Munsey's Bear Camp News and Blog

Winter is nearly over, and we are still waiting for it to begin.  We had some of our coldest temperatures this past week, and two days ago we had a dusting of snow, but it has already melted.  I know  many of you in the lower 48 have had another tough winter, while we have basked in temperatures in the 40’s.  I’m not complaining, because I consider any winter when our water line doesn’t freeze a good winter, but the lack of snowfall in the mountains could be a problem if we have a dry summer.  Without runoff from snow or ample rain, the water in the streams may be too low for salmon to swim upstream to spawn, and without salmon in the streams, bears will be dependent on berries, sedges, and other vegetation for their nutrition.  They count on the protein that salmon provide to fatten them up for their winter hibernation.  On the other hand, the warm winter has been great for the Sitka black-tailed deer on the island.  We had two deer in the yard the other day, and they looked fat and healthy.

Mike and I flew to Hawaii in February for a winter break.  We spent ten days in Kona on the big island, where Mike’s mom lives, and past guests will be interested to hear that while we were there, Marcia Messier, who cooked for us from 2004 to 2011, flew over from her home in Arizona to visit us.  We consider Marcia a member of our family, and it was wonderful to spend time with her again.  I can’t remember when I’ve laughed so much.  After Kona, Mike and I flew to Kauai for a few days and then began the long, slow trip home.  We spent several days in Anchorage buying supplies and two days in Kodiak running errands. We had a gorgeous floatplane trip home, and even though we’d only been gone a month, it was wonderful to be back!  We had the best caretakers in the world (Ryan Augustine and Ruby Fortner), and our home was in great shape and our cats spoiled rotten.

We are already getting anxious for our summer trips to begin.  We are thrilled to announce that Mary will be cooking for us again this summer, and her sister, Emma, will be helping her.  Mary and Emma’s parents are coming up for a visit in July, so it will be nice to meet the wonderful folks who raised Magic Mary (as some of our guests anointed her after tasting her culinary creations).  Mary spent the winter working as a sauté chef at a very popular restaurant in Anchorage, so I can’t wait to see what new tricks she learned.

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Our 2015 summer season is nearly booked full, and we only have a couple of openings for this July.  If you are considering a trip to Kodiak in 2016, start making your reservations soon.  I will be happy to answer any questions for you, and you can e-mail me at robin@munseysbearcamp.com.  Also, I am starting another blog about Kodiak wildlife, living in the Alaskan wilderness, and writing.  It should be up and running in a week or two, so if you are interested, check it out at www.robinbarefield.com  and be sure to leave some comments!

Robin

Tanner  laughed as he watched the sea otter struggle to subdue and eat the huge octopus; Vivian braced herself and gritted her teeth, determined to reel in her 127-lb. halibut;  Wayne tried to zoom out far enough to photograph the orcas that were diving beneath the boat; and Karin caught her breath as a sow with two small cubs walked out of the brush a few feet from where she sat.   Welcome to Munsey’s Bear Camp!

We were thrilled to have Mary Schwarzhans cooking for us again this summer.  Not only do we look forward to her innovative meals, including homemade breads and soups, delicious desserts, and the best pizza I’ve ever tasted, but with her quick wit and sweet smile, Mary is  a joy to be around.  We also hired Mary’s friend, Kenny Campbell, this summer, and Kenny made our lives easier by helping out with everything from landscaping to construction to fish processing.

Our season began July 12^th with the arrival of Phillippa Redwood and Rosalind Currie, both from New Zealand.  Phil and Ros were with us for only a three-day stay.  On their first morning, we were cruising by harbor seals hauled out on a small island when we noticed three orcas up against the beach, apparently trying to snag a seal or two for a tasty snack. We kept our distance and watched the nature drama for several minutes until the orcas finally swam away in search of an easier meal.  Later that morning, we saw a bear walking the beach, and Ros and Phil saw several bears from a distance, including a sow with three cubs of the year.

On July 15^th, we were happy to welcome back Michèle Rippmann from Switzerland, who with her husband, Chris, last visited us over twenty years ago.  Unfortunately, Chris was ill this summer and couldn’t make the trip, but Michèle was accompanied by her two, beautiful daughters, Isabelle and Dominique.  This group sat on a beach and watched two young bears play and interact on the tide flats.  As the tide rose, the bears slowly moved closer to the beach until they were right in front of Michèle, Isabelle, Dominique, and Mike.  On another day, this group had two bears walk past them and got close to another as she ate a salmon.  On a beautiful cruise to the mouth of the bay, we saw sea otters and puffins and marveled at the huge Stellar sea lions that were hauled out on a rookery.

On July 20^th, we welcomed back good friend Tom Bradley.  Tom was joined by his nephew, Jody Chaney, Jody’s two sons, Tanner and Tucker, and Tom’s grandson, Thomas Akins, all from Missouri.  On their first afternoon, the guys watched a sea otter trying to eat a large octopus that was wrapped around it.  They enjoyed a beautiful day of salmon fishing in Brown’s Lagoon, and they all caught halibut, but Thomas’ 32 pounder was the largest of the week.  Tom especially enjoyed the thrill of halibut fishing in shallow water.  One day, this group laughed at a friendly fox that seemed to want to play “fetch” with them, and awhile later, a bear walked up close to them before veering into the brush.

On July 25^th, we greeted Jim Mount from California and Terry and Rhonda Barnes from North Carolina.  On their first morning, soon after leaving our mooring, we encountered a pod of twelve orcas.  It was a gorgeous, sunny day, and it was breathtaking to watch the sleek, black fins slice through the calm water.  On another day, Terry, Rhonda, and Mike clicked photos when a sow and cub walked up to them.  Later that day, they watched the interactions between a single bear and a sow with two yearlings.  When the single bear got too close to the family group, the sow chased him for a long distance while her cubs dutifully sat and waited for mom to return.  Meanwhile on the Mary Beth, Jim enjoyed the challenge of fighting and landing a thirty-pound halibut in twenty feet of water.

