July 26, 2009

July 26, 2009

Katmai was made a National Monument in 1918 but not because of the bears. In 1912, a local volcano, Novarupta, erupted in the largest explosion of the 20th century. When National Geographic explored the area, they found an ash filled river valley with steaming fumaroles everywhere. They thought they had discovered the new Yellowstone. Unfortunately after being named a Monument by Woodrow Wilson, this “Valley of 10,000 Smokes” cooled down and the fumaroles disappeared.

Today we are taking a ranger-led tour to the “Valley of 10,000 Smokes” to see what remains. A school bus takes us the 23 miles down a dirt road and thru several streams to the Visitor Center. It is a Denali bus déjà vu. Seated behind us is a local girl out of King Salmon. Her husband owns a fishing boat in Dutch Harbor and he crab fishes in the Bering Sea ala the “Worlds Deadliest Catch”. She says it is not as bad as the cable show makes out. Then again she is sitting at home.

At the Visitor Center, we have lunch and then head out on a trail down into the Valley of 10,000 smokes. The volcano eruption completely filled this valley with microscopic sand up to 700 feet deep. A roaring river has carved a canyon into the tan-colored sand. The valley looks like it is still smoking to us. Unfortunately it turns out to be a swirling cloud of the volcanic sand. It is so fine that it gets everywhere. We can barely see. The canyon is neat but afterwards we feel like we have been sand-blasted. I can take a shower to remove the sand but I am worried about the camera and our lungs. They have taken a beating.

After dinner we return to Brooks Falls for more bear watching. It is an exciting night. First we watch a wolf cross below us. The wolf considers snatching a salmon from a bear but gets chased off. The wolf was the last of the big animals we have been waiting to see in Alaska.

Later a big “bully” gives us an incredible show. He is not very good at fishing; he doesn’t need to be. Four times during the next hour he steals a fish from his neighbor. Fur and Claws go a flying each time. They may look like lumbering giants but they are fast and carry a wicked punch. They are 1000 lbs of muscle with huge fangs and even sharper claws. Humans don’t stand a chance. Short but brutal fights must be common as several bears have huge claw scars and missing fur. The ears are a favorite part to chomp on.