Many years ago if you ever asked me if I thought I’d hike across Katmai National Park in Alaska in an attempt to get close to Coastal Brown Bears, I would have likely told you “not a chance.”
This was before my journey with wildlife photography really took off. I had a camera in the mid 2000’s, but just kit lenses and just kind of shot things I thought were interesting. It was really more snapshots than anything resembling “photography.” With time a different place in life, I picked up a camera again about six or so years ago and discovered wildlife photography having no idea about the journey I was about to take. This journey has happened with regard to photography, but also with physically taking me around the world to shoot. Never could I have imagined having the opportunities to come to visit some of the places and to shoot alongside some of the photographers I’ve been fortunate to shoot with.
It was early last year when both Harry Collins and Ken Anderson reached out to me about a trip to Katmai National Park in Alaska to shoot images of brown bears. At first I was hesitant having gotten back from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana in August of 2023. As time went on, it kept nagging in my head until I finally decided I was going to go…
Fast forward to August of 2024 and there I was preparing to go. Endlessly thinking of what I needed to bring while keeping weight manageable and not wanting to miss a single shot. After all, I was probably only going to go to Katmai for this trip one time.
Quality waders and boots were essential, and I’m glad I spent for the quality stuff. Not knowing just how much hiking and across what kind of terrain we’d be crossing, I had no idea how that decision would influence my comfort over the trip.
Gear selection was a process for me. I have a fear when I travel to shoot that I won’t have a piece of gear that I need. It’s somewhat of an irrational fear since I can usually work with whatever I bring with me and make due. But I still think I worry that I’ll miss a shot and it will be because I didn’t bring a piece of gear with me that I own. Needless to say, decisions still had to be made since we were limited to a single piece of luggage and a carry on, and my carry on is always my camer bag.
I knew we’d be getting close to the bears, or at least that was the goal. For gear for this trip, I ended up bringing the following:
ProMediaGear tripod with PMG Katana Jr. Gimbal
(2) Nikon Z9’s
Nikon 400 f/2.8E
Nikon TC1.4iii Teleconverter
Nikon Z100-400S
Nikon Z24-120 f/4
Polarizers
Cotton Carrier Harness
Atomos Ninja V+
I knew that this would be a hefty set of gear to carry along with extra batteries, chargers, etc but I was committed.
I left Connecticut on August 17th for a pretty long trip connecting through Minneapolis and finally to Anchorage getting in just after midnight. A quick shuttle to the hotel and I was finally able to catch a few hours of sleep.
We spent the day before going to the lodge wandering around Anchorage on foot around the hotel which happened to be at one of the busiest seaports in the world. Walking around the lake, it seems everyone has an airplane there. In talking to some of the locals, it’s not unusal for someone to obtain a pilots license before they get a drivers license since the plane is more useful to getting around Alaska.
Later that day, we had to catch a flight from Anchorage to Iliamna airport. Iliamna airport is a small generally freight airport, but it’s also where we would catch a float plane to the lodge.
What we didn’t know is that with the rain, that instead of going out over the sea, we would be flying through the mountains as it was a better route. This flight was taken aboard a Cessna Caravan which is fantastic, small and reliable aircraft. Unfortunately, the turbulence coming off the mountains made it a little bit difficult to truly enjoy the amazing views as we took the hour and a half flight.
Once we landed in Iliamna, it was a quick weight of us with our luggage which was loaded onto a float plane bound for the lodge. The lodge we were staying at was just recently constructed. We are the second group to ever stay there.
Their parent company is a rather large flyfishing lodge and they decided to get into the bear viewing world with a brand new lodge using their knowledge of the area and their guides. It took them approximately ninety days to construct the lodge from first shovel in the ground.
We made it in time to enjoy a hearty and delicious dinner and settle in for the night after sharing a drink. My room was small, but efficient. A full bathroom, a bed and some room for my luggage. The view was of what they called the “local river.”
The next morning we planned to fly out at 0730. The daily plan was to fly to a location, be dropped off and either hike to the pickup lake, or return to where we were dropped off. That varied by the day, the weather and bear activity.
For shooting day one, they said with the weather it would be best to do Brooks Falls. Brooks Falls is iconic in Katmai for bear activity. It’s widely known for it’s activity along with their world famous webcams where people watch the lives of the bear and even form emotional attachments to certain bears.
My feelings on shooting Brooks were mixed. I felt going into it that the shots are limited since you’re shooting from viewing platforms and when it gets busy, you’re timed. It’s a relatively easy 1.2 mile hike from the plane to the platform over flat ground. When we arrived, we had the platform to ourselves for the first hour and a half or so, but the bear activity was slow with some bears playing on the opposite side of the river. As the day wore on, the activity picked up for the bears and the viewers.