On August 3^rd, we welcomed Paul and Bonnie Richert from Minnesota and Mark and Jeanine Bessen and Ed and Sue Furze, all from Australia.  This group was with us for only three days, but their trip was action-packed.  On their first day, they got more than they bargained for when they watched a bear catch a fish right in front of them and then casually grab a beaver and slowly kill it while the beaver thrashed and struggled to escape.  On their second  day,  Mark and Ed caught two halibut, while the rest of the group watched a bear walk past them and stand on his hind legs and then saw a sow with three newborn cubs.

On August 6^th, we greeted friends Andy and Candice Vena from New Jersey, Mick and Jeff McHenry from Kansas, and Steve and Jeri  Mihelic from Nevada.  We had a great week and many laughs with this group of friends we’ve known for years.  Their main interest was fishing, and this was the beginning of a long stretch of excellent halibut fishing.  Everyone caught nice fish, and Andy caught two “club” halibut (40 lbs and over), and Jeff and Steve each caught one.  On a day of wildlife viewing, they watched a large male bear fish near them, and on a cruise to the mouth of the bay, this group watched a fin whale surface near the boat, and later that day, Mick and Jeff caught our first silver salmon of the summer.

On August 11^th, we welcomed back Larry and Barbara Meckel from Colorado and their family, Barrett Toan and Polly Obrien from New Mexico and Bob and Vivian Toan from New York.  On their first day, Vivian fulfilled her dream to catch a big fish when she landed a 127-pound halibut!  Although that was the largest fish of the week (and the summer), Larry and Barbara also joined our halibut club when Larry caught a 77 pounder, and Barbara landed fish weighing 42 and 40 pounds.  This group watched a sow with two yearling cubs chase fish.  One cub caught a salmon, while mom picked up a dead fish and carried it into the grass to eat it.  She was well aware the humans were there, and both she and the cubs stood on their hind legs several times to watch them.  Toward the end of their stay, Mary surprised Larry and Barbara with a cake to celebrate their 50^th wedding anniversary.

On August 16^th, we greeted Wayne and Vicki Barnes, Mike Holt, Robert McMurray, and Rita Heuss, all from Tennessee.  On their first afternoon, we saw three orcas, one with a large octopus in its mouth.  The whales swam over to the Mary Beth and appeared to be playing with us as they repeatedly dove under the boat.  This group watched a bear chase fish, and they enjoyed a gorgeous day of salmon fishing at the mouth of the bay.  The sky was so clear that we could see a volcano smoking on the Alaska Peninsula.  We didn’t doubt this group could fish when in one day, they caught five and released six beautiful halibut, including five “club” halibut!

Bob Aldrich and Beth Battey, both from Rhode Island, Shadd and Dawn McEwan from California, and Dennis and Nancy Ferraro from New York arrived on August 21^st.  On a beautiful, sunny day, two young bears played and chased each other down the beach right past this group.  Later that day, they watched a sow with two cubs catch salmon.  On a day of halibut fishing, Dennis caught two nice halibut, and Bob caught a 64 pounder, and on another day, Shadd enjoyed the thrill of catching halibut in shallow water.  On a day at the mouth of the bay, Bob caught a silver salmon, and we enjoyed watching several whales, including a humpback and two fin whales that surfaced near us.
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On August 26^th, we were thrilled to welcome back Dan Robertson from Nevada and Gene Fanucchi, John Mendoza, Mike Saner, Gordy Sexton, and Howard Hancock, all from California.  As always, this group was focused on catching fish, and while the salmon fishing was not as good as usual this year, the halibut fishing was exceptional.  All of the guys caught nice halibut, including five “club” halibut, but Gene’s 77 pounder took the prize for top fish and was one of two “club” halibut Gene caught this summer.  While I hate to say it went to his head, Gene now prefers to be called “The halibut king”.  The guys wanted to honor Howard who  retired from PG&E this summer, so one evening, Mary surprised him with a retirement cake from his fishing buddies.

On September 5^th, we were happy to welcome back Jerry Burblis from Alaska and Carl Erickson from Florida.  We also greeted Alan and Victoria Peacock from Massachusetts  and Simon and Ruth Ray from Scotland.  A young bear entertained this group each day they went bear viewing on the river.  She took a nap near them, paraded back and forth in front of them, and caught fish beside them.  One day, they watched a sow catch two salmon and carry one fish into the  brush with her cubs close behind her.  On another afternoon, a large male bear caught fish near them.  He walked to within 25 feet of them, let out a “woof”, and then slowly continued down stream.  On a calm, rainy morning, Jerry and Carl enjoyed good halibut fishing, and Jerry’s 80 pounder was the second-largest of the season.

On September 10^th, we were excited to welcome back Tony and Karin Ross from Pennsylvania.  Tony and Karin were joined by Jimmy and Deborah Straughan from Texas and Ian Yates and Cheryl Scroope, both from Australia. On their first day, this group saw a sow and cub and a young male bear, but it was a cooperative female that kept them entertained for most of the afternoon, She walked up close to them, stuck her head under water and snorkeled for salmon, caught fish in front of them, and as they packed up their gear to leave for the day, she plopped down on a sandbar near them.  On September 12^th, this group was hit by a storm with heavy rain and wind that lasted the rest of their stay.  The river was so swollen that it was too deep for the bears to fish, but nevertheless, they saw a sow with two yearling cubs and had a sow with two cubs of the year walk up to them.  Our last evening was the perfect end to our season, as we laughed while Tony entertained us with his uncanny imitations of humans and animals.

As always, our summer was amazing, and no two days were the same.  I will remember the laughter and smiles and the funny and sometimes serious conversations around the dinner table.  We thank Tanner, Vivian, Wayne, Karin, and all our guests for stepping into our world and sharing our adventures.

Robin

Kodiak Red Fox

Johnny Horton sang, “When it’s springtime in Alaska, it’s forty below,” and while it never gets that cold on Kodiak, spring often doesn’t arrive here until early June.  This year, however, we are ahead of schedule.  I am writing this on May 5^th, and our grass is already green.  The friendly fox that has been sleeping in our yard hasn’t shed his winter coat, but buds are forming on trees at the lower elevations, and much of the snow has melted on the mountain tops.  Today, I saw my first morels of the year, confirming that spring has arrived.

