Alaska Trip : July 1-23, 2017

Part 5 - Homer

July 15-16 : Homer and Anchor Point

cIMG_6754.JPG	cIMG_6762.JPG	cIMG_6775.JPG	pIMG_6778.JPG
cIMG_6780.JPG	pIMG_6787.JPG	pIMG_6790.JPG	pIMG_6797.JPG
Black Turnstone	Black Turnstone and Whimbrel	pIMG_6817.JPG	pIMG_6819.JPG
pIMG_6822.JPG	cIMG_6837.JPG	cIMG_6844.JPG	cIMG_6851.JPG

July 16 : Alaska Ultimate Safaris Bear Viewing at Chinitna Bay

There were numerous bear tour operators in Homer. After visiting a few, I decided to go with Alaska Ultimate Safaris. Among other reasons, they were the only one operating helicopters, and I needed a change from fixed wing :) The pilot-guides were great, and the trip was well worth it!
Due to weather delays in the morning, instead of staying with out with one group with the chopper, they were ferrying people back and forth in overlapping groups. As a result, there was an hour or so where we were out there with the bears and without a ride. Not long enough, actually!

cIMG_6853.JPG	cIMG_6858.JPG	Iliamna Volcano	Crossing the Cook Inlet
There's bears down there!	Bear trails	Our landing area	The first bear we spotted (not cropped 300mm)
cIMG_6912.JPG	cIMG_6920.JPG	(not cropped 420mm)	pIMG_6941.JPG
pIMG_6946.JPG	pIMG_6973.JPG	pIMG_6982.JPG	Bear poop
Bear bed	Another bear bed	pIMG_6991.JPG	I was told this one gets... grumpy.
cIMG_7000.JPG	Getting closer... (not cropped 420mm)	pIMG_7019.JPG	pIMG_7021.JPG
pIMG_7025.JPG	pIMG_7027.JPG	pIMG_7030.JPG	pIMG_7038.JPG
pIMG_7052.JPG	Mom with cubs in the background	pIMG_7089.JPG	pIMG_7092.JPG
pIMG_7095.JPG	pIMG_7099.JPG	pIMG_7103.JPG	pIMG_7106.JPG
pIMG_7118.JPG	pIMG_7124.JPG	pIMG_7127.JPG	pIMG_7138.JPG
pIMG_7145.JPG	pIMG_7149.JPG	pIMG_7158.JPG	pIMG_7175.JPG
pIMG_7196.JPG	pIMG_7205.JPG	A cabin on a private inholding	pIMG_7241.JPG
pIMG_7242.JPG	pIMG_7250.JPG	pIMG_7257.JPG	There goes our ride!
cIMG_7271.JPG	pIMG_7274.JPG	pIMG_7299.JPG	pIMG_7310.JPG
pIMG_7329.JPG	pIMG_7334.JPG	cIMG_7345.JPG	pIMG_7353.JPG
pIMG_7362.JPG	pIMG_7370.JPG	pIMG_7377.JPG	pIMG_7382.JPG
pIMG_7385.JPG	cIMG_7390.JPG	Minor confrontation	pIMG_7396.JPG
pIMG_7398.JPG	pIMG_7406.JPG	Big paw print!	It's not close enough!
pIMG_03299.JPG	cIMG_7410.JPG	This one looked like quite the teddy bear	cIMG_7442.JPG
pIMG_7443.JPG	pIMG_7446.JPG	pIMG_7457.JPG	pIMG_7464.JPG
pIMG_7475.JPG	Not thrilled with the salad?	pIMG_7500.JPG	pIMG_7511.JPG
pIMG_7513.JPG	pIMG_7517.JPG	pIMG_7526.JPG	pIMG_7529.JPG
The alpha male	pIMG_7560.JPG	pIMG_7570.JPG	pIMG_7587.JPG
cIMG_7595.JPG	Close enough? (not cropped 420mm)	cIMG_7624.JPG	cIMG_7627.JPG
About 40 feet away!	cIMG_7652.JPG	Back scratching	pIMG_7679.JPG
cIMG_7684.JPG	cIMG_7689.JPG	cIMG_7697.JPG	cIMG_7714.JPG
Having a snack with the bears	Good news: our ride's back. Bad news: time to go.	cIMG_7749.JPG	This one looked like it wanted a belly rub
cIMG_7760.JPG	cIMG_7769.JPG	cIMG_7778.JPG	cIMG_7790.JPG
Bear poop through a telephoto	Looks like this one got a fish	pIMG_03301.JPG	cIMG_7797.JPG
Loading up	Bears in the river delta	Iliamna Volcano

July 17: Homer to Juneau

With rain forecast in Homer the next few days, and good weather on the Alaskan Panhandle, it was time to start the journey home in earnest. The first leg from Homer to Yakutat offered some glacier scenery. The coast around Yakutat was similarly beautiful. On the second leg to Juneau, despite some reasonable remote camera views in my flight weather briefing, the showers and clouds had moved in near Cape Spencer and I made good use of Class G VFR rules flying through low over the water.

cIMG_7844.JPG	cIMG_03334.JPG	Homer Spit	Grewingk Glacier
Martin River delta	Foot of Tustumena Glacier	Tustumena Glacier	Harding Ice Field
cIMG_7886.JPG	Seward	Seward Airport	Mt. St. Elias
Icy Bay and Mt. St. Elias	Yahtse River	Yahtse Glacier	cIMG_7939.JPG
pIMG_7945.JPG	Edge of Malaspina Glacier	cIMG_03374.JPG	cIMG_03378.JPG
DC-3 at Yakutat	pIMG_7976.JPG	pIMG_7985.JPG	cIMG_8002.JPG
pIMG_8011.JPG	cIMG_8026.JPG	cIMG_8031.JPG	The airport cat
pIMG_8037.JPG	near Situk	Dangerous River	A bushplane camper
pIMG_8051.JPG	Akwe River	Mount Fairweather	Showers starting near Lituya Bay
Cape Spencer	Very low ceilings near Elfin Cove	Things improve at Lemisurier Island	Juneau's runway 8 approach has a dogleg on final
cIMG_03437.JPG	cIMG_03440.JPG