For those interested, here's a wrap up of Alaskan trip with links back to our earlier Alaskan posts. As we reflect back briefly on a journey we encourage you to consider for your future travels, we include a few favorite images from a very wild place.

Our first three posts set the stage for our trip into north central Alaska. Starting in Fairbanks where we first saw the Northern Lights moving in the night sky, we headed south to Denali National Park where a 20 m.p.h. bus ride along the 50+ mile Park road took us past grizzlies, caribou, towering Mt. Denali and incredible wild scenery.

After staying at lodge in the heart of the Park managed by a First Nation corporation, we made our way back out of the Park along the same one-lane gravel road. The moose were out early in a morning made light pink by the low lying Arctic sun.

From Denali, we head south first by train and then by van. Our ultimate destination is Katmai National Park but distances are great and we make several stops along the way.

Our stops include Talkeetna, the jumping off place for hikers determined to reach the top of Mt. Denali, then Seward, and Fox Island in the middle of the Kenai National Park. Along the way, we take a class 4 bus ride to see glaciers and pull off the road along Turnagain Arm to watch beluga whales in the wild.

As we make our way out of Seward harbor toward Fox Island, a large and aging otter floats by our boat and gives us a long look.

The protected wilderness and its grizzly bears are the focus toward the end of the trip. Above, a large grizzly works at bulking up for the winter hibernation. Below, two adults tussle not 50 yards from a foot bridge we pass.

Below, we close this journey with a few last images of the Katmai region grizzlies.

And, one reminder of Alaska's bright night skies.

All the postings in one place:       

Back from the Alaskan Wild. A preview of the series.
Alaska 1: Back in a Fog. More about a trip and logistics in the wild.
Alaska 2: The Grizzly Salmon Attraction. What makes it all possible.
Alaska 3: Peril on Mt. Denali. You have to read it to find out.
Alaska 4: Before the Beginning. In Fairbanks with the Northern Lights.
Alaska 5; Kantishna to Wonder Lake. In the heart of Denali.
Alaska 6: Bull Moose and Bus Bears. The ride back in Denali.
Alaska 7: Scenic Ride and a Class 4 Bus Ride. Traveling south toward Katmai.
Alaska 8: Fox Island Jellies. Travel south to Kenai Fjords and Fox Island.
Alaska 9: Off to Katmai. Share foot paths with wild grizzlies in a National Park.
Alaska 10: Fishing the Falls. Get close to grizzly fishing on a waterfall.
Alaska 11: Below the Falls. Even more wild grizzlies up close.
Alaska 12: High Grass and Charging Grizzlies. A bit too close for comfort?
Alaska 13: A Four Grizzly Wish. Our New Year's posting.
Alaska 14: Here They Come Again. More grizzlies approach us on the beach.
Alaska 15: Water Bear Reflections. Still on the ground walking with the bears.

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All photos and text are copyright Clinton Richardson. If you like these posts, please tell your friends about the Venture Moola blog at Readjanus.com. More of  our images can be found on our companion website at trekpic.com. Feel free to share this blog with your friends. The more readers the better. 

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We are in the Katmai National Preserve, a place where Alaskan grizzlies, among the biggest in the world, roam free in a land rich with salmon and free of human hunters. It is early September and the bears are gathered, uncharacteristically close to one another, where the salmon are running.

As you can see, the bears are heavy already as they continue to fatten up for winter's hibernation. Some will begin there long sleep in just a few weeks.

But today, the weather is perfect. Slightly overcast and mild temperatures. It is a chance for us to walk among one of nature's great predators an reflect upon this extraordinary opportunity to see and be among these great creatures.

Next posting? An Alaskan wrap up.

It was three younger cubs this time and they were smaller and less aggressive than the trio who challenged us in the high grass earlier. We were now sitting and standing around a long log that had settled high on the beach, taking in all there was to see.

In our immediate vicinity and to our left were these three cubs who came to within a few feet before heading back to mom, pictured below. They were curious about the strange intruders on their beach I guess.

And, we were more relaxed as we sat and surveyed the lake and stream in front of us. Seventy grizzlies within walking distance was our best collective count. Funny how just a couple of hours of familiarity with a totally new situation can calm nerves and lower blood pressure.