While much of the rest of the country endured a frigid, snowy winter, ours was quite mild.  In mid-January we had days when the mercury rose to nearly 50°.  We did battle a few storms this winter, and one tore apart our dock, but then, weather is never boring on Kodiak.  For me, the toughest part of the winter here is that the sun is very low on the horizon in December and January, making for short, gloomy days, so in February, we decided to escape to someplace sunny and warm and soon found ourselves in Ixtapa Mexico.  We spent four glorious weeks in that Mexican paradise, where the weather is nearly always boringly perfect.  I knew it was time to head home when I started hoping for clouds and rain.  Homesickness really set in when Ryan and Ruby, our friends and our caretakers this winter, began sending us photos of deer in the yard and sea otters hauled out on chunks of ice.  It was time to get back to our version of paradise where the weather may not always be perfect, but the rugged beauty is breathtaking, and the wildlife is exceptional!
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We had the cabin on the Mary Beth replaced this winter, and we are anxious to bring her home from Kodiak in a few weeks and get her fixed up for the summer.  We are booked full this summer, and I am already excited to begin our trips!  I’ll write again midsummer and tell you about some of our adventures.

Robin

A young bear chases a salmon and pounces on it thirty feet from where you sit.  You force yourself to hold your camera steady and continue snapping photos as she turns toward you and lifts her prize in the air.  A few minutes later, two more young bears race into view, and you laugh as they stand on their hind legs and wrestle with each other.  The three bears quickly move upstream as a larger, older bear steps out of the woods and begins chasing a salmon.  Awhile later, the older bear sniffs the air, and he too walks upriver.  Then another bear steps onto the bank across from you, and you take the camera away from your eye as you try to gain perspective.  The bears you saw earlier were all large, but this bear appears to be twice as big as the others.  He looks straight at you, grunts twice, and then stomps his feet on the bank.  It’s obvious he’s not pleased to see humans on his river.  You try to snap a photo of the big guy, but there’s no keeping your camera steady at this point.  You look at your guide who is now standing.  He speaks calmly but firmly to the bear.  The bear regards him for a moment and then wanders downstream.  Later the guide tells you that you have had the rare treat of seeing an extremely large, 1000-lb. Kodiak bear, and you’ve had the thrill of visiting him in his natural habitat.  Welcome to the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, and welcome to Munsey’s Bear Camp!

This summer was both beautiful and frustrating.  We enjoyed sunshine and record-high temperatures during July, and because of all the sun and heat, Kodiak had an early, heavy berry crop in July, and the bears seemed to be more interested in gorging themselves on berries than chasing salmon.  This, of course, was great for the bears but tough for bear viewing, since most bears were in the berry thickets where they are nearly impossible to see, instead of along the shore and on the salmon streams where we usually watch them in July.  By August, our world righted itself, and while the weather wasn’t quite as nice, the bears moved onto the salmon streams, and bear viewing was excellent as usual.

Our summer season began July 9^th.  Our cook this summer was a fun, innovative, young woman named Mary Schwarzhans, who amazed and impressed our guests with her wonderful meals.

Our first guests were Matt and Sandy Looney, Terry and Kris Vaughn, and Mike and Melanie Austin, all from Tennessee.  This group enjoyed the rare experience one afternoon of seeing a mountain goat standing on the shore.  On another day, a curious fox walked up to them and watched them change their boots on the beach, and awhile later, they photographed a bear standing on a rock looking for fish.  On their last day, we cruised toward the mouth of the bay on a beautiful morning, where we saw many sea otters, including one that was so busy eating a large octopus, he wasn’t the least disturbed by our presence as we snapped photos.

On July 15^th, we greeted our good friend Vickie Coffman from Kansas, Jack Sowers and his son Chris from Texas and Jack’s other son, John, from Oklahoma.  When I think of this group, I remember sunny, warm weather and smiling faces.  On their first day, they watched a sow with two cubs, and on another day, they  photographed a bear in a thicket as he methodically picked berries from a bush.  Everyone in this group caught salmon and halibut, but Jack landed the largest, a 60-lb. halibut that gained him entry into our 40- pounds-and-over halibut club.  On their last day with us, Jack, John, and Chris followed Mike up a river where they watched a young bear chase, catch, and eat salmon in front of them.

Dave and Nancy Hicks from Ohio, John Hoffman from Pennsylvania, and Marc Wallace from New York arrived on July 20^th.  This group enjoyed a beautiful, sunny afternoon of salmon fishing in Brown’s Lagoon, where an array of wild flowers blanketed the hills and cliffs.  Everyone in this group caught halibut, and Marc enjoyed the thrill of fighting a halibut in shallow water.  One day a bear climbed a cliff near where they were sitting, got within 40 ft. of them, and lifted his head to look at them before wandering away.  On another day, a bear walked to within 20 ft. of them before slowly heading into the woods.

On July 25^th, we were thrilled to welcome back the Williams family, consisting of Art and Louise from Pennsylvania, their daughter Heather and her friend Thomas Hopper, both from Virginia, and Art and Louise’s son Doug, his wife Beth, and their children Addie (age 9) and Finn (age 7) from North Carolina.  This was Art and Louise’s 50^th wedding anniversary trip with their family, and we were proud they chose to spend it with us.  This group watched a bear sprawl lazily in the water and photographed another bear walking the beach.  Everyone in the family enjoyed salmon and halibut fishing, and Addie and Finn cheered while Aunt Heather reeled in a 52-lb. halibut.

While the rest of the family departed on July 30^th, Art and Louise stayed for another five days.  We were also happy to welcome back Eric, Carolyn, and Chris Gustafson from New Mexico.  This group was slammed by a summer storm that greatly altered our plans.  It was too windy to get to the bear-viewing area for two days, and when we finally did get there, the wind increased to 50 mph by mid-afternoon, and we were forced to leave.  Through it all, everyone managed to keep smiling.  Eric and Chris enjoyed an afternoon of salmon fishing, when they kept three salmon and released twelve, and meanwhile, Art landed two 25-lb. halibut, one right after the other.  On their last morning, we cruised north and watched two fin whales that surfaced near us.

