Wandering into a Bear’s Picnic

20 May 2007

20 May 20, 2007 escape THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH www.sundaytelegraph.com.au

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Wandering into a bears’ picnicGrizzlies, bald eagles, glaciers . . . RoderickEime encounters them all in the Alaskan wilds

Catch of the day: Bear with salmon; a bald eagle; and below, Wrangell township in its sheltered bay

BEYOND the well-trafficked sealanes and cruise-ship haunts ofAlaska’s Inside Passage lies thetrue Alaska, a wild frontierwhere, if you stroll in the woods,you take a cut lunch and a .303.

‘‘Walk loudly, sing songs, what-ever,’’ says the young ranger atAnan’s visitor station.

‘‘You don’t want to surprise thebears. If they hear you coming,they’re a lot more relaxed.’’

We’ve just arrived at the AnanBear Sanctuary in Jim Leslie’s600hp jet boat, Chutine Warrior.

The trip took less than an hourfrom the quaint seaside village ofWrangell, tucked delicately into asheltered bay on the island of thesame name.It’shere thatLeslie andhiswife

Wilma operate Alaska Water, atiny tour company that caters forsmall groups and independenttravellers in search of the‘‘real’’ Alaska.

For many, the postcard-perfectfishing hamlet is just anotherwhistle stop on an Inside Passagecruise aboard a big ship.Australians are travelling to

this part of the world in recordnumbers — the vast majorityaboard huge luxury liners thatply the Inside Passage betweenVancouver and Anchorage — butI’m here for a longer look at thecharms of small-town Alaska.I watched as the enormous

Norwegian Sun disgorged itscargo of 2000 sandal-clad touristson to the wharf at Wrangell.

I saw them disappear into thelittle stores and boutiques whileothers were whisked away onwhirlwind tours to the local mus-eum and native monuments.

All the while, I wondered whatthey were really experiencing ofthe wild, untamed Alaska thatlurked a few kilometres away.

Back at Anan, Jim Leslie corr-als us together for the short trekto the viewing station. The pathis a plain dirt track leading intothewoods and along the edge of arushing stream overflowing withspawning salmon.

Leslie slings his .303 rifle overhis shoulder, but his big can ofpepper spray is our first line ofdefence. ‘‘I’ve never used eitherso far,’’ he admits.

Around the first corner, wesight a huge grizzly sitting in themiddle of the stream.

We immediately gasp in uni-son, some of us clutching nerv-ously at one another, but Leslieinvites us to linger a momentand watch.

‘‘Hey,buddy!’’heyells at thebigcarnivore, making sure he knowswe’re there. ‘‘Howya doing?’’

The bear turns momentarily inour direction, but just as quicklygoes back to playfully swattingsalmon with his huge paw. He’scompletely unconcerned aboutour presence.

‘‘The only time you’ll get intotrouble,’’ Leslie reminds us, ‘‘is ifyou get between a mother andher cubs or their intended destin-ation, whatever that is. The bearsare so full of salmon, they’re notinterested in eating you.’’

*GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS: Ex SYD. Conditions apply. Prices are per person twin share, as at 09 May 07, but do not cover any charges, taxes imposed directly by third parties. Prices may fl uctuate due to changes in charges, taxes and currency. Land only and Credit Card Service Fees apply. Subject to availability at time of booking. Seasonal surcharges and Blackout dates apply. See your travel agent for full terms and conditions. MELBOURNE PACKAGES: Prices are land only. Valid for sale: Until 31 Aug 07. Valid for Travel: 01 Jun - 31 Aug 07. ̂ Valid Sunday to Thursday only. VANUATU: Price is inclusive of airfare related charges, levies and taxes where stated. Valid for Sale: Until 20 Jun 07. Valid for Travel: 01 Aug - 25 Sep 07 & 16 - 30 Oct 07. 303TRAVEL0329/SST

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www.sundaytelegraph.com.au THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH escape May 20, 2007 21

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C A N A D A

A L A S K A

Gulf ofAlaska

Wrangell

Anchorage Skagway

Wrangell, AlaskaGetting there: Alaska Airlines’twice-daily service fromAnchorage, or a selection ofcruise and coastal shipping.

Activities: Hiking, fishing,sightseeing, golfing, bicycling.

Stay: Stikine Inn, ZimoviaB&B, GrandView B & B,Rooney’s Roost B & B,Fennimore’s B & B,Thunderbird Hotel.

More: Alaska specialist Spec-trum Holidays (03) 8804 2420,(www.spectrumholidays.com.au) can arrange trips to Wrangell.

www.sundaytelegraph.com.au/escape

Splendour: Traces of snow cap the mountains overlooking the valley near Wrangell. Inset below, the jet boat Chutine Warrior

The viewing station is littlemorethan a picnic shelter, but gives ussomewhere to hide from the lightrain that continues to fall.

It’s not long before a femaleblack bear and two gorgeous cubsamble past the station en route tothe fish-laden river.

Barely glancing our way, sheleaves her cubs on the bank while

she deftly extracts a salmon fromthe stream. The trio then trot offinto the woods to enjoy the meal.

This scenario plays out severalmore times as mothers and cubscome to feed on the plentifulsupply of salmon.

The river spills into a small lakewhere corpses of expired andhalf-eaten salmon wash up on shore.

Each of the tall pines encirclingthe lake contains one or morejuvenile bald eagles.

These magnificent birds arehere for the smorgasbord laid outfor them; overhead, many morewheel in formation just for theheck of it.

It givesme pause to reflect thatduringmy staywith theLeslies —

a scant five days — I’ve exploredglaciers, caught salmon, hung onfor dear life while we shot therapids, and experienced daily lifein a little town when it wasn’tthronging with tourists.

You’ll see a lot of grand sceneryfrom the deck of your cruise ship,but step off and you’ll discoverthe true wonders of wild Alaska.

Catch the Sunbefore it’s too late!

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