But, should we be feeling so comfortable? The scene to our left is pictured above, with the foursome exiting the water about 30 yards away. To our right, another group of four had just finished digging a ditch in the sand and settled in for a mid-morning nap.

As you can see, they are not feeling threatened by our presence at all. The young ones are curious but they fall to sleep shortly after I took this picture.

meanwhile, the party to our right headed into the grass when an adult male ventured too close. As they departed, one cub took advantage of some sturdy branches to scratch an itch.

Once satisfied, he stood and took one last look at us, raising a paw as if to say goodbye.

Further up the beach are more bears. Here a family of three rests after a morning swim. The cubs' attention is fixed, you guessed it, on a male grizzly who is meandering around near the grass on the beach. If he tries to approach, mom will get up and head off with the cubs.

Before we end, here's a peek at what we will see share in our next blog. As the low lying clouds thinned out and the sun rose a bit, the conditions made the water reflective from low camera angles for the bears further out.

As you can see below, it was an opportunity to capture some great images of the bears. Look for more water-grizzly shots in our next post.

Best wishes for the coming year. Here is hoping we all have this much family and fun in the coming months.

The images are from this fall in the Alaska's Katmai Preserve. A mother grizzly and her three cubs in the shallows of a large lake. The cubs cannot help but sneak in some play even as they are being moved from their spot by a wandering male.

We will let the images speak for themselves.

There are eight of us walking in a straight line in high grass doing something I never imagined I would do. We are talking softly as we walk so as not to surprise any of the creatures who created the paths worn through the grass. The woman in front of me is shaking from fear. I am alert and focused and a bit more apprehensive than I thought I would be.

We are alone in the wilds outside Katmai National Park. The float plane that brought us has left to pick up another group. All we have with us is our guide, our cameras and some bottled water. We are wearing waders because we are near water. We carry no weapons of any sort. Not even a pocket knife. The high brush and grass we are making our way through have to be pushed out of the way from time to time.

Watching us as we walk is a mother grizzly and two cubs sitting on a sand beach just a few yards away. They are the reason we are in the grass in the first place. When they walked out of the water to lounge on the beach we had to walk around them to get to our intended destination.

They are curious but not threatened. After all, we, not they, are the potential prey in this situation.

How did we find ourselves walking in the wild among 70 grizzlies on this morning? It all started with a conversation the night before. We were having dinner after a full day of grizzly viewing at Katmai National Park when our guide mentioned she was disappointed with the number of bears we had seen.

Our trip was the last of the season for our outfitter and the declining salmon spawn at the falls had resulted in fewer bears than she expected. We had all been thrilled by the day's encounters but she knew there was a potentially much more robust experience available if changed our schedule for the next day.

If we were interested, she could arrange a float plane to take us outside the park were larger numbers of grizzlies had been spotted. We would walk among the bears with her as our guide to get a more intimate experience with the bears.

We all jumped at the chance. You may think this odd but let me explain. Our guide had spent years working as an in field observer of grizzlies at and around Katmai National Park. She was thoroughly trained in how to behave while among them.

So, this is how we wound up walking on a cool September morning in high grass and shrubs near a shoreline and lake crowded with giant grizzly bears. We had been walking along a fragrant beach littered with the rotting salmon carcasses when it became necessary for us to walk into the grass to avoid running into a family on the beach.

The paths we followed through the grass had been beaten down by the grizzlies we had come to observe. Before we had been on the path for ten minutes, a trio of 250 to 300  pound cubs came running toward us down the path. They stopped in the path about 10 yards away but kept their eyes on us.

We froze. My pulse raced and the woman in front of me gasped.

Our guide, standing in front, talked calmly to the bears. They hesitated and moved a step closer. Our guide raised her arms slowly and calmly admonished the bears to move on.

The bear to the right above and staring at us below charged a few feet closer and slapped down a paw. He was only a few yards away.

Our guide continued her conversation and then slapped her hands together and, a bit more sternly now, instructed the bear to move on.

At this, the cubs quickly turned and sped down the path away from us.

Another larger bear appeared in the grass ahead and to our left. The mom, I guessed, coming off the beach to retrieve her charges. The cubs raced to her and she and they disappeared as they headed back to the beach.