On August 9^th, we were happy to welcome back Terry and Cynthia Douglas from Virginia, and we greeted Krista McFall and James Walker from Colorado and Krista’s sister, Jennifer Barron, and her friend, Vince Burgess, both from San Diego.  One day this group watched two young bears catch fish and wrestle.  A young sow charged out of the brush and caught a salmon beside them, and awhile later, a huge boar came out across the river from them, woofed, and stomped his feet twice before leaving.  On another day, Terry, Cynthia, and Mike watched bears on a side stream while Krista, James, Jenny, and Vince enjoyed halibut fishing on the Mary Beth.  On their last day, they once again saw the huge boar, another large boar, a sow with two newborn cubs, and several single bears.

On August 14^th, we greeted Mario and Karin Noti from Switzerland and John and Ana Price and Chuck and Charleen Vershaw, all from California.  On their first day, this group photographed a large boar and a young sow that fished in front of them.  Then a small, blonde bear put on a show when he held a salmon in his mouth and snapped it back and forth.  On another walk upriver, they saw a sow with two 2-year old cubs, a sow with a yearling, and several single bears.  Everyone enjoyed a good day of halibut fishing (John and Ana as official photographers) on a beautiful day at the mouth of Uyak Bay, and Mario discovered a new skill when he caught six halibut, including a 35 pounder.

Clint and Rickie Swink, their daughter Sage, her husband Ira Riegel, their other daughter Tana, her husband Chad Clocgh, and Tana and Chad’s baby, Caden, all from Colorado, arrived on August 19^th.  On their first two days, several bears fished in front of them.  One young bear fished only 20 ft. from them, but when he looked as if he was going to climb the bank and sit on Sage’s lap, Mike told him he was getting too close.  He seemed to take the reprimand to heart, because he walked 50 ft. away, dug a hole in the dirt, and plopped down for a nap.  On their final day with us, Clint, Rickie, Ira, and Mike watched and photographed six bears that caught salmon near them, while on the Mary Beth, Chad, Tana, and Sage all caught halibut.  While fishing at the mouth of the bay, this group enjoyed watching a pod of Orcas that cruised past our boat.
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On August 24^th, we were thrilled to welcome back Dan Robertson from Nevada and Gene Fanucchi, John Mendoza, Michael Saner, Howard Hancock, and Gordy Sexton, all from California.  This group of friends has visited our lodge the last several years to catch fish, relax, and harass each other (not necessarily in that order).  I hope they were able to relax, and I’m certain they fulfilled their other two goals.  They each left with a 50-lb. box of fish, and by the last day, we were releasing halibut, because they had more than they could take home with them.  All the guys caught halibut and salmon, but it was Mike Saner’s year.  He not only caught the most halibut, but he also caught the largest two, joined our halibut club, and saw our halibut flag raised twice for a 45-lb. halibut and a 75 pounder.

On September 2^nd, we greeted Billy and Katherine Donegan from England and Joachim and Beate Gmehling and their daughters, Sonja and Hanna, all from Germany.  This group was here for a 3-day trip.    During their two days of bear viewing, they saw three sets of sows and cubs, including a sow with three newborn cubs.  A drowsy bear yawned and stretched when they walked past her and then wandered into the river and caught and ate salmon in front of them.  Two other young bears took a nap near them, resting their heads on a log, and when they awoke, they began wrestling and playing only 60 ft. away from this group.

On September 5^th, we were very happy to welcome back Jerry Burblis from Anchorage, Jo-Anne Antalik from Florida, Ed Matusik from Pennsylvania, and David and Pam Slaughter from Colorado.  This group enjoyed a great afternoon of silver salmon fishing in Brown’s Lagoon.  Ed and David each caught five salmon, and Pam caught four.  On another day, Ed caught a 42-lb. halibut and earned entry into our halibut club.  One day, a large, old female bear with ivory claws and a large boar fished close to this group as the cameras snapped photos.  At one point in the afternoon, they had six bears fishing in front of them, and one young bear walked right up to them and fished beside them.

On September 10^th, Ed was joined by Andy Erickson from Rhode Island and Tony and Karin Ross from Pennsylvania.  Andy has visited our lodge several times, and this was the second of hopefully many visits for Tony and Karin.  On their first day, this group watched two bears play in the water for twenty minutes, and then a young bear caught one salmon after another in front of them, took a bite out of each fish and then tossed it away.  On their hike back to the boat that day, they walked past two bears relaxing in the grass near the trail.  One bear had his feet raised in the air, and neither bear could be bothered to move as the humans walked past.  They saw 22 bears on a hike up a side stream, including six sets of sows and cubs, and on their final day of bear viewing, they sat on the riverbank and again watched a procession of bears fish, play, and interact.

We once again spent our summer in the wilderness of Kodiak Island with wonderful people, some we’ve known for many years and others we just met but hope to see again.  I can’t imagine better jobs than the ones we have!  Thank you Mary for your fantastic meals and your sense of humor.  Thanks to our guests for another great summer in Uyak Bay!

Robin

We’re over mid-way through our 2013 summer season.  In July we had the longest stretch of sunny weather we can remember.  Some days were actually hot, and we just smiled when guests questioned why we had insisted they bring rain gear with them.

As for bear and whale viewing, this July was slower than normal.  After an extraordinary whale summer last year, we saw very few whales in the bay in July.  Reports of amazing whale displays on the other side of the island indicates they were finding more to eat in that area this summer.  While we did see bears with each group in July, we did not see the number of bears we usually see at the head of Uyak Bay.  We suspect the reason for this was directly related to the warm, sunny weather which produced an early, abundant crop of berries.  When bears are in the berry thickets instead of on the beach catching salmon, they are difficult to spot.  Of course those berries, rich in natural sugars, are just what bears need to build fat reserves for the winter, and the bears we are seeing now look very healthy.  During the last two weeks, bears have started to move onto the salmon streams, and bear viewing has been excellent.  The salmon run has also been good with more salmon arriving every day, so I’m sure the bear numbers on the streams will continue to increase for the remainder of our season.

On the fish front, I am happy to report that halibut fishing has been better this summer than it has been for the previous two years.  We haven’t tried for silvers yet, but we are excited to hear that they are beginning to arrive in the bay.

Our guests this summer have been wonderful.  A recent guest said to me, “I bet you have some great stories about difficult clients.” .

“Not really,” I gave him a sideways look, “Not until now.  Should I be on my guard?”

