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An Alaskan Adventure : July 1 - 29, 2026

Part 4 - Wildman Lodge

July 11: Wildman Lodge

It was a wet, gloomy morning for the charter flight(s) to Wildman Lodge. The first leg was in a Pilatus PC-12 to an affiliated lodge at Sandy River. From there, it was a short hop in a Cessna 185 to Wildman, although the pilot took advantage of the now clear day to fly around Mount Veniaminoff. In the afternoon, I took a short jet boat ride up the river.

Pilatus PC-12 charter
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VFR under the deck after descending over the water.
Connecting flight to Wildman

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Muddy River
Cone Glacier, Mt. Veniaminof
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Fog Creek
Spring near Dave's Cabin

A bear
Ocean River
Wildman Lake Lodge
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I happen to be in the Walrus Room
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The Aquarium

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Greater Yellowlegs
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Tall Jacob's Ladder
Cow Parsnip
Bear bed
Chocolate Lily

Unalaska Paintbrush
White Bog Orchid
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Arctic Terns

Barrow's Goldeneye
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Runway at Wildman Lodge

July 12: Cape Seniavin Walrus Haulout

The main reason I booked a stay at Wildman Lodge was the opportunity to fly-out to view a walrus haulout. A few other operators offered walrus viewing day trips out of Anchorage or King Salmon at a similar cost to my entire stay at Wildman. While it was another gloomy morning, the weather was good enough to make the trip out to Cape Seniavin.

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A bear
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Landing distance: About 100 paces

Bear print
Wolf print
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Black-legged Kittiwake and chick
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Cormorant
Glaucous Gull

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I think it's eating a starfish
Cormorant (Pelagic?)

Tufted Puffin
Deserted raptor nest
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Common Murres
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Horned Puffin
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Walrus
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Double-crested Cormorant
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Some dead walrus on the beach
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Semipalmated Plover
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Tired
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Tired again
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A brief altercation

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Red Fox
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Black-legged Kittiwake juvenile
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Wolf eel skull
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Ilnik Lake

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Arctic Tern
Willow Ptarmigan

Red Fox crossing the runway

July 13: Ilnik River

We went jet-boating up the Ilnik River for a hike and wildlife viewing. Highlights were a caribou and a bear with two cubs.

Sandhill Crane
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Whale vertebra

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Red-necked Phalarope
Savannah Sparrow (?)
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Caribou
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Greater Scaup with chicks
Playing injured
Chicks headed the other way
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Bear - sow with two cubs
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Black Scoter
Another "injured" Scaup
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Juvenile Bald Eagle
Red-throated Loon
A remote cabin for a retreat from the lodge

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Fishing boat offshore
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A Sandhill colt
American Wigeon, racing our boat
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Dowitcher (?)

Dave's Cabin
Woolly Cranesbill
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A bear in the distance

Mountain Cranberry
Capitate Valerian
A spring
Cottongrass

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Piloting the jet boat
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Parasitic Jaeger (?)
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Lupine
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Glass floats

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Tree Swallow
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Common room at the lodge

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