It may have been play or just curiosity but in the wild on their turf it was an exhilarating and somewhat frightening experience. It was also a confirmation of our trust in our guide. After this brief encounter, we all settled in and continued our trek through the grass.

By the time we made our way back to the beach we were in the middle of the action. More than 70 grizzlies were on the beach, in the water and in nearby grass. Many were in small family groups of three or four led by a female. Others, mostly males, appeared to be alone.

In our next post, we will take our time in the wild to observe the bears up close. Join us to spend some quality time with the grizzlies.

Not all of the action occurs on top of the falls. If you looked closely at the first image in our last post you would have noticed a large grizzly sitting in a pool just below the falls near the outer bank. Here he is above just after consuming a salmon he caught in the waters below the falls. The gull was a constant companion, sharing no doubt in the bear's catch.

Here he is again just after securing a fish. This angle gives you a hint of just how big he was.

He pretty much owned this spot while we were there, getting up just once to check around above the falls when a particularly tall and corpulent male walked across the falls. That bear took up residence at the top of the falls enabling this bear to return to his "spot."

As you can see above in an image taken just a few yards downstream from the falls, he was challenged once. After a short sizing up that looked frightful from time to time, he held his ground and returned to his spot. While there were growls and open jaws, nobody lifted a paw during the entire ritual.

A few of the younger bears worked the area below the falls. One, in particular, would search for a likely target from above water and then dive after his intended lunch.

We never saw this approach succeed. A lot of head shaking followed each dive and after a bit the activity evolved into play.

I'm not sure what was going on here, about 50 yards downstream from the falls. The bears seemed to be enjoying themselves and now blows were exchanged. Just before this shot, both were standing. If you look closely you can see how abundant the red salmon still were.

One last image to close out this entry. A mother and first year cub are together near the opposite bank. Mom watches as the cub consumes a salmon.

Once you clear the Park Ranger, who limits the number of people who can stand on the viewing platform near the falls, you walk a short distance on an above ground walkway until you are there. The platform stands right next to the falls. The bear above is not more than 50 yards away.

Above and below the falls, the water is shallow enough for a grizzly to move around without swimming. Many of the bears are in groups of two or three, although the males are usually alone.

The salmon spawn which drew the bears here is beginning to peter out but we still see about a dozen bears in and around the falls. It is almost time to hibernate, so it is not surprising how big some of the bears are. At most, they only have a few weeks left to fatten up for the long nap.

The bears here are among the biggest grizzlies anywhere. The abundance of the salmon run makes them well fed. This big fellow is standing on the bears' favorite spot for fishing. While we watched them fish, they kept their eyes forward waiting for a salmon to jump while also attending to who might be approaching with a view toward taking over the spot.

This fellow is about to be challenged.

Lots of growling and teeth bearing, but we did not see any real fighting. The bears seem able to size one another up, and I do mean "size," with the smaller bear routinely giving way to the larger bear. Once things are settled, its back to the serious business of fishing for the victorious bear.

The trick is to stand where at the top of the falls where the fish jump. Then it is a question of timing. When it works the fish is plucked out of the air into the bear's open jaw.

The female below just scored a catch.

Soon the serious work of consumption begins, just to the left of the fishing spot at the top of the falls.

It does not take long for a cub to arrive from below the falls. This is a small one, probably not more than a year or two old.

You have to go to bear school before they let you into Katmai National Park and here's the reason why. Grizzly bears, some as big as nine feet tall, roam the same grounds the guests do.

These giant brown bears, two of whom are seen above, were first called grisley bears by the explorers Lewis and Clark. Whether this referred to their grizzled, or golden, hair or to their fear inspiring appearance no one knows. The naturalist George Ord classified them formally in 1815, giving grizzlies the Latin name of U. horribilis.

The schooling at Katmai occurs in a small auditorium next to the welcome center just off the beach where your float plane lands. No roads or trains can get you their. You have to fly in. Our plane landed within feet of where these two bears were playing just an hour later.

We heard them splashing before we saw them. We had just walked to the main lodge after finishing our class and were standing outside the lodge less than 100 feet from the beach. When we looked over, we saw these bears frolicking in the water just a few feet offshore. A ranger stood between us and the bears ignored us but, still, my heart beat quickened as I walked closer to kneel down and take these pictures.