Watching the bears catch their fish as they try to gain mass before they hibernate for winter is sight to behold. Each bear has their spot, and with their spot comes how they fish. Some bears sit on the lip of the falls and catch the salmon as they swim upstream where others snorkel underwater looking for their catch and some just try to pounce on what they see. Results were mixed.
The one shot I really wanted to get from the falls, I managed to get. I needed the iconic shot of the salmon jumping into the mouth of a waiting bear. I decided to try pre capture on my Z9 for the first time and was pleasantly surprised at how it helped me capture my shot.
All in all, I left Brooks falls with about 2500 images and confirmation of my initial thoughts on limited shooting vantagepoints. Most were similar duplicates since their bears all had their spots and activity. The tally for day one was 6.7 miles and 14,990 steps. This was deceptively easy given what was to come as the hiking was easy and flat with no water crossings.
Day two was where I discovered what we were in for with hiking. 6.55 miles of hiking and 15,269 steps lied ahead across Katmai. We were bound for Funnel Creek. Funnel Creek is a hotbed of bear activity as the bears chase the salmon as they run to spawn. The scenery of Funnel Creek is stunning and allows for a variety of shots.
We were up early again to fly out at 0745. We were told that we would be picked up at Crosswinds Lake at 1930 to fly back to the lodge. The flights are usually short lasting anywhere between twenty to thirty-five minutes from take off to landing.
Once we were unloaded, the hiking immediately began. It didn’t take long to find a couple of bears. This was the first up close encounter with the Coastal Brown Bears and for me, the first chance to really learn about their behavior.
As we spotted one bear and started shooting, it didn’t take long to notice other bears. I’m sure it’s not that they weren’t there when we first got there, but that we just simply didn’t take notice. I’m confident that they were fully aware of our presence, but they were completely uninterested in us as there were salmon to feast on.
After spending some time with these gorgeous bears we had to continue our hike. As we were leaving the area, we took note of two bears that were standing on their hind legs sparring with each other. At first, it looked like a bear fight but it wasn’t to be. Bears who are learning to be on their own will spar with other bears they know or grew up with to learn to fight. These bears won’t go their lives without having to fight at some point, so it’s best they learn with a willing partner before it’s for real. Either way, they make for gorgeous shots that were nicely backlit! The photo makes it look a lot more serious than it was as they would spar for a bit, rest for a minute and go right back at it.
The hiking was plentiful over varied terrain. I didn’t know it at the time, but the hike from Funnel Creek to Crosswinds Lake was one we would do a few times during the week and every time it would be something different. The hotspot today would be dead tomorrow and the dead spots would turn into active locations the next day. The day was rather successful with some fantastic bear encounters.
We unexpectedly ended up working on section of the river for hours moving up and down back and forth as different groups of bears would come down the river working. Each group having a different personality to it. Some bears would chase fish, some would be “snorkelers” where they’d look underwater and try to catch their fill and others would sit on the banks of the river and dive after the fish. It didn’t seem that any one way was better than the other. Their success was based more on the ability of the bear that was doing the fishing.
After a longer than expected hike, or at least it felt that way we met with the plane and took the relaxing flight home.
Day three took us somewhere new again. We were on our way to Mirror Lake. What started off with a bit of a hike as usual turned into one of the best days of the trip. We came upon a mother and her three cubs as she was just working up and down this one section of the river. These cubs were playful, curious and learning life skills and they put themselves along a variety of backgrounds that made for excellent shooting. The climbing up and down to get on the level of the river was challenging and steep at times, but it was worth it.
After fishing and feeding the three cubs, we watched as the group found a secluded spot on the bank opposite where we were that they felt comfortable. Mom rolled over on her back for the cubs to nurse and nap. Ironically, we found ourselves napping in the vastness of Katmai National Park opposite these beautiful animals. We made the decision to not move up and down the river since we anticipated that when they woke, they’d become very active and we weren’t disappointed.
The day spent with this one family of bears proved to be one of the best days of shooting I’ve ever experienced. We knew they were aware of us, but they were very comfortable with us.
Day’s four and five of shooting we returned to Funnel Creek and hiked down to crosswinds. A hike we’d become familiar with over trip. The activity of the bears changed. During one of the days we spent time counting how many bears we’d encountered stopping when we reached a count of sixty bears. While I would have loved to shoot more locations within Katmai National Park, sometimes you have to follow where the bears are active. Fortunately even shooting the same locations, we always managed to come away with different shots.
How would I sum up a trip of such magnitude? In five days of shooting, we covered 30.12 miles through streams, rivers and tundra totalling 70,066 steps. If I could go back and relive every single one, I would…without hesitation. The naps in the wild, the bears being close, the interactions and the friends made…they’re experiences I’ll carry with me forever. I can honestly say that shooting in Alaska for me is only second to shooting in Africa…If you’ve been thinking about a trip for bears, don’t wait. Go and soak in the glorious mountainscape that Alaska has to offer!
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