Deja vu on the Tundra: Alaska summer highlights #6

We canceled our trip to Katmai National Park as it was too expensive to get there. We thought it would cost less to fly out of Homer, but found that it was much less to take a commercial flight out of Anchorage to King Salmon, then onto Brooks Campground. Ah,well, another time.

So, instead we signed on for a day of fishing and bear viewing out of Sterling to Wolverine Creek.

Our flight took us over the Kenai Peninsula and over Cook Inlet. We weren't sure what caused the color change in the water, possibly depth.

This is Big River flowing into the Cook Inlet. It is a glacial fed river so the color change is the glacial flour.

As we continued up the Big River, we flew into one of two valleys. These valleys contained Double Glacier. We were able to fly up one glacier and come down the other.

We landed in Big Lake with our guide, Blake. He got us set up with fishing gear, and then we took off across this emerald green lake on our way to Wolverine Creek.

Other boats were already fishing when we arrived. The creek is located behind the fishermen.

It wasn't long before this black bear showed on the scene. This is the only stream in the lake and the Sockeye (red salmon) are gathering at its mouth getting ready to run it.

This fellow stared into the water for quite sometime, then sat down. He continued to look, then the eyes got droopy and closed. He wobbled a little back and forth and we wondered if he'd topple over! Nope, he woke up and slowly ambled back into the bushes.

Bruce's first Sockeye.

More shots of the sleepy bear.

First salmon, or first fish for that matter!

This brownie came out of the bushes so fast, caught its salmon, and turned to head back in. I barely caught its backside.

Shots of the schooling reds. Only one showed the intense coloring.

The fish aren't eating. Those caught legally are when the fish reacts to the lure and bites. We snagged some by accident and were able to easily release and return them.