Really???

It has taken me this long to add a new post? Believe it or not, I am back!

And just like the last post, I am reporting luck has intervened again and this July will be the third time I'll have the chance to camp and photograph brown bears at McNeil River State Game Sanctuary in Alaska. It can't be possible! I am still pinching myself. Three permits in eight years? WOW!  So appropriately I feel the need to post a bear photo! OK?

Glad you agreed. I have been amiss in processing images from McNeil for quite a long while. Shame on me. Please forgive my tardiness. So, inspired by Arthur Morris and his 175 straight days of blog posts, I will try to post on a more regular basis. Hopefully you will follow along!

Let me take you back to July 2012 and the circumstances surrounding this photo opportunity. I call it an opportunity because it is so rare to win a permit a second time. Our small group had hiked up the trail to overlook Mikfik Falls and were watching brown bears consume dying salmon in the pooling waters of Mikfit Creek. Occasionally a bear would sneak off upstream with a mouthful, disappear for a time, then suddenly reappear to delight of the photographers and bear watchers. This is one of those extraordinary moments when a bear actually raised its head and made eye contact.

If you would like to know more about the bears and permit opportunities at McNeil River State Game Sanctuary check out http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=viewingpermits.mcneil_overview. I can't recommend it enough!

If you get a chance, let me know what you think. I would love to hear from you! It has been a while.