Kodiak Island to the edge of the Arctic Circle

The roar off to our right was both terrifying  and unmistakeable. The Bear was only about 30 meters away but we could not see in through the dense forest.

I was trekking with Aussie Paul (aka Mick, as in Dundee, too many Pauls' you see). We were armed with a bear bell, like something you might have in a budgie cage, and a bad odour. I could not help thinking at that moment, that toilet paper and a sawn off shotgun might have been slightly more useful.

A Bearief Encounter

I knew Paul was thinking the same as me. A Bear can run at up to 35 mph (I get tired driving that fast, and that kind of speed is a distant dream for a Figaro owner). We could not outrun the Bear, all we had to do was outrun the other guy. I could see in his eyes that Paul fancied his chances, he was in front and the growl had definitely come from just behind us. What he did not know was that I had picked up a hooked branch from a tree 5 minutes earlier and already had it wrapped around his left leg. It is always sweet to get one over on the Aussies!

What you are supposed to do if you happen across a Bear is stand stil and put your hands up in the air (are we Bear fighting or going to a Rave????). If the Bear charges you should STAND YOUR GROUND as the Bear usually veers off at the last second (ooohhh those guys, always joking around). If it becomes obvious that the attack is imminent, usually as pick your right arm up off the floor, you should curl up in a ball and play dead (now that I can do). If the attack is prolonged (10seconds, 10 minutes, 10 days???), and you begin losing more limbs, the advice is to fight back "vigorously". Kinda reminds me of the Monty Python & the Holy Grail sketch. Trying to nut a 12 foot, 500lb beast to death shouting "come on chicken, it's only a scratch".

Anywhooo the bear nicked off and Aussie paul was safe. If only he knew.

We camped on Kodiak Island for 2 days and saw Bison, so close you could almost touch them and 3 Grey Whales (I know that because they were Grey, I could be the next David Attenborough) about a mile off shore. I could sympathise with the poor guys turning grey. I bathed in a Lake the day before and had to break ice to get to the water. It turned me ashen and I still have brain freeze 4 days later.

We took the Ferry back to the Mainland and stayed 3 nights in Denali National Park, where we saw Mousse, Caribou and Ptarmigan (see told you, the new D.A.).

One of the guys, Tony, had a Birthday so we spent the middle night getting badly drunk in -6 degrees, all making complete eejits of ourselves huddled around the campfire. The good news is due to the rather chilly conditions I decided to keep my trousers ON. BONUS!.

I am writing this from a Launderette in Fairbanks in the centre of Alaska. We are driving North to Prudhoe Bay this afternoon, well in the Arctic Circle at 70 degrees Latitude, and camping on an ice field tonight.

The fun never stops!.

Having a great time but missing everybody,

'Til the next time

Paul X

PS sorry no pics, forgot my camera