Photo Treks: Countdown 365 ~ T-217/218 (Hallo Bay)

Although, I was delayed by a day due to weather conditions, the visit to Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park was well worth the short waiting period. We departed Homer on Friday afternoon, after a scenic flight over Anchor Point crossing Cook Inlet to the base of Mt Illiamna, before turning south to follow the Alaska Peninsula. In transit, we flew over Mt. Redoubt and Mt Douglas before landing on the beach at Hallo Bay. The total trip time was approximately 1.5 hours. Hallo Bay is located on the northerly border of Katmai National Park, situated on the Alaska Peninsula and the western shores of Shellikoif Straits opposite of Afognak Island. It is a beautiful pristine area with very small footprint of humans. I saw more Brown Bear and Wolf footprints than any sign of mankind. From the time we made our approach to make the beach landing until the time we took off, at anytime I could walk out to the "point" overlooking the beach area, approximately one hundred yards from the camp, I could see any number of bears on the beaches or from the distance a group of them fishing the small river just south of the camp. There is also a population of wolves and foxes in the area, often seen very close to camp. Unfortunately, I only saw one wolf and it was some distance from us. But that is alright, my primary focus at the time was to photograph the Brown Bears. Experienced and knowledgeable guides accompany you whenever you venture from camp, typically in very small groups. On my particular trips into the field there was never over four persons in the group. The camp is very neat, clean, very well organized, and well managed. I would strongly recommend their services. The lodging is very comfortable and a very well stocked kitchen and dining area. During my short stay in the area, I learned a great deal from both observing the bears and from the guides that accompanied us. Although, they are wild animals that could instantly kill a human, at no time did I feel uncomfortable about being around them in this particular location and time. When I say "around them", on a couple of occasions we were within 15 - 20 feet of a bear. These bears have had very little impact from humans, but as with any wild animal, you must be aware of your surroundings. Hallo Bay is an exclusive area, reserved for guests staying at the camp. Other bear viewing services operate in areas north and south of Hallo Bay. I would recommend Hallo Bay to you or your guests that are visiting the area. Although they do provide a one day Bear Viewing Trip, in and out of Homer the same day. I would recommend that you seriously look at the two day or longer trip and spend some time in the area to really appreciate the area and an adventure of a lifetime. During my stay, I shot 572 pictures of which I have just started sorting and organizing, these are just a start of the task.

"Hallo Bay"

"Rock Formation In Front of Camp"

We were on our first outing within the hour of our landing at Hallo Bay. We had just left the camp and walking the beach towards the river and the bears we had seen upon our landing. As we walked down the beach, the guide spotted a bear that was following behind us about a half mile. He had us sit down on the beach to make a lower profile and watched the bear as it wandered down the beach in our direction. I never thought, I would be this close to a Brown Bear and still feel comfortable. Although I was taking pictures of the bear as it approached us, the picture below was shot with no telephoto lens, as it passed between us and the surf, within twenty feet or less from us. He "eyeballed" us but went on his merry way to the fishing grounds as we followed behind at a safe distance. "The Eyes Tell All"

"Looking For the Rise"

"Aggressive Salmon Fisherman"

"Chasing Lunch"

This "old" Brownie came out in the meadow upstream above the high tide line, so we sat and observed him. He did put on a great show, rolling in the grass to scratch his back. After getting a little relief, he reverted to his stomach and munched away on a piece of driftwood. "Old Man On The River"