We are frequently asked to share stories about “nightmare” guests and the trouble they caused, but I am happy to say that we don’t have many stories like that.  Certainly over the course of thirty years we’ve had some memorable guests and a few that were memorable in a bad way, but that’s a rare occurrence, and I’ve often wondered why we are so lucky.  I’ve traveled other places and met my share of cranky, demanding, and just unhappy tourists, but that’s not a problem we face in our business.

I like to think that we only get top-notch adventure travelers at our lodge.  You don’t accidentally stumble into a vacation at a bear-viewing lodge in the middle of the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.  By the time a traveler steps off the float plane onto our dock, she has carefully done her research, knows what she is getting herself into, and has probably already taken several other adventure-type vacations around the world.  She knows what weather conditions to expect and has packed accordingly.  She is ready for her adventure, and we will do our best to provide her with one.

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I often brag in our end-of-the-summer newsletter that every year nearly 50% of our guests are returnees.  These are folks who over the years have become more than just clients; they are our friends, and we stay in touch with them during the year and follow their lives.

We have several friends returning this summer, but the main purpose of this entry is to tell you about Art and Louise Williams, who in July brought their family to Munsey’s Bear Camp to celebrate their 50^th wedding anniversary.  Their daughter, Heather, and her boyfriend, Thomas; their son, Doug; his wife, Beth; and Doug and Beth’s kids, Addie (age 9) and Finn (age 7) all made the trip to Munsey’s Bear Camp for the party.  We were thrilled and honored that they chose to celebrate such a milestone event at our lodge.  Art and Louise have visited Munsey’s Bear Camp on four previous occasions, and Heather, Doug, and Beth have accompanied them at different times, but this was an opportunity to introduce the two youngest members of the family to the bears and other wildlife of Kodiak Island.  As the family sat around the dinner table and laughed, teased each other, and told stories, Mike and I truly felt we were a part of that special family, and we were reminded once again that we have the best jobs on the planet.  Thank you Art and Louise for including us in your celebration!

We’ve already had a few other returnees, and we look forward to more in late August and September.  As a matter of fact, from August 25^th until September 15^th, nearly all of our guests are returnees.

While returning guests are priceless, first-time guests are also fun, and we have enjoyed many new guests this summer.  It is always a thrill to view our beautiful world through the eyes of someone who is seeing it for the first time.  I think our new, brilliant, young cook, Mary, summed it up best this summer when one of the first planes of the season landed, and she said, “I’m so excited for these people starting out on their adventure!”

We do our best to remember that every guest is here for a wonderful adventure, and we do everything we can to make that adventure as special and exciting as they dreamed it would be.

Robin

We’ve had a mild winter on Kodiak Island; a welcome change from last year.  Yesterday, the temperature reached 49 degrees, and while I know we will probably still get another dose of winter, I can sense spring right around the corner.  The vegetation doesn’t begin to turn green here until mid May, and we don’t see wild flowers or trees full of leaves until sometime in June.  Our first signs of spring are marked by changes in animal behavior.  Eagle pairs soar high in the sky and engage in their mating aerobatics, oystercatcher males entice females with their elaborate, somewhat comical mating dance, billions of tiny krill-like crustaceans flood the bay, attracting herring and fin and humpback whales that feed on them, and of course, the bears begin leaving their dens.  Suddenly the beaches seem alive with foxes feeding on clams and mussels and does and fawns stretching their legs.  Some days I can sit on the end of our dock and watch whales roll and feed right in front of me.  Spring in Alaska is a wonderful time of year when nature reawakens after the long, dark, cold winter.

 Mike and I took a break from winter this year with a trip to Guyana, South America, where we spent ten days exploring the rain forests and savannas in the interior of the country.  In many ways, Guyana is the opposite of Kodiak Island.  It can be very rainy, but while we were there, most days were dry and hot.  From a distance, the rain forest looks similar to our rain forest, but on closer inspection, the tropical hardwood trees are quite different.  The animals of course are also different.  We saw many species of beautiful birds, four species of monkeys, a capybara and many caimans.  We would have loved to have seen some cats, especially a glimpse of a jaguar, but we weren’t that lucky.  I meet people who travel with a list of birds or other wildlife they want to see on their vacation, and some are disappointed if they can’t check off every species on their list.  We don’t look at it that way.  We choose a remote destination and then keep an open mind and experience what that destination has to offer.

In other ways, our experiences in Guyana mirrored our own lives.  We originally chose Guyana because we wanted to see the virgin rain forest, the wide-open savannas, and the wildlife that lives there.  We weren’t disappointed by any of that, but to our surprise it was the people that most impressed us.  Guyana gets very few tourists (somewhere around 2500) a year, and the people we met were welcoming, eager to share their lives and knowledge with us, and curious about us and where we live.  We spent most of our time in Guyana staying at small lodges in the interior of the country. Most of these lodges are much like ours and nearly as remote.  We sat around the table at dinner talking to the lodge owners about the same challenges we face, and we shared problem-solving ideas.  For example, these lodges have no telephone communication with the outside world (ours is very limited), but they all have satellite Internet, just as we do.  Along with satellite Internet comes restricted bandwith, and we discussed how in this age of smart phones and ipads it is difficult to impress upon guests that they cannot stream videos or upload large files or our Internet provider will shut us down for several days, and we will have no communication with the outside world.  We also discussed how difficult it is to get supplies to such remote locations. They solve this problem, at least in part, by growing much of their own produce and by raising cattle, pigs, chickens, and fish.

That means no more disturbing your bed partner or roommate, then this article may help you. cialis from canada Here, let us buying cheap cialis http://www.glacialridgebyway.com/windows/Prairie%20Woods%20Environmental%20Learning%20Center.html take a look at some of the common causes that may produce damage in a relationship. This type of the male impotence remedies glacialridgebyway.com viagra online can either be medical or non-medical treatments. But when we are dealing with panic attacks, drugs are not as lethal as it is cost of viagra canada generally known. The most interesting topic we discussed with the lodge owners and managers in Guyana was how to balance economics and ecology in a nature-based tourism businesses.  We all need to make a living, but how far can you expand your business before your impact on the environment is too great?  Nature-based tourism is fairly new to Guyana, and we were pleased to see that the people at the forefront of this industry feel a serious responsibility to protect the environment and the animals that live there.  Furthermore, most of these lodges are in or near small Amerindian villages, and the villagers told us that they want their lodges to be successful, but they don’t want their lodges to be so large or time-consuming that they interfere with the way of life they know and love.  I think that is very wise and insightful.

