This is a picture of the "wheeled" plane that we flew on our first leg from Anchorage to Kulik Lodge after we landed on the gravel landing strip about a mile from the rustic lodge. This plane carried 7 passengers and the pilot.
After being picked up by the lodge staff at the gravel landing strip we were taken to the lake alongside the Kulik Lodge where we were loaded into this float plane for our 20 minute flight to Brooks Camp. This plane carried 5 of us from the first flight and the float plane pilot (2 of the passengers on the first flight were staying at the lodge).
Now just a sampling of the many brown bears (grizzlies) that we were able to see throughout the Park. Most were found on the river "fishing" for salmon that were in the midst of making their migration up river for their ritual spawn.
Grizzlies by nature are not social creatures, but they somewhat peacefully coexist at Brooks River due to the abundance of salmon during the salmon run upstream to spawn, and their overriding hunger and desire to fatten themselves up in preparation for their prolonged hibernation during the winter months.
This grizzly was out in the shallows area of the lower lake area "fishing" for salmon that were working their way out of the lower lake into the Brooks River leading to the upper lake and ultimately further upstream to their spawning grounds. (Note the one of may float planes in the upper background about to land on the lower lake bring people to and from the lake to see the bears).
At the end of our awesome adventure at Brooks Camp this 9 passenger float plane flew us to King Salmon were we then boarded a PenAir commercial flight (20 passenger turboprop) back to Anchorage.
This was an unbelievable adventure being able to get so close to the grizzlies and watch them in their annual visit to the Brooks River area to "fish" for salmon and we are glad we able to experience this event.
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