Our classroom was in a one story log structure not unlike the one above, which hosted the outfitter for the park and stood right across from the main lodge. Our training was all about how to react and carry yourself if you walk near a wild bear in the park. No running is the first rule. When prey run, predators chase and you do not want to act like prey. Stay together and talk while you walk so you do not surprise a bear. Give them the right of way and stand tall as they pass.

There are two gated walkways that lead to the famous Katmai Falls where grizzlies congregate during salmon spawning season. First gate, just 50 feet from the lodge, puts you on a walkway that leads over a small pond.

The bear shown above was sharing the pond with a few fishermen, seen casting in the distance. The two tussling below were playing on a rise in the middle of the lake a few feet away from the walkway.

If you look down and closely into the water from this raised platform, you can see why the normally solitary grizzlies are in the park in large numbers. Salmon in a mind boggling abundance, there for the taking.

After you cross the pond and exit the gated pathway you walk more than a mile on a path, shared with grizzlies, through the woods. Another gated path awaits you when you approach the falls. All along the open path, there is evidence of the bears - shredded bark on standing trees, matted long grass where they have rested, and matted paths cut through the grass.

This is not the ordinary park viewing experience with great distances separating you from predators who might view you as a tasty morsel. Yes, we would view many bears from the raised platforms near the famous Katmai Falls but we would  have to walk where they walked to get there.

And, as you will see in our next posting, even the raised platforms were close enough to feel intimate with the bears, The image below, of a grizzly fishing less than 30 yards away on the top of the falls, will give you a preview of just how wild and close the experience was. No long lens was needed to capture this image. A 100 mm portrait lens was all that was needed.

There they are and they were everywhere up and down the beach at Fox Island. Jellies large and larger, stranded on shore and floating in the water. They were there when we arrived and still there when we departed a couple of days later.

Overcast skies followed us as we ventured from our overnight stay in Anchorage to the harbor at Seward and then onto to Fox Island in the middle of the Kenai Fjords National Park. Our route took us past Turnagain Arm, where Captain Cook traveled in 1778 and part of the larger Cook Inlet. While there, we spied several beluga whales on the water's surface during a stop over. You can see a few visitors watching below.

From there it was onto Seward and it's harbor to catch a boat to Fox Island, where we would relax and explore the nearby fjords. Our journey into Seward also took us past the Turnagain Arm Pit Barbecue (no I did not make that up) and this mural at the edge of town.

Cool overcast weather meant we were bundled up for our trip by boat to Fox Island. The harbor in Seward presented this interesting vista with the docks and boats framed against the area's mountains. What you cannot see in this image is a large cruise ship docked and the massive cargo handling equipment further up the harbor.

We did not ride on a boat like the one below, although it does paint a picture of a life lived on the Alaskan waters. Neither did we see any humpback whales like the one celebrated in the metal outline that sits outside the National Parks office in Seward. They were uncharacteristically not in the harbor.

Our short boat excursion to the island was not without wildlife sightings, however. This elderly otter (his white face gives away his relative age) floated quietly past us as we headed out. While there is nothing to hint at his size in the image, our guide estimated his length at between six and seven feet. Not a small creature at all.

The island we visited was remote, accessible only by boat and hosting maybe a dozen cabins. We were the last visitors for the season.

The weather cleared when we arrived and stayed nice long enough for us to kayak in the calm waters. Evenings included dinner in a lodge that sported a million dollar view of of Resurrection Bay and the adjacent fjords.

Rain and cooler temperatures were the order of our last day there. A trip was also planned by boat into the National Park, with the hope of spotting whales. Some  wind added to the adventure as high waves and possibly higher waves were included in the trip.

I opted out and had a leisurely morning on land while my intrepid wife ventured forth on the small 'Minnow-like' boat pictured below. And, yes, I did hum the tune to Gilligan's Island as the adventurous hiked down the beach through the wind and rain to board the ship.

No one appreciated my humor and when the boat returned early, I headed out in the rain with an umbrella to meet Frances. She was soaked but beaming. While the trip was a rough one in tempestuous seas, it was rewarding as well. A large pod of Orcas had been spotted midpoint in the trip.

