Page 194 - Vacation Country Travel Guide

While not as large as the Kodiak kings they still
average 800-1200 pounds. Their diet is rich in
salmon and they use many different tactics to
catch the fish, including waiting at the bottom
the Legend Continues of the falls for the fish to jump, standing at the
top of the falls and catching the fish in their
mouth as the salmon leap out of the water and
even pinning the slippery fish to the rocks with
There are several kinds of bears that a their massive paws. Scenic Bear Viewing
traveler will see in Alaska and it helps to
have a knowledge of the names as they are All grizzly bears are brown bears but not all
sometimes used interchangeably, though they brown bears are grizzlies. Grizzlies are smaller
differ in size and shape: than the Kodiaks and coastal bears and can
be found roaming the interior of Alaska and
The black bear is the smallest of the Alaskan Canada, and down into Montana and Glacier
bears, though small is relative in the bear family National Park and Yellowstone Park.
as this animal on average weighs 350 lbs, and
though their name has the world “black” in it, Up Close and Personal
they can also be brown, gray and cream. A black While popular conception has bears around
bear can be distinguished from others as they every tree trunk in Alaska, they can still remain
lack a large shoulder hump and their profile is elusive. However, there are some favorite sites
that of a straight head and snout. Their rump to view these creatures in order to take that
is higher than their shoulders and the ears are framable quality photograph or just to spin Scenic Bear Viewing
longer and come to more of a point. The claws a few bear-raising tales for the friends back
are black and short giving them a great ability home.
to climb trees. All bears are omnivores and
opportunistic, meaning they will eat anything Katmai National Park and Preserve
that is available to them such as insects, berries, Katmai encompasses over 4 million acres
fish, deer, moose and caribou. The yearly cycle and is located on a peninsula in southern Alaska
of all bears is the same. They emerge in the across from Kodiak Island. There are several
spring from their dens hungry and ready to eat active volcanoes in the area with the last major
the first green plants that are springing up from eruption occurring in 1912 with Mount Katmai
the winter months. In summer they are feasting and Novarupta erupting simultaneously,
on fresh berries and the salmon runs, putting causing a pyroclastic flow that covered a
on as much weight as possible. By fall there is nearby valley with ash. As the volcanic deposits
a mad dash to eat the dwindling food supply. cooled they produced steam from fissures Scenic Bear Viewing
Those that don’t gain enough weight by this earning the name “Valley of 10,000 Smokes”.
point risk starvation or being killed by other Katmai gives the visitor a unique opportunity
bears. As soon as the snow begins to fall most to explore immense, untouched wilderness
bears are hibernating and mothers give birth to and volcanoes, as well as opportunities for
cubs inside the den. backpacking and camping. It is Alaska at its
finest. It is also here in Katmai where you can
Adult brown bears are massive, powerful, experience up-close and personal Alaska’s
the top of the food chain and they rule the famous and massive brown bears. While the
forests of Alaska with absolute authority. There park is open year round it is remote and cannot
is a good chance that you will see them on your be accessed by car.
trip as there are 32,000 brown bears in the state
compared with 1200 in the lower 48. They are Brooks Lodge & Falls Fly-in
solitary animals except for a mother with cubs There are over 2,200 bears in Katmai and
and when they are fishing in the same area. there is no better place to watch these amazing
Browns are distinguishable from blacks by animals fish, sun and congregate than at
their large shoulder hump which gives them Brooks Falls. During the height of the salmon
the strength to dig for roots and turn over run in July up to 70 bears can be seen from the
fallen trees and logs. They also have a concave wooden platforms, each one wading into the
face and long claws used for digging. Despite water with its own unique fishing technique.
their bulk they are very agile and can run up Seeing these bears in the unspoiled beauty of
to speeds of 30 miles per hour. Like blacks the forest instinctively foraging for fish creates
they can be found with coats that range from unparalleled photography opportunities that
cinnamon to blonde. In this classification there will surely dazzle family back home.
are some sub species:
Most visitors to Katmai come to this area via
The Kodiak is the granddaddy of brown float plane, arriving on Naknek Lake as Brooks
bears. Standing over 10’ tall on their hind legs Lodge is one of the only developed areas in the
and weighing up to 1600 pounds from a steady park. There is a 60-person capacity campsite
diet of grass, plants, salmon and berries, they as well as cabins, cooking shelters with a fire
are the largest terrestrial carnivores on earth. ring in each shelter, food and gear storage
About 3500 of them can be found on the cache and an electrified fence surrounding
pristine Kodiak Archipelago, making it one of the area. One of the most enjoyable ways to
the most dense and popular bear-viewing sites explore this area is through a guided tour with
in Alaska. operators having both day and overnight trips
available. A guided tour can add much depth
The Alaskan brown bear or Alaskan coastal to your Katmai travels and often includes sites
bear comes in second to the Kodiak and can and experiences you would not be able to have TM
be found up and down the southern coast. on your own, as well as the added safety of

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