One other thing our trip to Guyana impressed upon me is how lucky we are.  Our vegetation is nearly as thick as the vegetation in the rain forest of Guyana.  If a jaguar steps into the jungle, he disappears immediately.  Likewise, when a large bear steps into our woods, he’s gone, we can’t see him.  The advantage we have with bears is that in the summer, bears are more visible because they leave the woods to come down to the streams or to the beach to chase and eat salmon.  We can almost guarantee (I say almost, because nothing is 100% when it comes to wild animals)  you will see bears when you come to Munsey’s Bear Camp in the summer.  We can’t promise you that you will see as many bears as you hoped to see or that they will be as close as you want, but you will see bears.  Being able to assure your guests they will see a large animal such as a bear is a rare luxury in the world of nature-based tourism.  Several of our guides in Guyana expressed their frustration with guests who expect to see jaguars and don’t understand why these wild animals aren’t out roaming the trails and roads.  When you go wildlife viewing anywhere in the world, you may be lucky, or you may not.  We’re just thankful that the bears that live near us make our jobs much easier.

Robin

Photo by Mike Munsey

A bear stands nearly motionless on the tidal flat, only her head swivels as she studies the water and listens for the sound of a salmon wriggling through the thick eelgrass. Suddenly, she races twenty feet to her right, she slaps the water twice with her front paws, submerges her face, struggles for a moment, and then lifts her head high, her silvery prize wiggling in her jaws, the salmon garnished with several, thin strands of grass. On shore, her two tiny cubs cry and yell for their mother who has moved further away from them in pursuit of her lunch. She gulps down the fish, bones and all, issues a low, rumbling growl to silence her cubs and returns her attention to the fishing grounds. You, your five companions, and your guide watch this action while sitting on the bank behind the cubs. At first you eagerly snap photos, but when the cubs begin to whine, you set aside your camera and watch the drama unfold. The bears don’t know you are there, and it occurs to you how lucky you are to experience something few other humans will ever see. You are in the bears’ home watching them interact in a truly natural setting. There are no man-made structures here, and except for your group, there are no other humans within miles. Welcome to the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, and welcome to Munsey’s Bear Camp.

Our season began July 14th with the arrival of Eric and Danielle Bizet from France and Terry and Cynthia Douglas from Virginia. As we cruised to the head of Uyak Bay the first day, a humpback whale lifted his tail near our boat, foreshadowing a summer of fantastic whale watching. Later that day, a bear seemed to pose for this group as he rested his head on a rock and played with a strand of seaweed. On July 16th, Peter and Maria Kruegel from Austria joined the group, and they spent the following two days watching bears on the tidal flats. They enjoyed seeing a sow with her three newborn cubs, and they photographed bears catching salmon in the bright, July sunshine. This group saw whales each day during their stay and topped off their trip the last morning by watching six fin whales.

On July 19th, we welcomed Balisa Johnson from Nevada and a couple from Connecticut. The first afternoon, three fin whales circled our boat and surfaced beside us. This group watched twelve bears on the tidal flats, including a sow with a yearling cub that fished in front of them.  Another bear walked down the beach near them, saw them, hesitated, and then continued on his way. The next day, they encountered a large bear on a wooded trail that patiently stood still while they snapped photos. The sow and yearling cub once again fished in front of them, and while the sow realized they were there, she seemed unconcerned by their presence.

On July 22nd, Balisa was joined by Elchanan and Mira Noy and David and Haia Blum, all from Israel. On the first afternoon, this group watched puffins and sea otters and were thrilled when several fin whales surfaced next to us. One day they watched eight bears fish on the tidal flats and enjoyed seeing two bears relax and play on the beach. One of the bears rolled onto his back and stuck all four legs in the air. The following day, a very large bear walked near them. This group of course ended their stay the last morning with another close whale encounter.

On July 25th, we greeted Buddy Jones from Florida and Margaret, Megan, Evan, and Jan Ancker, all from California. We were also pleased to welcome back good friend Andy Erickson from Rhode Island. On their first morning, this group photographed a humpback whale that raised his tail in the air as he dove near our boat. Later that day, a young bear walked to within 30 ft. of them as he searched for salmon on the tide flats. We cruised north on a beautiful day and enjoyed the spectacular panorama of the Alaska Peninsula, while three huge fin whales surfaced several times beside the boat. This group enjoyed a great day of salmon fishing in Brown’s Lagoon, and on their last morning they watched bears catch fish and interact on the low tide.

On July 30th, we welcomed back Paul Kludt from Florida and greeted Saundra Gwaltney and Guy Golden and Saundra’s daughter and son-in-law, Cheryl and Kevin Wilson, all from Texas.  On their first afternoon, we saw three humpback whales, including one that breached right in front of us! We cruised north one day and saw foxes, puffins, eagles, sea otters, and approximately a dozen fin whales. We then went into Brown’s Lagoon and enjoyed a fantastic afternoon of salmon fishing. Paul, Kevin, and Cheryl all caught their limits. On another day, this group watched ten bears on the tidal flats, including a sow with a newborn cub and a sow with a yearling
cub. One bear caught a fish and when a second bear chased him, the first bear brought his salmon to the beach and ate it near them.

On August 4th, we welcomed Jochen Renz and Stefanie Hinz from Germany. They were treated their first afternoon to one of the most incredible whale experiences we’ve had in 30 years. We sat in the middle of Uyak Bay on a calm, rainy afternoon and watched approximately one-hundred whales (mostly fin and a few humpback) surface and spout as they fed on plankton and small fish. The whales were all around us as far as we could see. Whales surfaced near us several times and a few even circled the boat, nearly brushing the hull. I don’t think any of us stopped smiling for the hour we sat there and watched them. On a day of bear viewing, Stefanie and Jochen watched several bears on the tidal flats, including a sow with two newborn cubs that fished in front of them.

