Side Story: Alaska Bear Encounter Recorded on Video

With apologies to the 1961 American
musical romantic drama directed by
Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins

Someone who didn’t identify himself emailed me a link to a story about a bear encounter in Alaska that was captured on video. I guess they sent it to me because of my moose story about encountering a bear. Apparently I’m not the only person who has incredibly great luck with grizzly bears. Do you know who might have sent it to me? —Paul Clark

Reply by Moristotle

Side Story: Moosies and Blackies and Brownies, Oh My!

With apologies to the 1961 American
musical romantic drama directed by
Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins

If you are willing, please tell us more about your camping at Eagle River. I camped there on my way to Denali, and not far from Eagle River had the wonderful encounter with a sow grizzly and cubs that I relate in Part 3 of my moose chronicle. —Paul Clark

Reply by Roger Owens

Moose: A Family Curse (Part 3 of a Story for My Son)

Conclusion

By Paul Clark (aka motomynd)

My last moose encounter was in Alaska, not far from Anchorage. I had just pulled into a parking area and was pondering if I should take the lowland trail that went past a marshy area (likely moose habitat) or take the mountain trail that followed a soaring, vertigo inducing, knife-edge ridge into high country (likely grizzly bear habitat), when another vehicle pulled in next to me. The driver turned out to be a friendly, attractive college-age woman who was a seasonal worker at a local state park.
    “Which trail are you taking?” she asked.
    “I’m thinking about heading up the mountain. How about you?”

Moose: A Family Curse (Part 2 of a Story for My Son)

By Paul Clark (aka motomynd)

One of my most interesting moose encounters came while canoeing. My canoeing partner and I rounded the tip of a small island in the famed Quetico-Superior region, and there was a classic scene: a moose in deep water, feeding, with just its head and back above the surface and aquatic weeds and grasses draped over its antlers. A moose can swim, but not so fast we couldn’t out-paddle it – for a short distance anyway – so we moved closer to take photos. I was in the front of the canoe – the bow – so I was closest to the moose. We had a gentle breeze behind us, pushing us toward the moose, so I laid my paddle across the canoe from side to side, and grabbed my camera while my partner steadied us with his paddle.