The Hunt

Travelling PT has given us the opportunity to experience things we otherwise never would have had the chance to do. For instance, if you had told me back in the Spring of 2012 that by Fall of 2013 I'd be on a bear hunt in Alaska, I would have thought you were completely insane. However, that's exactly what just happened. Seriously. This happened.

It all started when our good friend Clayt, who is an experienced hunter, proposed that Amanda and I accompany him on a black bear hunt in Kachemak State Park (across the bay from Homer). He has been contemplating going on a bear hunt for some time, but hasn't been able to make it happen. You may remember that we tried to look for bears when we first got here to Alaska, but were unsuccessful. This time we were more prepared. There was more planning and Clayt got some good tips from a fellow Alaskan hunter he met. This time we were better prepared and primed for success.

We reserved a yurt (a small, round cabin-like structure) near Humpy Creek from Friday until Sunday, giving us plenty of time to track down a bear and take advantage of the great trail system across the bay.

Hunting headquarters

Unfortunately, in the days leading up to the planned hunt Amanda's immune system did not cooperate. She got a nasty head cold with probable sinus infection which caused her to bow out of the hunting trip. Amanda was legitimately looking forward to seeing the hunt go down, but since she could barely function there was no way she was packing a bag and travelling across the bay.

That left Clayt and I the responsibility of bringing home some bear for the purpose of feeding the Spitler family. For Clayt, this was no big deal. He has hunted all kinds of stuff, knows what to do, and knows how to do it. For me, well, I'm pretty much the complete opposite. I've never hunted anything, ever. I always liked the idea of hunting, but really had no concept of what went into executing a successful hunt. I was certainly willing to learn and Clayt was willing to show me the ropes.

We expected to see both black and brown bears. Brown bears are larger and can be more aggressive than black bears. The main feature you look for to determine if a bear is black or brown (you can't always go by color) is the presence of a shoulder hump. Brown bears have a large hump on their back, while black bears have a flatter back. Brown bears, since they live on a diet of mostly spawned out/dying salmon are not appealing to eat. Therefore, they are really only hunted for their hide. Black bears on the other hand typically eat more berries and have better tasting meat. If you are looking for a good meal, black bear is the way to go.

When we arrived at the yurt Friday morning we saw a huge brown bear eating salmon out of Humpy Creek within our first 5 minutes there.

Confirmed, there are bears in the area

We unpacked all of our gear as the rain steadily fell. We had a lot of gear. Maybe too much gear.

How much? Much too much.

We agreed on a trail to scout for black bear signs (tracks and droppings), Clayt showed me how to handle his rifle, we gathered the items needed for harvesting a bear, and we discussed the plan of action should we come across our targeted game. After lunch the rain let up and we headed out. All tolled we hiked about 8 miles, but didn't see any bears. We cam across a bunch of paw prints and other signs that bears were in the area, but no actual bears. It was a bit of a let down, but we knew we still had plenty of time left in the weekend. We ate dinner as we discussed our Saturday plans. During this conversation Clayt mentioned that bears are typically more active in the morning and evening, so we should think about doing the bulk of our hiking at either of those times. As we were discussing this, we realized it was 7:00 pm or evening, as some might call it. On a whim, we left the yurt with only a rifle and a knife just to see if any bears were out an about. We clearly didn't anticipate coming across any, since we didn't pack any of the gear we had with us earlier in the day. Big mistake.

After travelling only a half mile from the yurt, Clayt's eyes lit up and he said, "There's one!" Sure enough, a medium sized black bear was browsing for food in the distance. Black bears have a tremendous sense of smell, so good that if the wind is blowing towards them, they could smell a human before they ever see them. Luckily for us the wind was calm and the bear had no idea we were in the area. We crouched down and softened our footsteps as we slowly moved closer to the foraging bear. The adrenaline was definitely flowing. In order to get a clean shot, Clayt had to move across the field and onto a small mound. In doing so, he would lose sight of the bear, so I stayed back to track the bear's movements and signal them to Clayt. Since I didn't have binoculars (or any other gear for that matter), I took out my camera to zoom in for a magnified view. Clayt got into position as I watched intently.

Even though I knew what was coming next, my jaw still dropped when I heard the BANG of the rifle discharging. The whole point of this trip was to hunt and kill a black bear, but I still thought to myself, "Holy crap! Clayt just shot that bear!" Clayt raised his hand and gave a thumbs-up, a sign that he hit his target cleanly. The bear dropped and laid on the ground as we approached. After about 15-20 seconds it was all over. We had gotten our bear.

