Thus far on our Alaskan safari we have spotted a half dozen or so Coastal Brown Bears (the more accurate term for Grizzly Bears in this region). These sighting have been from about a quarter of a mile away (which many would argue is plenty close). Today, however, our objective is to experience these magnificent creatures in their natural habitats from a more intimate distance. We will fly by seaplane from Homer to Katmai National Park where we will spend the day observing these bears as they fish for salmon, interact with each other, and nap.

We board our de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter (this level of detail is for my brother who is a pilot) from its lake side dock after donning the hip waders we will need to remain dry as we hike around in the bears preferred fishing grounds. The flight to the north end of Katmai takes about an hour and we are very fortunate to have another day of great weather. En route we fly over Augustine Volcano which last erupted in 2006 sending an ash plume 9 miles into the atmosphere. Steam emerges from the lava dome, a reminder that this remains an active volcano. In a state where they stopped counting the number of lakes after they got to 3 million, a float plane is far more practical than any other form of transportation. Our pilot lands on a tiny lake (about 2000 feet long) which lies about 6 miles east of enormous Kukaklek Lake. Here we deplane and hike less than a mile to a nearby river where our pilot spotted bears during our approach. In less than five minutes we spot our first bear and sit down along the bank of the river to observe.

Bears do not view humans as prey (provided you don’t run away from them) nor do they regard us as a threat (provided you don’t surprise them, come between a mother and her cubs, or try to take their food). If you sit quietly they well recognize your presence and then happily ignore you while they go about their business of being bears. Essentially this involves eating and sleeping.

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We returned to Homer by 6pm which still left several hours of sunlight by which to explore. We decided to try and make it to Voznesenka, one of four Russian Old Believer villages on the peninsula. It is situated beyond the end of the paved East End Road, a distance of approximately 23 miles from Homer and the last mile or two is on a gravel road which descends to the sea on a very precarious grade. We wisely opted to abandon the car and make the final approach on foot. Unfortunately the hike turned into more than we bargained for. Having left our day packs (with water and rain gear) at the car and with massive storm clouds rapidly approaching we decided to turn back before we could find our way to the small village. Old Believers separated from the official Russian Orthodox Church as a protest against church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon between 1652–66 and value privacy and seclusion.

We spent the evening at a B&B in Soldotna, a convenient stopping point as we started making our way back to Anchorage for our flight tomorrow.