea lions and bears to feast on their left overs. Perhaps, another reason why bears do not mind humans at all at the other side of the shore is because the sea gulls are too much for them already to shoo away so they can enjoy their fish.

Exit Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park

Exit Glacier is one of the 38 glaciers that flow out from Harding Icefield. The name Exit Glacier was derived from the first recorded crossing of the Harding Icefield in 1968 which exited in this glacier.If the hike to the end of trail of Harding Icefield is strenuous, the hike to Exit Glacier is easy to moderate. After hiking Harding Icefield, we took the much easier trail to Exit Glacier terminus.

Surface of Exit Glacier

The trail to Exit Glacier is only a 1 mile loop, though it has uphill/downhill slope, but not as steep nor as rocky as Harding Icefield trail making the walk a lot smoother and easier. In just a matter of minutes from the trailhead, you will be face to face with a glacier.

A Stream of Water Falling From the Melting of Glacier

Like many of the low altitude glaciers, Exit Glacier is steadily melting.You will hear the sound of the many waterfalls falling from the melting of ice when you come close to a glacier. The Exit Glacier has shrank 2 miles for the past 200 years.

Glacier Waterfalls 

If you are planning for a trip to Alaska, I really highly recommend putting Seward where Kenai Fjords National Park is in your list to visit. If you are physically fit and won't give up on physical and mental challenge, the hike to Harding Icefield is really out of this world and very mentally, emotionally and spiritually rewarding. However, if you think you cannot make it to Harding Icefield, the easy to moderate 1 mile loop hike to Exit Glacier is still very much worth it. 

Unlike the trail to Harding Icefield, the trail to Exit Glacier is almost free of rocks and snow during summer, and can be accessed even by some with disabilities. I am always happy to see this kind of trail since it allows and opens up our natural world to others who may not be able to take strenuous hikes because of physical reasons or because of having little babies in the family. 

One of the Many Tubes at Exit Glacier

The Exit Glacier shows many hollow tubes, and for me, these are the natural warning signs that we take extra pre-caution when we are in front or hiking in a glacier. The glacier is unsteady and parts of it can crumble anytime. Some may get tempted to have a picture inside the tube, but what if the ice above crash and you get buried? I have seen and heard a glacier crumbled, it is a phenomena that I will never forget. It is both inspiring and sad. Inspiring to see how nature carved the Earth and sad to observe how everything on Earth is temporary. 

In my next posts, I will show the other side of Harding Icefield.

Exit Glacier from Harding Icefield Trail

At the other side of this 4000 ft thick of ice and 700 square miles of icefield is the ocean. It is kind of hard to imagine that this vast mountain of ice sits right next to the sea, and everyday is changing.  

Wild About Lupines

A Closer Look of the Alpine Lupines ( this shot is dedicated to kulasa and Tes,  fellow Salitype sisters, both lovers of wildflowers, and who I know will get wild on seeing this field of blue and purple lupines). 

Aside from fireweeds which I shared in my previous post, another abundant wildflower we saw in Alaska are lupines. My first sighting of wild lupines in Alaska is along Seward Highway.

My first lupine sighting in Alaska, along Seward Highway

My first lupine sighting was actually not really a lot, I had to really go down on my knees to make an impression of a field of lupines.

That's Me and that's where I shoot the first lupine picture above

The next time I saw lupines was when we were hiking to Harding Icefield. This time, it's not just small patches of lupines, but alpine slopes carpeted by lupines. Below is where we stopped for lunch during our hike.

Lupines and Exit Glacier, where we stopped for quick lunch ( or nutrition break)

My left-over subway sandwich never tasted sooooooo good and heavenly, what with the view of lupines among other wildflowers, mountains and Exit glacier in front of us, and the Resurrection River below. 

Lupines and the Resurrection River and Valley Below, from Harding Icefield Trail

As we went higher, the lupines seemed to be displaying wildly and profusely. The feeling was like climbing to the heavens with the lupines in the alpine slopes of Harding Icefield trail. 

Lupines, Snow, Exit Glacier and a Far Glimpse to Harding Icefield

for you, kulasa,More Blue Alpine Lupines, Can't Get Enough since I know you will delight in blue

A Lupine Paparazzi

Now, don't ask us how long did we take to reach Harding Icefield? Who would not stop and enjoy these field of wildflowers in the alpine anyway?

Wild About Wildflowers

And unlike my first lupine sighting, I no longer have to work as much to create an impression of a field of lupines, for the alpine trail to Harding Icefield is really a field of lupines. 

 for you Tes, wild blue/purple alpine lupines, wish to someday hike again with you

Lupines do not only spread profusely in the alpine slopes in Seward, they are pretty much abundant in lower elevation as well. 

