Bears, Volcanoes and Glaciers

Katmai National Wildlife Refuge continued - You could tell that we flew to Hallo Bay for bear viewing from Erv’s photos of the icy volcano lake and the panorama of cliffs and mountains. For me, the flight was almost as great a thrill as the bears. We flew in a 6-seat bush plane with a taciturn pilot who skillfully landed on a sandy beach near where a group of bear were grazing on rich sedge grasses. En route we were treated to another impression of Alaska’s vastness and rugged diversity. We flew over rugged, snow topped mountains, glaciers and a complex system of rivers, wetlands and bays. I spent some flight time contemplating escape routes and wondering how we would survive if forced down and left on our own in this remote wilderness - no problems with imagination here! We also flew close to the St. Augustine volcano which erupted last in the 1990's dropping inches of ash on Homer (local volcanoes generally expel steam and volcanic ash vs magma) and is currently steaming. In my camera lens I was able to line Augustine up with another quietly active volcano, Mt. Ileamna - love this photo.

The Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands stretch southwest from the Anchorage area and are a part of the Ring of Fire which also includes islands of Hawaii and Japan. The local geologic activity stems from proximity to where the pacific plate slips under the continental shelf. In 1964, a 9.9 quake and related tsunami destroyed several towns in Alaska and significantly impacted Homer, claiming about 6-9 feet of the Homer spit. Even this month we felt a small earthquake (4.5) and there continue to be ash eruptions from two Aleutian volcanoes near Dutch Harbor. All this has made me more aware and respectful of the strategic Tsunami warning system which is part of the scenery along the bay in Homer.

I echo Erv when I relate the time with the huge brown bears as being a special experience. For me, it was Zen-like as I never felt more fully present than in that beautiful, remote meadow among these amazing creatures. Even when a large male, pursuing females at the end of the mating season, unexpectedly came within 8-10 feet of me ( it is truly amazing how fast these huge animals can move!) and I could see him salivating and hear him huffing, I felt awe rather than fear. One of our party of 4 got a photo of this encounter which I’ll post as soon as he forwards it to me. We’ve learned a lot about normal bear behavior and appropriate human behavior around bears and will have even more training as we prepare to live in the cabin in Coldfoot where being bear aware is essential. People and bears are more likely to get into trouble when they surprise one another.

Volcanos and now glaciers... lots of geology! So much of Alaska remains primal and that is a huge part of its value to our nation both experientially for those who come here, and for the insight it provides about our planet and interdependent interrelationships on this earth. Let me move on lest I get on a soapbox myself. Today 7/21 we took a guided hike on the Matsanuga glacier with Rob, a friend of Erv’s from Big Bear, CA and his party of 5. It was quite a new experience for me - I mean hard hats, crampons (I unfortunately - shades of Star trek - called them “clingons”) poles and all. The play of sun on ice, the dynamics of melt and movement, the steep climbs and descents were exhilarating. I’ll let photos do the talking!