First Day at Brooks Camp

Such an incredible, exciting day!  We arrived at the airport at 6am to catch our flight to King Salmon.  It was so unusual to board a plane without going through TSA.  The plane was small but the flight attendant was terrific and made sure that everyone had snacks and drinks and was made to feel welcome.

We didn't know what to expect in King Salmon.  We boarded a small van and were brought to the Katmailand "airport".  The small, hot, smoky room held everyone who was going on to one of the Katmailand properties.  A couple of float planes took off and then it was our turn.  I scrambled up the ladder to the plane.  Breland and I were among the seven passengers.  The twenty minute flight to Brooks Falls was beautiful.  We flew around mountains and over waterways. My concern that we were not going to see bears was put to rest as we taxied in.  A huge mother grizzly and her very large cubs ran from the approaching plane, splashing along the beach.

We were led to "Bear School" and watched a short video and listened to a brief lecture about how to behave around the bears at Brooks.  After checking in at the tiny office we were led to our room. The room was small and cozy. The best part was the smell.  The building was made of cedar and the wonderful woodsy smell permeated the room.  It had four bunk beds and a couple of hooks on the wall.  A curtain pulled across the back area for the shower. There was a note in the bathroom asking us not to flush at night because the noise would wake everyone up. The walls between rooms were very thin.  Some of the people who were on the plane with us were camping.  The only barrier between the bears and campers was a single strand on electrical fence!

We were then on our own to walk to the falls.   THAT was a little frightening.  We could see bears near the bridge and on the spit.  We crossed the bridge and headed through the woods with a young couple from Taiwan.  The young man spoke English well, his girlfriend had limited English but clapped loudly for the mile and a half walk through the woods.  We stepped around large piles of bear scat and hoped the bears that left the deposit was not too near.  Then, finally, with all of our camera gear, we reached the first platform.  The sight took my breath away.  There were four large bears in the fabled falls, each shining in the beautiful sunlight.  After a quick look there we moved onto the falls platform and started taking photos. I can't begin to describe my excitement to see the bears that I knew by name and number from watching the Brooks Falls webcams.!