Low Elevation Alpine, Seward Highway

 It seems lupines are very versatile, surviving the alpine conditions, and at the same time desert conditions. There are about 280 species of lupines, with major centers of diversity in South and western North America.   I have seen this beautiful wildflower bloom profusely near Southern California's coast, in inland hills and valleys, mountains and even in the hot and dry deserts. If you wonder how wild lupines in San Diego look like, they look very much alike to the alpine lupines,

Wild Blue/Purple Lupines in San Diego

Wild Blue/Purple Lupines in San Diego

though we also have a variety which is more pinkish/magenta.

Some Wild Pinkish Lupines in San Diego, sure do, the pink follows me :)

There are actually many colors of lupines, I saw some which is also white and yellowish in color, but oftentimes, I see them in our highways here where there is no opportunity to stop. I just learned recently, that without lupine, there will be no Karner blue butterflies for it is the lone host plant for the small Karner blue butterfly. 

Alaska Trip Planning and Air Fare Comparisons

A Whale's Blow with Mountain and Glacier @ Blackstone Bay, Prince William Sound, Alaska

Prior to our summer trip to Alaska in 2011, it took me several weeks ( maybe months ) to plan our itinerary. I started with comparing prices and itineraries of different cruise and water+land+air tour companies. I was tempted at first to take the 7-14 day cruise because it was the cheapest I found. Plus I would have no headache of finding rental car and reserving hotel accommodations. However, two of my friends who took the cruise previously, shared to me their AK cruise experiences which guided me in my decision making.

1. They were most of the time inside the cruise ship in the middle of a very frigid ocean. They said it is more for a relaxing than an exploring trip.

2. They never were able to see whales and tidewater glaciers up close because the size of cruise ship was too huge to get close to any wildlife or to any tidewater glaciers to really appreciate them.

3. Their most enjoyable time was each time they docked, where they had to choose only one from the two options below because of time constraint:
option a. Take another smaller glacier cruise boats to have better appreciation of tidewater glaciers and wildlife.
or
option b. Explore Alaska on land by bus or train. However, there was not enough time to do longer hikes or make their own stops if they see something very scenic.

Learning from them, I crossed out AK Cruise as one of the options, because relaxation for us meant seeing more outside. Plus, I wanted to do all of the following:
1. Experience tidewater glaciers and ocean wildlife up close.
2. Experience and see the features inside a glacier, not just look at it from afar.
3. Hike the Harding Icefield trail and explore a lot more of Kenai Fjords National Park. 

Me, Flying High Above Exit Glacier in Harding Icefield, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

I then emailed several land+water+air AK tour companies, asked for their itineraries and price for a customized private tour since what they usually only offer in their websites were the group tours where the itinerary was not meeting at least 70% of my Alaska fantasies. The customized private tours were overly expensive. That was then I decided to do the trip planning.

Knowing the best weather dates ( with some flexibility) to explore Alaska, I started to compare lodging accommodations and airfare prices. I am not loyal to any airlines, thus, I compared prices of almost air companies including inquiries for private Jet Charter Rates. The reason why I also looked into private jet was because I was afraid we would not get the dates we wanted, knowing that it would be hard for us to change our hotel reservations since hotel accommodations in Alaska run out so quickly. Private jet would give us more freedom to choose the dates of our travel. Aside from dates of travel, I understand most professionals such as professional artists and athletes, whose time is very valuable, chose flying private jets because of flexibility with time, convenience and safety. Also, they are not constrained to spend 2 hours in the airport for check-in and check-out. Two hours wasted in the airport for others would mean thousands of money lost, thus private jets were not luxury for them but necessity. Thankfully, for us, that was not the case. We were just into whatever cheapest air fare we could find that would bring us to Alaska in the dates we wanted.

Hike to Byron Glacier

 Byron Glacier from Portage Lake

On our first full day at Alaska, one of the first places we stopped for sightseeing was Portage Lake. Actually, we did not stay really long at Portage Lake, we simply chose it to be our waiting area while waiting for the Whittier tunnel to open that will bring us to the port of Whittier for our Prince William Sound Glacier Day Cruise. 

 Excitement at Portage Lake

Across the Portage Lake is the Byron Glacier. At that time, we never had an up close encounter with a glacier yet, and it seemed everyone was excited in seeing valley glaciers hugging the slopes of the mountains bordering Portage Lake.Two days later after our first encounter with Portage Lake, we went back for a hike to Byron Glacier.

Byron Glacier Trail

Now, Byron Glacier is the easiest trail we hiked in Alaska. It is just one mile one way ( 2 miles round trip) with very little elevation gain. If you look at the above picture, you may think my group were stunned with the beauty of Byron Glacier. Hmmmm, actually,some of us were thinking of just staying in the car for they felt like they have hiked and seen enough! Sadly, the day we took this trail, was after our Harding Icefield hike. So, everyone was riding high with the out of this world excitement and "having landed on the moon" feeling with the Harding Icefield and Exit Glacier. Now, maybe, from afar, they shared the question "another glacier?" or it may be, "nothing can beat Harding Icefield!"

