Rainbow King Lodge Iliamna

... br>Well now that I am a veteran bear viewer I am no longer concerned about people and bears at Brooks Falls. What does concern me, however, is the caretaker we left behind at the lodge for the winter. The caretaker job is an eight month excercise in survival and solitude. Winter temperatures will hit -40 degrees F ( which is also -40 C where the temp scales cross) and darkness will prevail for about ...

The day began with a hearty breakfast in the dining room at 7:30. We took our sack lunch and finished getting ready for our hike to Tanalian Falls and Kontrashibuna Lake (try saying that three times in a row). From the trailhead the lake is about 2.8 miles, while the falls are about a half mile closer. However, the trailhead is another ¾ of a mile from the lodge. First we watched several guests loading gear ...

... You just walk along and across the airstrip, but look both ways because pedestrians do not have the right of way. By the way, this gravel airstrip is 1000 feet longer than the one at Nondalton. While at the visitor center we enjoyed a video about Dick Proenneke, who lived for over 30 years in a self-built cabin on Twin Lake in what is now the national park.

We returned to our cabin in time to clean up for ...

... visit each year. It's a hugely popular destination for wildlife enthusiasts, especially photographers, who can walk out to a raised viewing platform at Brooks Falls in order to closely watch all the hoards of bears interacting while fishing for salmon. They come to Brooks Falls to feed mainly on sockeye salmon (red salmon) as the fish attempt to leap into the air over the falls as they swim upstream to spawn. Bears use this opportunity to fatten up on as much salmon as ...

... around with each other while keenly following every step of their enormous mother. Imagine... the gut-wrenching sight of a mother bear casting away, rejecting her cub as they do after 2 or 3 years... the cub desperately pleading and following in attempt to remain in the security of her presence. Imagine... touching down in your plane at the airport to discover an enormous grizzly blocking your entry to the departure ramp. Imagine... sitting down for dinner at a lodge while ...

... to Brooks Falls I excitedly unpacked all of my new Canon camera equipment; I was not going to Brooks Falls to "shoot the bears" with no ability to get up close and personal. The images speak for themselves; yes, I obtained my "money shot!"

... Brooks Lodge travellers was approached with excitement and anticipation. The plane was moored at a dock on the lake, yes a small float plane that seats six. The pilot asked who was going to be the co-pilot, no immediate volunteers, so gee Rick again has to step up first, I guess someone has to do it! Again a wonderful new experience, reasonable smooth take off and a short flight to the lake the camp is situated, the plane is pulled to the beach and a plank is laid down for us to ...

... beer as fast as he could down them. The other customer was also Polish but spoke good English, in his 50s but he was a chain smoker. We saw several groups of seals on the way. So we got to the fishing spot at the mouth of Kachemak Bay, rocking and rolling, thank God for Bonine or else I definitely would have been seasick. It started pouring rain. We had brought our Gortex rain suits but it got colder and miserable. To fish for Halibut ...

... sat there in the middle of the river, every once in a while a fish would bump up against him and he'd swipe at it with his long claws and dip his head in to chomp down on it. It was the lazy way to fish and he was actually pretty successful. So much so that after a while he'd just eat certain parts of the fish and leave the rest. After he'd catch a fish he'd carry it in ...

... time I got really cold was when we were by the glaciers, and then only marginally. I thought I would be colder, to be honest. I was pretty bundled up, but still it wasn't impossibly cold even without being buttoned up. Plus, the sun was out all day and that made it much warmer. We are going to bed soon since we have to be up early tomorrow for our drive to Copper River. Should be a fun day...I am excited because it means we're not going to spend ...