Thomáš Snízěk, Danuše Heřtová, Stanislav Slaviček, Jiři Janota, Pavel Neumann, and Rostislav Stach, all from the Czech Republic arrived August 10th. This group sat on a riverbank and photographed several bears, including a very large male. A sow with two small cubs fished near them, but when she saw the humans, she called her cubs to the opposite side of the river and calmly continued on her way. On another day, while Stanislav, Jiŕi and Thomáš caught halibut (and Danuše phtographed and cheered them on), Mike led Rostislav and Pavel up a river where they had bears in sight all day, including a sow with two yearling cubs and a single bear that fished 30 ft. from them. Rostislav, a professional wildlife photographer, took some fantastic photos during his stay with us.

On August 16th, we greeted Barbara and Tom Hicks from Montana, Katherine Ferriss from Oregon, and Jo and Craig Albright from Arizona. On their first afternoon, we cruised to the mouth of Uyak Bay where we fished for halibut and silver salmon while we watched yet another spectacular whale show. While bear viewing on the tide flats, a sow with two newborn cubs walked the beach past this group twice, and on another day, they sat on a riverbank and had bears fishing within sight of them all afternoon. While Kathy and Jo claimed bragging rights for landing the two largest halibut of the group, Tom and Craig caught our first two silver salmon of the summer.

On August 21st, we were pleased to welcome back Bud Coughlin from Pennsylvania, Gene and Diane Fantini from Delaware, and Greg Reinbott from Pennsylvania, and we greeted first-time members of this group, Lisa Bill from New Jersey and Diane Bergmaier from Pennsylvania. One afternoon, Mike took Bud, Lisa, Greg, and Diane B. into a small stream where they watched three bears chase fish and wrestle, while on the Mary Beth, Gene and Diane F. enjoyed the thrill of catching halibut in shallow water. On their last full day, this group enjoyed a beautiful, sunny, calm day of fishing. The snow-capped mountains of the Alaska Peninsula loomed across Shelikof Straight, and fin whales fed and spouted. They kept 10 halibut and 10 sliver salmon. Diane B. caught her limit of silvers, and Diane F. caught a king salmon! We topped off the day in perfect fashion when Mike spotted a pod of eight Orcas, and the whales cruised by our boat while the video cameras rolled.

On August 26th, we were happy to greet returnees Dan Robertson from Nevada and Gene Fanucchi, Gordy Sexton, Howard Hancock, and Mike Saner, all from California. These guys were here to fish, and I can sum up their success by reporting that at the end of their stay, each one left with a forty-pound box of fish fillets. On a beautiful, sunny day, this group caught 16 silver salmon, 2 king salmon and kept 10 halibut, and Gordy caught his limit of silvers. We of course watched fin whales the entire time they were fishing and saw a volcano spewing smoke on the Alaska Peninsula. On another day, these guys caught their limit of halibut plus 9 salmon, including a king salmon caught by Gene and 4 silvers caught by Dan.

On September 5th, we welcomed back Tom Patrick from California, Mike McWherter from Mississippi, and Jean Matusik from Pennsylvania. We were happy to have Jean with us for a ten-day stay. On their first day, this group sat on a riverbank and watched eight bears, including a sow with two young cubs. One of the bears got so close to them that Mike had to remind him they were there. On another day, Jean, Mike and Tom watched two young bears fish and play on a small stream. This group enjoyed great silver salmon fishing in Brown’s Lagoon. Mike and Tom each caught his limit of five, and between the two of them, they released ten more salmon. Jean also caught salmon, and everyone caught halibut.

Harald and Margarete Moos and Helmut and Sonja Schreiner, all from Austria, joined Jean on September 10th. This group spent two days watching bears fish on the main river, including several single bears, a sow with two cubs, and a large male. On a small stream, they watched two bears fish and frolic, and on their last day, they sat on another stream and watched ten bears, including a sow with two cubs, a large boar, and an old sow with long, ivory-colored claws. One young bear was so intent on climbing the hill to take a nap beside them that they were forced to move to give him space.

We greeted Will Walker and Trudy Willetts from England and welcomed back René Bär from Switzerland on September 15th. This group witnessed the fury of a fall Kodiak storm. On their first day, the wind blew 50 mph, and all we could do was stay indoors and watch the waves roll past. The wind abated the next day, and they watched four bears fish in front of them on a river.  On the following day, they saw three sets of sows and cubs. One sow with a very young cub that sported a bright white natal collar walked 20 ft. in front of them, crossed the stream and walked past them again. On another day, they were entertained by a young bear that fished near them all afternoon. I was beginning to think our whale show was over for the summer, but then on one of our last mornings, we were greeted by a humpback soon after we left our mooring.

We expect to see bears on our summer trips; after all, that is what we do. We live and operate in the midst of one of the highest brown bear populations in the world. We also know we are certain to see eagles, seals, and sea otters, and we are likely to see puffins, deer and fox . We also usually see whales, sometimes up close and other times from a distance, but the number of whales we saw and the variety of great whale encounters we had this season went beyond our wildest expectations and topped off a fantastic summer of wildlife viewing.

We had wonderful guests from around the world this summer. We had a couple of late cancellations but were otherwise booked full, and as I write this newsletter in November, we have few openings left for next summer. If you would like to book a trip with us, I encourage you to make your reservations several months in advance. We limit our groups to six guests, so our trips fill up quickly.

Thanks to Toni Blakely, our cook this summer, for doing a great job. I also want to thank Marcia Messier, who after eight years as our camp cook decided it was time to retire. We miss you, Marcia. Thanks again to all of our summer guests for another fun, wonderful summer.

–Robin

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July 2012

      It’s time for a mid-summer report from Munsey’s Bear Camp.  We’ve had great guests so far this season from France, Austria, Germany, Israel, and of course the U.S.  Our guests this summer are beginning to refer to us as “Munsey’s Bear and Whale Camp”.  Each summer I hope all our guests will have the opportunity to see whales, and I expect a few great whale encounters, but this summer has been exceptional.  We’ve seen either fin or humpback whales (or both) nearly every day this season.  One afternoon, our guests yelled in delight as a humpback breached in front of our boat, and on another day, two fin whales swam up to us as we sat on our boat with the engines off.  They tightly circled us and then dove under the boat.  Without a doubt, though, our most sensational whale experience this summer occurred a few days a go when we sat in the middle of Uyak Bay on a calm, drizzly afternoon and watched approximately one-hundred whales – mostly fin and a few humpbacks – spread around the bay feeding.  Whales were spouting and rolling in every direction as far as we could see, the chorus of their exhalations the only sounds we could hear on that quiet day.  Several whales passed right by our boat, the seventy-foot giants making us feel insignificant.  At first the cameras whirred, but as time passed, I noticed our guests taking fewer and fewer photos and instead just watching the magnificent spectacle.  Photos are great, but no photo could come close to capturing that experience.  I don’t think any of us stopped smiling during the two hours we spent with the whales.

