Day 6 and 7: Oh, thank GOD! I woke up and heard…nothing. It wasn’t raining and it meant that I had at least a slim chance of getting through the day without being completely soaked. Even better, the strategy of putting the damp hiking pants in the cover of my sleeping mat paid off. They were reasonably dry!
After we had our coffee and breakfast, it was time for my morning visit to “the rocks” (pooping). Since this beach had zero large rocks, I had to walk down the beach a ways until it curved back enough to hide my hiney from view. I looked up and scanned the treeline thinking that it would be a bad time for a bear to appear, and then laughed as I squatted into position and imagined the scene of me vs. bear with my pants around my ankles. While in the middle of doing my business, a bald eagle decided to fly right over me and I wondered how many people could say they were buzzed by an eagle while pooping on the beach in Alaska. Once finished, I walked back towards camp.
As I approached, I noticed that everyone was at the top of the beach where sand transitioned to grasses before eventually being met by the dense treeline. They were grouped together and all looking in the same direction, back into the trees. I saw several people with cameras and wondered what had captured everyone’s attention. Eagle, Moose, Bear? Bear.
As it turns out, a large brown bear had popped out of the trees not far from camp and had followed the treeline to come see what was up with the people on his beach. By the time I got close enough to ask what was going on, the bear went back into the trees. I guess it gave everyone a scare when they realized I was not with the group. Thank goodness he had walked in the opposite direction from where I was!
We packed up the gear and loaded the kayaks a little while later. I donned my new garbage bag “rain pants” just before getting into the kayak. I have to say, it worked out pretty well and I stayed reasonably dry.
The day was pretty great. Except for the occasional drizzle, it didn’t rain. We saw lots of whales, birds, and otters during the paddle. We stopped for lunch in the Adams Inlet where we saw a brown bear wade through a stream looking like he was auditioning for a nature special. There were Oyster Catchers nesting nearby and we watched them guide their chicks around the beach, giving out warning calls whenever something flew overhead or got too close on the beach. When the parent put out the warning call, the baby would quickly run and duck behind a rock.
The best part of the day was when we crossed to the other side of the bay after lunch. The fog had rolled in and it felt surreal paddling through the fog. Whenever we stopped actively paddling, it was completely silent as we sat there surrounded in mist. It felt deeply peaceful and magical out there.
We returned to the drop off/pick up point at SeBree Island and planned to camp in the same spot as the first night. It meant that we didn’t have to get up super early or load kayaks on the last day, and we were pretty happy about that. When we arrived at the camp spot, a small brown bear was on the beach to greet us as we paddled around the last point. He ran off into the bushes as soon as we appeared, but our guide wanted to take no chances. We floated there for 20-30 minutes, making noise and listening for any sounds of that bear hanging around in the bushes just out of sight. Since he had seemed pretty spooked by our appearance and we saw/heard no other indications he had decided to stay nearby, we eventually pulled up on the beach and went about getting things set up. We did make extra sure to stick together and make extra noise as we moved around. We didn’t see that bear again.
Everything else was pretty normal after that. We had dinner, did the “last pee” of the night, and headed to bed. I have to say that the “last pee” on the last 2 nights was not effective and I had to get up in the middle of the night on these two nights. Both times it was raining softly on the tent when I woke up with my bladder screaming at me. Desperate to keep my last and only pair of sweatpants dry…I went out there bare-assed. I figured no one would see me and it would be quick. I went as far from the tent as I dared, in the dark, in bear country, and half naked. Basically, Bastien should be happy I didn’t pee ON the tent (or IN it)!
The next morning was relaxed as we had coffee and got everything ready for the day boat to pick us up. We did the same fire-line to load all the gear back on the boat, then enjoyed the tour that boat goes up the West arm of Glacier Bay. I enjoyed the warmth and comfort of the day boat as we saw the glaciers and scenery in the West arm, but I felt this strange sense of distance. Although it was easy and comfortable, the big boat lacked that intimacy and connection between you and the beauty all around you.
Karen`s trips, travels, insane stories, and not-so-insane thoughts(I hope!) 