One of our latest September trips (September 8-12, 2021), was a camping-based trip. But before we highlight the camping and photograph experience, we must travel to King Salmon, AK, where it all begins.
King Salmon is a small village near Bristol Bay that has a single road, which dead-ends on both sides. It offers close proximity to Brooks Camp, however, being only 30 air miles away. Many headed to Brooks Camp begin their journey in King Salmon, as it’s the best place to fly and evade the weather that sometimes clouds the Cook Inlet.
We started our trip in King Salmon with a weigh-in to ensure we’ve being within the limitations of our Beaver floatplane on the next day. After an orientation and dinner, we anxiously checked the weather, hoping for a smooth flight to Brooks Camp the next day.
In Alaska, the weather is in charge, especially when bush flights are involved. Line of sight is required for safe passage and weather can easily shift around schedules and flights. Thankfully, we awoke to an overcast sky with some drizzling, but visibility was good.
We charted over to the flight operator and boarded our Beaver floatplane. We took off from Naknek River and began our travels to see the famous bears of Brooks. It was a smooth, half-hour flight and we landed at the base of Brooks Lake, where we then shuttled to the Brooks Lodge area. We do a lodge-based trip to Katmai, but on the camping trips, we still dine and enjoy the comforts of a roof and electricity at the Brooks Lodge.
Once luggage and gear were shuttled, we attended ‘Bear School’, where a Katmai NP ranger instructs the entire group on proper bear behavior and practices. A camp setup proceeded our school and then we were off to explore and photograph. The campground at Brooks is excellent. The entire area has a robust bear fence and there are building for gear and food storage. It’s a great experience to camp out in the open air – one of the highlights of this trip, aside from the bears.