On a more serious and nearly tragic note, one humpback whale became entangled in a crab pot line last week.  Friends called to ask for our help, and we rushed to the site.  The poor whale had the crab pot line wrapped around his tail and was dragging the heavy pot and the buoy.  The whale was struggling to move and quickly becoming exhausted.  Disentangling a whale is not only difficult, but it’s a bad idea unless you’ve had some training and experience.  We wanted to help, but a forty-ton, stressed animal can be very dangerous and cause a lot of damage.  When we left the whale, he was swimming better but was still wrapped in the line and dragging the pot.  When we arrived home that evening, we were surprised to see the whale had followed us (a distance of three miles) and was right outside our lodge.  We watched him all evening, and at 10:00 p.m., Mike noticed he was free from the buoy.  A short while later, the whale began repeatedly lifting his tail fluke in the air and then swam away.  We aren’t sure if he swam into shallower water to make freeing himself from the crab pot line easier, or if it was just luck that he disentangled himself.  In any case, it was a great outcome and a reminder of how dangerous human debris and fishing gear can be to aquatic creatures.

It is strictly warned to ED sufferers to obviate heavy, oily, cheesy, fatty food and grape intake as such ingestion lead to best pharmacy viagra shorten pill strength. order cheap cialis unica-web.com Excessive stress and depression are also positive causes for experiencing sexual weakness. Your ultimate guide admits that this has the similar effective capacity to the particulate diseases and at the same times all the effects and side effects will remain the same. cheapest viagra in australia Propecia is a pill which is prescribed to prevent any hair loss problems cheapest tadalafil 20mg in males. Now to quickly report all our other activities this summer.  The salmon are again slow to arrive at the head of Uyak bay this year, and they are just beginning to move up the streams at the head of the bay.  Bears are still actively catching salmon and feeding at low tide on the tidal flats in salt water, and the bear viewing has been very good there.  We’ve also seen lots of sea otters and of course seals, deer, foxes, eagles, and puffins.  The salmon are in Brown’s Lagoon now, and the salmon fishing there has been excellent.  Halibut fishing has been below average, but we’ve only had two groups so far interested in fishing, so I suspect halibut fishing will improve in mid to late August when we devote more time to the cause.

I wish I could say our summer has been dry and sunny, but it hasn’t.  Still, I’ve heard few complaints, and as one guest told me, “If the bears don’t mind a little rain, then I don’t mind.”  As always, each day this summer has been a great adventure.  I’ll file a more-detailed report at the end of our summer season.

Robin

     Thanks for your comments and thank you, Ryan, for your technical brilliance.  Mike and I just returned from a vacation in Hawaii.  It has been a brutal winter in Alaska, so warm, tropical breezes were a nice change of pace.  Our Hawaii trip was primarily a family reunion with Mike’s family, but we did manage to do some kayaking and snorkeling, including a night snorkel with manta rays that was very exciting.  We booked two guided trips, which is something we always try to do when we travel.  Not only is it nice to sit back, relax, and let someone else worry about the details, but it is also good for us to be the clients for a change.  It makes us realize how we want to be treated and helps us think of better ways to take care of our own guests.  One thing very different about the multi-day trips we offer and the multi-hour tours we usually take on our vacation is that we have the opportunity to get to know our guests well.  By the end of a six-hour trip, most guides are struggling to remember the names of their clients, but by the end of a five-day trip, we not only know our guests’ names, but we also know the names of their children and pets.  I hope this makes the experience more special for our guests, and I’m certain it makes our jobs much more enjoyable.  I would have burned out long ago if I had to guide a different group of clients every day, but our guests become our friends, and we share their adventures.

     We may not have tropical breezes here on Kodiak, but the rugged wilderness of the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge (KNWR) offers an experience I have found nowhere else in my travels.  Watching huge, graceful manta rays feed at night off the Kona coast in Hawaii was a thrill, but there were at least one hundred other people in the water sharing the experience with us. Our adventures on the KNWR are limited to six guests, and we rarely even see other people during a trip.  We don’t bring the bears to us; we visit their home, watch them for a few hours, and then leave, trying to disturb them as little as possible.

     It’s 14° and snowing here today.  I can’t step outdoors without being blasted by wind and snow, but still, as I write my portion of a talk Mike and I are scheduled to give in two weeks at Kodiak Brown Bear Days, a week-long event hosted by the KNWR, I am reminded how lucky we are to live on Kodiak Island and work on the KNWR.  Our talk is about ethical and safe bear viewing practices, and I plan to remind the audience that biologists and wildlife managers from around the world travel to Kodiak to study how the wildlife and the habitat is managed here.  The KNWR (in conjunction with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game) is considered one of the best models of wildlife management in the world.
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     This is the first year for the Kodiak Brown Bear Days celebration, and I hope the citizens of Kodiak get involved in the activities.  I am most excited about the keynote speaker, Dr. Sandra L. Talbot, who will talk about her research on the genetic characterization of brown bears of the Kodiak archipelago.  The Kodiak Unified Bear Subcommittee (KUBS) bear-viewing guide course is also scheduled during the same week as the Kodiak Brown Bear Days celebration.  This is a course taught through the KodiakCommunity Collegeby local guides, biologists, and other experts to educate and train bear-viewing guides working on Kodiak.  I teach a section of the class on taking care of clients.  My section encompasses everything from ethics in advertising to accurately explaining the experience of bear viewing with your operation to perspective clients to safety and emergency gear to taking care of clients in the field.  Mike teaches a section on safe, ethical bear viewing.  He discusses how to safely lead clients into bear country and successfully show them bears while minimizing the impact on the bears and their environment.  We are very excited this year that Dr. Talbot as agreed to present an in-depth analysis of her Kodiak bear genetics study during our class.  I’ll be sure to report what I learn.

 Robin