It was amazing to me what a single bullet did to this 200-300 pound creature. While Clayt and I certainly appreciated the bear giving it's life to feed Clayt's family, it also made me better understand the raw power firearms posses. I have worked with many patients following gun shots, but to see what it did in real time was an eye opener.

After we made sure the bear wasn't going to come back to life and exact it's revenge by biting our faces off, we did what all good hunters do: pose for pictures!

My first ever successful hunt

Clayt Spitler: Alaskan Sharpshooter

Then came the real work, removing the hide and harvesting the meat. Since we didn't pack any of our gear with us I had to run back as Clayt began the process of separating the hide from the underlying muscle and fat. Of course, it was now getting dark, and starting to rain. Keep in mind, we are clearly in bear country, so I was yelling, clapping, and just generally sounding like a fool as I made my way back to the yurt. It was either that or chance getting mauled. I think I made the right choice. With our headlamps on and knife in hand we got to work. "Dr. Spitler" did most of the surgical cutting while I used my knowledge of human anatomy to point out where joint lines would be. This made removing the arms, legs, and paws a little easier. I realized how much of a nerd I am when statements such as "Disarticulate the wrist here." or "You should cut through the fascia there." would yield sideways looks or sarcastic comments from Clayt. Sorry Clayt, I just can't help myself sometimes.

At about 10:30 pm, in complete darkness, we lifted up our ridiculously heavy packs and began the hike back to the yurt. Since it was not a well defined trail, we took a few detours, but eventually made it back safely. We hung the meat from a tree so other bears, coyotes, or creatures of the night wouldn't steal it while we slept. The cool air also helps preserve the meat, since we wouldn't get back to town until Sunday. We spent the rest of the night celebrating our victory.

A bear. In bags. In a tree.

With the main goal of our trip accomplished, we were free to relax and do whatever we wanted for the rest of the weekend. We decided to hike up to Portlock Plateau, where spectacular views and fresh blueberries are abundant. It definitely qualified as a strenuous hike (so much for relaxing), and we were also feeling the effects of celebrating until 2:00 am the night before. It was definitely worth it though. We had panoramic views of Kachemak Bay while we picked some of the most delicious blueberries you'll ever eat. That evening we were witnesses to an unbelievably dramatic sunset over Kachemak Bay, a perfect way to close out the trip.

K-Bay at it's best

As we headed back to Homer the next morning, I just kept thinking about how much of a rush and how exciting the whole hunting process was. Even though I didn't pull the trigger, Clayt made me feel like an integral part of the team. Let's be honest though, this trip never would have happened without Clayt, so all the credit goes to him. However, this whole experience has, without a doubt, made me even more interested in learning to hunt. If we end up somewhere that it's feasible to do so, and I get proper training, I could totally see myself getting into this.

It'll be hard to top this trip though. I mean my first ever hunt is for bears in Alaska. How cool is that?

In-Law Invasion: Part II

Blogging here in Alaska has been a bit of a challenge at times. There is always so much to see, do, and experience that I almost don't want stop and sit at the computer. Fortunately, today is a lazy, rainy day that gives me the perfect excuse to document everything that's been going on. Most notably, we just hosted our second set of visitors, Mom and Pop Funk. If I tried to recite everything they did during their 3 weeks here in Alaska two things would happen:
1) I'd get a notice from Blogger saying I'm using too much of their web space.
2) Mom Funk would get heart palpitations and likely pass out after reliving their Alaskan expedition.

For the sake of my mother-in-law's health I'm going to stick to the highlights.

The Funks arrived in Anchorage and immediately went to Denali National Park. They had a great experience there, hiking, viewing wildlife, learning about dog sledding, and generally enjoying the beauty of Alaska's signature National Park. Unfortunately the weather did not allow for an unobstructed view of Mt. McKinley, but as their trip proved, there's more to Denali than just seeing the mountain.

When they were finished playing up north, Amanda and I met them in Anchorage so we could bring them to Homer.

The Funks reunited in Anchorage

The drive south was rainy (as most days were during their time in Alaska), but even in poor conditions it is always spectacular to drive alongside the Cook Inlet, Kenai River, and upper Aleutian mountain range.

Mom and Pop survive the trip to Homer

Since we can't control the weather, the only thing we guaranteed was that the Funks would be well fed. There are plenty of great restaurants here in Homer, plus Amanda and I put together a pretty solid menu. Pop, being a vegetarian, lived on a steady diet of toast for breakfast and salmon for dinner. The only time it was a problem was when he was forced to have toast for dinner at an Anchorage diner. That was a sad situation.

