Final Day with the Bears

It's our last day out watching the bears.  Snow is falling and most of the bears are curled up resting and conserving energy before they head out to hunt seals in next week or so.   Today we went ashore leaving the safety of our boat and walking in the paw prints of these amazing polar bears.  It was exhilarating to look across and watch them thru the blowing snow.  Jack and Steve kept a close lookout to insure our safety.  Hard to say goodbye to the bears, but it's been a privilege to view these impressive animals in the wild!

 

Kaktovik Village

Kaktovik is a small coastal village with only about 300 residents.  They have a school, community center, post office, two hotels and two stores.  At night, the polar bears wander into town so no one walks around outside at night.   Occasionally, we hear gunshots during the night which is the night patrol chasing the bears out of town.

Every evening, we retreat back to the local hotel for a home cooked meal and warm bed, much welcomed after a day in the cold weather.  At the front door, we are greeted with a collection of moose and caribou antlers, quintessential Alaska!  Local transportation provided via school bus.

  

Another Day on the Hunt for Bears

Each day is spent on the water viewing and photographing the bears from a small boat.  Our guides are Steve Kazlowski and Jack Kayotuk who know the area well.  Every day is a new adventure. We never know what kind of bear activity we'll witness, but it's always a thrill even in challenging weather conditions.

     

As the water temperature drops and snow continues to fall, the sea ice is slowly starting to form.  Once it thickens, the bears will leave the area out on the ice to hunt for seals.

The blizzard continues to bring more snowfall and windy conditions, but it hasn't slowed us down yet.  

  

   

More Polar Bears...

A winter blizzard hit today with temps dipping into the teens and winds gusting up to 50mph at times.  The snow continues to pile up, but the bears love it!

Cubs Playing

The cubs are playful and energetic!  They keep us entertained as they wrestle with their sibling and even play around with other cubs.  Every once in awhile, the Sow steps in to break it up, almost like she's putting them in timeout.

Polar Bears

The bear viewing has been amazing! Most of our sightings today have included Sows and their twin cubs.  The polar bears are passing the time awaiting the sea ice to form so they can leave the island and hunt for seals.

Arctic Alaska

Finally reached the Alaskan Arctic after 3 days of travel and an unexpected layover overnight in Deadhorse AK.  Our final leg was a 30 minute flight over the Beaufort Sea landing safely on a snow covered runway on Barter Island.  The Island is home to the Inupiat Village of Kaktovik and a large population of Polar Bears.

Day 9 - Mt Shuksan, WA

Hit the trail this morning hiking about 4 miles along the ridges around Mt Baker.  Had stunning views in every direction.  Found some nice reflections of Mt Shuksan in a few tarns.  Heard the "eek" of a marmot, but he never showed himself.  Definitely one of the best hikes of the trip!  Now back to Vancouver to catch flight home.