Page 8 - Breath of the Bear

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

6