July 11
th - 14
th: Wrangell bills itself as the friendliest town in Southeast Alaska. Despite our initial skepticism and a night at the weirdest bed and breakfast in which I have ever slept (
CapriSun as juice for breakfast?), both Darcy and I had to agree with this statement by the end of our visit. Wrangell also represented the final stop in the "boondoggle" (aka research) which I have been fortunate enough to share with Darcy over the last few summers. Leaving Wrangell and Southeast at the end of our stay was definitely bittersweet; I am not sure when I will next visit Southeast but this part of the world seems to seep into a person and I know I will be back soon.
Looking down at the town of Wrangell from our picnic perch on the hill above town. Despite some of the thickest fog I have ever seen on the evening we arrived in town, it cleared the next day to reveal the absolutely gorgeous surroundings of this small logging town. 
The fog returned later in our visit, allowing for some eerie scenes like this one Darcy took on her morning run. 
The carvings outside of Chief Shakes house located on an island in the middle of the Wrangell Harbor. 
Desperately Seeking Data ... Volumes 20 - 25: Field Researchers Hard at Work. We would like to take this moment to assure citizens of the State of Alaska that their research money is being well spent. 
While this trip was not characterized by quite as many free trips as Darcy and I usually seem to fall into, we were invited to tag along to one of the premier destinations in the area, Anan Wildlife Observatory, on our last day in Wrangell. This area is made famous by the fifty or so black and brown bears that live in the area each summer to take advantage of the large run of pink salmon. While the bears were absolutely amazing, the experience was made that much more incredible by the beautiful old growth forest through which we walked, the bald eagles on every tree, and the seals that kept popping their heads our of the water to satisfy their curiosity as we approached.
To reach the bear viewing platform on the river, we had to walk about a mile on a boardwalk path through the forest. Bears rule the forest here and humans are made very aware that they are just visitors. Bear trails are visible on both sides of the trail and the path has many perfect paw prints impressed into the soft ground. Walking toward the platform, we were the ones who stepped off the trail when a bear decided that she wanted to walk on the path where we were standing. Despite the close proximity of bears and humans, the bears here are still entirely wild. The Forest Service has done an excellent job of controlling access to the area so it is not overrun with visitors and continues to ensure that humans remain passive observers at this amazing site.
As we reached the viewing platform, we had an incredible view out over the river where we could watch the bears fishing from the banks. It had rained a ton recently and the river was running extremely high. This meant that the bears couldn't use their usual fishing spots and more often then not, stood around looking confused wondering how they could get at the fish who were also being pummeled by the fast water. When Darcy and I got a turn down in the photo blind on the river level, we were amazed to watch a large female black bear fishing just four feet from our clicking cameras. Overall, the opportunity to watch these amazing mammals at such close range and for such a long period of time was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had. Thank you Brenda!
Looking down at the town of Wrangell from our picnic perch on the hill above town. Despite some of the thickest fog I have ever seen on the evening we arrived in town, it cleared the next day to reveal the absolutely gorgeous surroundings of this small logging town. 
The fog returned later in our visit, allowing for some eerie scenes like this one Darcy took on her morning run. 
The carvings outside of Chief Shakes house located on an island in the middle of the Wrangell Harbor. 
Desperately Seeking Data ... Volumes 20 - 25: Field Researchers Hard at Work. We would like to take this moment to assure citizens of the State of Alaska that their research money is being well spent. 
While this trip was not characterized by quite as many free trips as Darcy and I usually seem to fall into, we were invited to tag along to one of the premier destinations in the area, Anan Wildlife Observatory, on our last day in Wrangell. This area is made famous by the fifty or so black and brown bears that live in the area each summer to take advantage of the large run of pink salmon. While the bears were absolutely amazing, the experience was made that much more incredible by the beautiful old growth forest through which we walked, the bald eagles on every tree, and the seals that kept popping their heads our of the water to satisfy their curiosity as we approached.
To reach the bear viewing platform on the river, we had to walk about a mile on a boardwalk path through the forest. Bears rule the forest here and humans are made very aware that they are just visitors. Bear trails are visible on both sides of the trail and the path has many perfect paw prints impressed into the soft ground. Walking toward the platform, we were the ones who stepped off the trail when a bear decided that she wanted to walk on the path where we were standing. Despite the close proximity of bears and humans, the bears here are still entirely wild. The Forest Service has done an excellent job of controlling access to the area so it is not overrun with visitors and continues to ensure that humans remain passive observers at this amazing site. 
As we reached the viewing platform, we had an incredible view out over the river where we could watch the bears fishing from the banks. It had rained a ton recently and the river was running extremely high. This meant that the bears couldn't use their usual fishing spots and more often then not, stood around looking confused wondering how they could get at the fish who were also being pummeled by the fast water. When Darcy and I got a turn down in the photo blind on the river level, we were amazed to watch a large female black bear fishing just four feet from our clicking cameras. Overall, the opportunity to watch these amazing mammals at such close range and for such a long period of time was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had. Thank you Brenda!
1 comment:
whoa! cute bears!
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