The next morning we headed back to Seward in the 'Minnow' in overcast skies. Our next stop is the Alaska Sealife Center before an overnight in Anchorage. Then, we are on to King Salmon, our launching spot for Katmai National Park and more grizzly bears than you can imagine.

Here is a preview of what lies ahead.

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All photos and text are copyright Clinton Richardson. If you like these posts, please tell your friends about the Venture Moola blog at Readjanus.com. More of  our images can be found on our companion website at trekpic.com. Feel free to share this blog with your friends. The more readers the better. 

Click here if you would like to get an email notification when we release new entries. Or, click in the side column to follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

The distances are great in Alaska. We started in Fairbanks with a two hour drive to Denali, then a five hour bus ride into the park on it's only road. It was only 92 miles but at the 20 m.p.h. speed necessitated by the single lane and gravel construction, it took some time. And, the speed made for good wildlife watching and was welcome on the occasional hairpin turns that always seemed to be high up on a steep incline.

Once out of Denail, we boarded an Alaskan Rail train and headed south toward the coast. After a couple hours on the train through Broad Pass and along the Susitna River, a short bus ride took us to Talkeetna.

The weather was overcast, with the type of thick cloud cover that would have hidden Mt. Denali from our view had we seen this weather in Denali. Talkeetna is small and quirky town that seems geared to the tourist trade and mountain climbers who want to scale Mt. Denali.

It's claim to fame, in addition to its role as gateway for flights to Mt. Denali, is it's past role as the backdrop for a popular television series - Northern Exposures. If you are old enough to remember the series, you will know that the series featured a young physician who was posted to the town after graduation and followed him as he adjusted to the rural Alaskan way of life.

It was a nice break for a travel day. You can see the airport above. And, if you have been hankering for anything made from an antler, you can fulfill your desires in the shop below.

From Talkeetna it was on to Girdwood and the Hotel Alyeska for dinner and the night. Girdwood advertises itself as Alaska's one true resort town. Dinner that night was accessed by the ski lift shown below which gave a great view of the colors brought on by Fall.

The next morning we were off to Spencer Lake to see Spencer Glacier and raft down a nearby river. A bus and then a short train ride gets us to the Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop. There, we load onto an ancient bus to get to the lake, riding through the high grass and brush on a single lane road. The river portion of our tour is cancelled because calving off the glacier has blocked the entrance to the river.

Our hostsare young and dressed mostly in cut off jeans, hiking boots and tee shirts covered loosely with colorful flannel shirts. They are enthusiastic and ready to get the trip off to a fast start. The bus driver welcomes us and then announces that we should prepare ourselves for a class 4 bus ride to our class 1 rafting trip.

She turns up the heavy rock music and takes off roaring  down the gravel road. As we bounce along with branches slapping against the bus, her front-of-the-bus companion - who looks strikingly like a young Goldie Hawn - dances and lip sinks the words to the music. Our rafting trip is off to a good start.

Once off the bus, we hike to the lake shore. Off the buss, things are much quieter and calmer. We load into our rafts and row between the small icebergs that have calved off the river. Much of the ice is a deep turquoise-blue. The bus ride back has the same class 4 intensity of the ride in.

Once back in Girdwood, we are on our own for dinner so we head into town using the area's public bus system. Nothing to report on the way out but after dinner it is dark and we catch the Northern Lights again. Well, sort of.

When the shuttle bus arrives to pick up us, the bus driver is smiling, the air inside the bus has a musky smell and the music is blaring. The ceiling of the bus is lit up in reds and blues and greens streaks all moving in tempo with the music. The two young men from Girdwood sitting in the bus don't seem to notice. Perhaps, these northern lights are a regular occurrence.

We head back to the hotel for the night. Tomorrow we head south to the Kenai Peninsula, crossing Moose Pass through Kenai Mountains and Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area, named for the inlet that itself was named by Captain Cook.

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All photos and text are copyright Clinton Richardson. If you like these posts, please tell your friends about the Venture Moola blog at Readjanus.com. More of  our images can be found on our companion website at trekpic.com. Feel free to share this blog with your friends. The more readers the better. 

Click here if you would like to get an email notification when we release new entries. Or, click in the side column to follow us on Facebook or Twitter.