Trip Report: Coastal Brown Bears of Alaska

Step into any souvenir shop in Alaska and you’ll see ‘The Last Frontier’ plastered across t-shirts, stickers, mugs, and more. That reputation is certainly well-deserved as Alaska contains 365.5 million acres of land, 28.8 million acres of freshwater lakes, rivers, and ponds, 6,640 linear miles of coastline, and 4 out of 10 of the highest peaks in North America. It is undeniably ‘The Last Frontier’ and the greatest wilderness area the U.S. has to offer.

Our latest Backcountry Journeys workshop brought us to a small slice of that Alaskan wilderness in Lake Clark National Park. Lake Clark National Park contains 4 million acres of protected land and is located on the west side of the Cook Inlet, just north of Katmai National Park (another Backcountry Journey’s destination). It is home to some of the most spectacular bear viewing in the world and bears of course were our target for the Coastal Brown Bear Workshop. No roads lead to the park, and like many places in Alaska the only options are bush plane or boat. We chose to take a bush plane from Kenai, AK across the Cook Inlet to the shores of Chinitna Bay within the park. Flying in a bush plane is an experience in itself and the sprawling views of Lake Clark NP made the flight that much more enjoyable.

Guides arrived beforehand to set up camp and establish a perimeter. Safe camping in bear country means following best bear practices. For guides, that meant ensuring that our tent area, food storage, and cooking area were all separated (it also meant installing a temporary electric fence around the tents and food storage). After a long day, camp was ready and the fun was ready to begin.

Workshop participants arrived the next morning and all of us were eager to spend time with the bears. After a quick primer on Lake Clark and bear safety, we were ready for action. Armed with big primes, mid-range zooms, and even wide-angles, we were ready for every possible scenario. And just like that we were off, hiking down the shores of Chinitna Bay, surrounded by world class scenery and one of the densest brown bear populations on the planet. The bay offers expansive sedge meadows, tidal flats breaming with clams, and estuaries where salmon spawn…thus an almost unlimited supply of resources for the bear population. Biologists estimate that ~220 brown bears occupy a 54 square mile radius around the area. Our week would bring dozens, perhaps hundreds of bear sightings and some intense encounters…read on for the highlights.