Between feedings we did our best to balance entertaining our guests and being productive at work. Luckily our work schedule allowed at least one of us to be be a tour guide, taxi driver, or hiking buddy. It was our mission to give Mom and Pop true insight into all Homer has to offer so they can better understand why we love this place so much.

The rain did clear out enough on the weekends to allow for two excellent adventures. First, we booked a float plane trip to Lake Clark National Park. This is the least visited National Park in the entire Park System, but is where Dick Proenneke's wilderness cabin is located. If you are unfamiliar with Dick Proenneke, I highly recommend checking out the book One Man's Wilderness or the video documentary Alone in the Wilderness (Part I & II). Hopefully his story inspires you in the same way we were. Here is a link if you'd like some more information: http://www.dickproenneke.com/.

I cannot express how incredible of an experience this trip was. It is right up there with climbing Mt. St. Helen's. It was that awesome. There is something to be said for entering an area without roads, shops, or civilization of any kind. It allows you to feel one with nature. It also gave us a better appreciation for what Dick Proenneke was able to accomplish than the movies or books ever could. There were so many great pictures and moments from that trip that I decided to summarize them in a video. If pictures are worth a thousand words, be thankful I did a video instead of writing about it all!

Our other fair weather trip was across Kachemak Bay for a hike to Glacier Lake. Even before we got to Homer, people have been telling us the Glacier Lake trail needs to be on our "to do" list. After taking a water taxi across the bay, we set out on an easy to moderate 5+ mile hike. After making your way from the beach, through the forest, and across the bush, you find yourself at the base of Grewingk Glacier, a massive sheet of ice which extends off of the Harding Icefield in the Kenai Mountains. As the glacier has receded it created a lake that it now calves into. When you arrive here, you can immediately feel the cool air blowing off the snow and ice, see the icebergs floating in the frigid water, and can climb on the rock faces previously chiseled out by the movement of the glacier.

Grewingk Glacier in all its glory

We finished up our Homer outings with a halibut fishing trip and family golf outing. The fishing wasn't great, especially considering we are in the "Halibut fishing capital of the world" but Pop and I did each come away with a delicious halibut.

Yes, we ate them for dinner

Despite a poor showing on the fishing trip, I think that was still more successful than the golf outing. While it was a ton of fun to be playing golf with glaciers in the background, we all played very, very poorly. Pop, who is an avid golfer won, but was none too pleased with his score. I would like to think that the scenic backdrop distracted us, but if you ask Mom Funk, she'll tell you that we were too busy laughing at her swings and misses to concentrate on our own shots.

Multiple distractions lead to bad scores

Our last night in Homer was a time to party as Mom Funk's birthday was approaching. She and Pop would be flying out on her actual birthday so we decided to have a little celebration of our own a couple days early. Two Sisters Bakery provided the cake, we provided the entertainment. Clearly the cake was the highlight!

Happy Birthday Mom!

After two weeks of Alaskan action, we had one last stop to make. The Alaskan State Fair was calling our names. Each year this fair is held in Palmer, AK, a city northeast of Anchorage. After driving to Anchorage (with a layover at Girdwood's luxurious Hotel Alyeska), we boarded the Alaskan Railroad headed for Palmer. We spent the day browsing the vendors, eating scrumptious fair fare, and following a bluegrass band from venue to venue. The main attraction though is the over-sized produce display. Despite a short growing season, the near constant sunlight of the summer months yields gigantic, mutant looking vegetables. For example, there was a pumpkin that weighed over 1200 pounds and a 92 pound cabbage. That's a heck of a lot of pumpkin pie and sauerkraut!

Big, BIG veggies!

With everyone successfully exhausted, we said our goodbyes and sent Mom and Pop on their way back to PA. It was once again great to have them stay with us and experience firsthand this crazy life we lead. We appreciate their love and support so much and sincerely enjoy having them be a part of this journey.

Speaking of our journey, we have officially decided we will not be spending the winter in Alaska. We definitely debated seeing what an Alaskan winter would be like, but in order to stick to our two year plan of travelling we decided we'll move on at the end of October. We don't know where we're headed, but are looking for something in the southern half of the U.S. That could mean Arizona, or it could mean Virginia. Only time will tell. As we know more we will keep you informed, but for now we are just going to enjoy the rest of our time in the last frontier. Starting with today's lazy, rainy day.