Hiking Trail to Byron Glacier

True, hiking Harding Icefield was the best part of our Alaska Trip for me, but then, there was always that desire to explore, to see more. Am glad everyone agreed to give Byron Glacier a chance.

 In just one mile of very easy hiking, we were rewarded by these sights.

who says Alaska is cold? these skiers were in shorts :)

 There were a lot of skiers and sledders who were enjoying the snow field below Byron Glacier.

 Sledding at Byron Glacier

Byron Glacier Up Close

Byron Glacier Trail is a family friendly trail, that anyone can take. I highly recommend this trail for those who can't take strenuous hikes for various reasons. Beauty that can be easily reached, this may not be our best hike in Alaska over-all, but definitely, this is the best in terms of rewards for such a very short and easy hike!

Trailhead: By Portage Lake on the right side of the road ( just pay attention to signs)- we simply navigated our GPS to Byron Glacier and followed the signs on the road to find the parking for trailhead which was very easy to find.

Mileage: 2 miles round trip, minimal elevation gain. 

A Day at Denali Park

Denali.... the "High One"....Denali National Park..... one of the world's last great frontiers, where its wilderness is still largely unspoiled. This was the first National Park established to conserve wildlife in 1917, and from then on, this place is known for its devotion to science, learning, and preservation of its natural and cultural heritage.- source:  http://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm

A Place for Contemplation...Me in front of Mt. McKinley, in total awe of this majestic landscape

Unlike most other National Parks I have visited, driving deeper inside Denali National Park is restricted. Thankfully, it is that way, so the wildlife remains undisturbed. To be able to experience Denali National Park, visitors must either take the Denali Green Bus or pay for the bus tours. Denali Green Bus is the cheapest way to get inside the park, and for me, the best way. You can stop anywhere and explore, take a hike, and take another Green Bus to bring you to your next destination. The tour buses are more expensive, about $100 more expensive, and you can not explore on your own, you stop, where the tour bus stops.

Mama Grizzly Bear and a Cub

There is only one road inside Denali National Park, so, for me, why would I pay more when both buses have the same likeliness of seeing similar things? As our bus started to roll on the very windy narrow road of Denali National Park, the vast landscape though mostly hidden by clouds was very humbling. A valley so vast, bordered with mountains almost devoid of vegetation, yet so colorful.  Once again, I was fascinated with the colored exposed Earth.

Looking at the vast landscape as we moved inside the park, the silence was beckoning me. Everybody was in silence, all looking at the landscape, and possibly for wildlife. We were told by our bus driver before we departed that if we see wildlife and wanted to photograph, we just shout, "STOP!" Our first "STOP" shout was a moose, but too far for all of us to take pictures, so we moved on. Our second "STOP" shout was the mom grizzly and baby. Seeing them walking, communicating to each other, waiting, in the wild, was very moving! The beauty of the wilderness continues to exist here and inspires many soul.

Mom and Cub Walking

We were actually very far from these bears and spotting them was not easy. The one who saw this pair had to explain to us several times where the bears are, specific with directions. In the wilderness, though you do not know each other, but each other forms a team silently, helping each other experience the same thing so that  this joy radiates in everyone's heart. It's very inspiring always to be around people who love nature. Somehow, I can see in their eyes the same passion, admiration and care for Mother Earth and its inhabitants.

Here are more photos from our our day inside Denali National Park. We saw a lot of grizzly bears, but they were too far from us to take quality pictures. These pictures is not about photography, but about sharing with you the joy and inspiration of seeing the beauty of wildlife in still a wild land. 

Another Grizzly

This Grizzly Started Digging After It Looked Surprise, the Bus Driver Told Us It may be digging for food, a marmot, or squirrel hiding underground

Dall Sheep and Golden Eagle( we actually did not see the dall sheep here, it was the golden eagle we were following, thank you Golden Eagle)

Hikers taking in the Scenery

Another Bear enjoying the wildflowers

Frustration @ Wonder Lake ( mosquitoes feasted and partied on our poor blood)

Monkshood @ Wonderlake

Swimming Moose

Mt. McKinley in Partial clouds

A Friend Taking In the Scenery at Eielson Ridge trail

Group of Caribou

Group of Dall Sheep ( they always are high on top of the mountains because that's how they distance themselves from the bears)

Bull Moose

The gift of outdoors and nature is truly forever, it has been a month now since we've been here, but the memories still continue to move and inspire me. Let me end this quote from John Muir, a famous naturalist, author and an early advocate of wilderness preservation.

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul."- John Muir