A Lunar Eclipse, Bears, and Glaciers

The only common thread is that I got to see all three today.

I reluctantly fought to become conscious at 2AM as my alarm beeped away. I slowly pulled myself up out of bed, got bundled up, and went outside to watch tonight's lunar eclipse. Initially a bright white disk, for over an hour the Earth's shadow remorselessly ate away at the moon, and only once it was completely digested by the Earth's umbral shadow did it appear to bleed, turning a eerie brownish red. Unfortunately, BC was at the edge of the viewing zone, so it disappeared below the horizon before it could emerge from the shadow. I went back to bed at 4:30. If you want to see one, the next opportunity is on February 21, 2008.

Not surprisingly, getting up the second time at 9AM was not any easier. We had a slow morning. Our destination this morning was the bear viewing platform set up beside a stream in Tongass National Forest, where you can watch the bears come and feed on the salmon. We arrived just as a mother an her two cubs were feeding, but they soon disappeared. A black bear then came by and hung out, but didn't do very much, then left. We waited a while, then decided to go see the Salmon Glacier.

The road to the Salmon Glacier is an adventure in itself. Initially at sea level, it at one point begins a slope-hugging ascent of the valley, and doesn't relent for 25km, gaining about 1000m in elevation. Mercifully we were on the inside lane on the way up.

The lookout of the Salmon Glacier did not disappoint; it was a truly spectacular view of a massive glacier, and we spent a while there having lunch and going on a small hike of the area.

We slowly drove back down the road, this time on the outside, my knuckles white for almost an hour was we descended back down.

As we drove past the viewing platform area, we were told that a grizzly bear was there, so we parked and walked onto the platform. When you think of a grizzly bear catching salmon, the mind conjures images of the a bear on some rocks, snatching a salmon in mid-flight as it leaps heavenward to surmount the cascade in its way. Although this must occur, since this is the image strewn on postcards and posters everywhere in Alaska, the everyday reality is a bit more mundane.

The grizzly will stand in the shallow part of the stream, and eventually decide to run after some salmon it sees, but they get away. Then it turns around, chases some more salmon in the other direction for a while, and they get away. (Double click on the photo of the bear running; in the blowup you can see 4 salmon in the water ahead of it). The bear makes 5 or 6 passes before it catches one. The way it eats the fish, is, of course, pretty grisly.... sometimes will take a bite or two, then will release it live, and chase after another. Male bears tend to go after female fish, since they like to eat the eggs. (See my previous blog entry for my thoughts on the life of a salmon).

After a while, it was more amusing to watch the tourists as they stampeded up and down the boardwalk in tandem with the bear!

We then returned home, and went out for some of the best pizza we've had on this trip... who'd have guessed in a town with a population of less than 100!.