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	pIMG_97382.JPG	VFR under the deck after descending over the water.	Connecting flight to Wildman
cIMG_7509.JPG	Muddy River	Cone Glacier, Mt. Veniaminof	pIMG_7524.JPG
pIMG_7528.JPG	pIMG_7532.JPG	Fog Creek	Spring near Dave's Cabin
A bear	Ocean River	Wildman Lake Lodge	pIMG_7555.JPG
I happen to be in the Walrus Room	pIMG_7578.JPG	cIMG_7583.JPG	The Aquarium
cIMG_7591.JPG	cIMG_7592.JPG	Greater Yellowlegs	pIMG_7615.JPG
Tall Jacob's Ladder	Cow Parsnip	Bear bed	Chocolate Lily
Unalaska Paintbrush	White Bog Orchid	cIMG_7639.JPG	Arctic Terns
Barrow's Goldeneye	pIMG_7652.JPG	cIMG_7654.JPG	pIMG_7657.JPG
pIMG_7665.JPG	pIMG_7690.JPG	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.

cIMG_7696.JPG	A bear	cIMG_7706.JPG	Landing distance: About 100 paces
Bear print	Wolf print	pIMG_7726.JPG	pIMG_7737.JPG
Black-legged Kittiwake and chick	pIMG_7752.JPG	pIMG_7753.JPG	pIMG_7755.JPG
pIMG_7761.JPG	pIMG_7763.JPG	pIMG_7775.JPG	pIMG_7781.JPG
pIMG_7786.JPG	pIMG_7791.JPG	Cormorant	Glaucous Gull
cIMG_7802.JPG	pIMG_7807.JPG	I think it's eating a starfish	Cormorant (Pelagic?)
Tufted Puffin	Deserted raptor nest	pIMG_7848.JPG	pIMG_7850.JPG
Common Murres	pIMG_7855.JPG	pIMG_7868.JPG	pIMG_7872.JPG
pIMG_7873.JPG	pIMG_7890.JPG	Horned Puffin	pIMG_7899.JPG
Walrus	pIMG_7914.JPG	pIMG_7917.JPG	pIMG_7921.JPG
pIMG_7927.JPG	pIMG_7938.JPG	pIMG_7939.JPG	pIMG_7941.JPG
pIMG_7950.JPG	pIMG_7958.JPG	pIMG_7961.JPG	pIMG_7970.JPG
Double-crested Cormorant	cIMG_7979.JPG	Some dead walrus on the beach	pIMG_7994.JPG
pIMG_7998.JPG	Semipalmated Plover	pIMG_8023.JPG	pIMG_8026.JPG
pIMG_8036.JPG	Tired	pIMG_8050.JPG	pIMG_8060.JPG
pIMG_8061.JPG	Tired again	pIMG_8069.JPG	pIMG_8077.JPG
pIMG_8079.JPG	pIMG_8088.JPG	pIMG_8090.JPG	pIMG_8091.JPG
pIMG_8096.JPG	pIMG_8098.JPG	pIMG_8100.JPG	A brief altercation
pIMG_8110.JPG	pIMG_8113.JPG	pIMG_8126.JPG	pIMG_8143.JPG
pIMG_8147.JPG	pIMG_8148.JPG	pIMG_8151.JPG	pIMG_8154.JPG
pIMG_8155.JPG	pIMG_8156.JPG	pIMG_8159.JPG	pIMG_8160.JPG
pIMG_8169.JPG	pIMG_8175.JPG	pIMG_8180.JPG	pIMG_8183.JPG
pIMG_8190.JPG	pIMG_8199.JPG	pIMG_8207.JPG	pIMG_8210.JPG
pIMG_8214.JPG	pIMG_8220.JPG	pIMG_8246.JPG	cIMG_8258.JPG
pIMG_8260.JPG	pIMG_8264.JPG	pIMG_8268.JPG	cIMG_8283.JPG
pIMG_8284.JPG	pIMG_8285.JPG	pIMG_8290.JPG	pIMG_8315.JPG
Red Fox	pIMG_8331.JPG	cIMG_8347.JPG	pIMG_8365.JPG
pIMG_8379.JPG	pIMG_8389.JPG	Black-legged Kittiwake juvenile	pIMG_8409.JPG
Wolf eel skull	pIMG_8446.JPG	pIMG_8456.JPG	pIMG_8462.JPG
pIMG_8463.JPG	pIMG_8464.JPG	pIMG_8469.JPG	Ilnik Lake
pIMG_8478.JPG	pIMG_8481.JPG	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	pIMG_8513.JPG	pIMG_8517.JPG	Whale vertebra
pIMG_8535.JPG	Red-necked Phalarope	Savannah Sparrow (?)	pIMG_8556.JPG
Caribou	pIMG_8567.JPG	pIMG_8572.JPG	pIMG_8574.JPG
pIMG_8577.JPG	pIMG_8584.JPG	pIMG_8593.JPG	pIMG_8607.JPG
Greater Scaup with chicks	Playing injured	Chicks headed the other way	pIMG_8677.JPG
Bear - sow with two cubs	pIMG_8692.JPG	pIMG_8697.JPG	pIMG_8703.JPG
pIMG_8705.JPG	pIMG_8709.JPG	pIMG_8711.JPG	pIMG_8722.JPG
pIMG_8725.JPG	pIMG_8728.JPG	pIMG_8730.JPG	pIMG_8738.JPG
pIMG_8744.JPG	pIMG_8746.JPG	pIMG_8748.JPG	pIMG_8754.JPG
pIMG_8768.JPG	Black Scoter	Another "injured" Scaup	pIMG_8795.JPG
pIMG_8799.JPG	Juvenile Bald Eagle	Red-throated Loon	A remote cabin for a retreat from the lodge
pIMG_8827.JPG	Fishing boat offshore	pIMG_8849.JPG	pIMG_8851.JPG
pIMG_8854.JPG	pIMG_8861.JPG	pIMG_8869.JPG	pIMG_8873.JPG
A Sandhill colt	American Wigeon, racing our boat	pIMG_8890.JPG	pIMG_8894.JPG
pIMG_8895.JPG	cIMG_8908.JPG	cIMG_8918.JPG	Dowitcher (?)
Dave's Cabin	Woolly Cranesbill	pIMG_8932.JPG	A bear in the distance
Mountain Cranberry	Capitate Valerian	A spring	Cottongrass
pIMG_8970.JPG	Piloting the jet boat	pIMG_8974.JPG	pIMG_8979.JPG
pIMG_8986.JPG	pIMG_9032.JPG	Parasitic Jaeger (?)	pIMG_9041.JPG
Lupine	pIMG_9079.JPG	pIMG_9089.JPG	Glass floats
pIMG_9094.JPG	Tree Swallow	pIMG_9105.JPG	Common room at the lodge
cIMG_9113.JPG	cIMG_9115.JPG