5. Leaving Camp

On the day we were leaving it was raining. We decided not to go to the viewing pad but stayed in camp to pack up and be ready for the seaplane. From the front of the cookhouse there is a lovely view over the lagoon and we could watch some bears grazing on the sedge flats. It is really funny to see them eating like horses on the long grasses but apparently there is quite a lot of protein in the sedge grass. Adrian went fishing on the sea side of the spit with one of the men from our party, while I watched a family of red foxes play around on the spit. There was a mother fox with three kits and they were such fun to watch. Another lady in our group was a professional photographer who lives in Anchorage and her pictures of both the bears and the foxes were exceptional.

 We really enjoyed the company of the people who were with us at the camp. The shared interest in the bears is a very strong bond that establishes quickly between people. Sharing cooking facilities and living closely for days in the wilderness it is important to be able to relate easily to others and to be tolerant and friendly. The rangers were very good at promoting this kind of easy interaction between each set of visitors that arrived and we found that as we had been welcomed when we came to camp, so we were eager to welcome the new visitors and tell them of our experiences.

The weather cleared in the evening so although I had been concerned about the float plane arriving to fetch us, Jose our pilot landed about 8:30pm on the sea side as the tide was not high enough in the lagoon. Fortunately the sea was calm and we had a great take off.  We took with us the memories of an exceptional experience and a determination to return to Alaska and in particular McNeil river one day.
I hope that you have enjoyed reading about our trip and that my notes have helped or inspired you in your own. If there is anything you would like to add please leave a comment.