...but first...my peep and I planned to eat breakfast at Le Barn Appetit...at 7:00AM!!...well...we of course got there a little early—we’re so eager!!...all was dark—obviously NOT anywhere near ready for business!! The proprietors arrived about 15 minutes later...and by that time, we had decided it would just be TOO long of a wait (which it usually IS a LONG breakfast adventure there because of all of Yvon’s great stories...and custom-making everyone’s crepes along the way!!)...coffee wouldn’t be ready...would the crepe batter even be made??...we were willing to spend an hour+ there...but their delay (European time—Yvon is Belgian...or AK time??) was burning our daylight!!
So...we just headed BACK into town to a favorite—The Seabean Cafe...hand-made kombucha and Nutella croissant starter before the breakfast entree!!
A little time now to stroll along the waterfront park before rendezvousing with the sister.
Made it!!...Exit Glacier-Kenai Fjords National Park...ready or not for the Harding Ice field Hike!!
8.2 miles round trip...with a gain of 1000’ elevation with each mile up!! DIFFICULT hike—thank heavens for hiking poles!! SHEESH!! Even though there were MASSES of people hiking the trail...believe it or not...they were very welcomed because we figured the MORE people on the trail, hopefully, the LESS bear trouble we might have!! This is BEAR country!!...where I personally had MY bear encounter years ago!!
BTW Tidbit # 1: Good thing we made this hike when we did...the trail was temporarily CLOSED two days later...because of activity of a mama black bear and her cubs!!...more on that to follow....
Beautiful scenery...difficult—YES!!...even a mama goat and baby at the top....
We had to cross WAY too many patches of SNOW for my liking!!
BTW Tidbit # 2: Watermelon Snow!!
...the bear story continues...now...this is MY recounting of the story...I’m SURE my sister and peep will have different versions!!
Literally a few minutes from the end of the trail...my sister had stopped and was resting against a tree...waiting for us to catch up. When we were in sight of her, we heard a loud HARUMPH and a tree crack/fall and my sister let out a screech!!
My FIRST thought was that she tripped and hurt herself...although she was standing up...and that a cracked tree limb must have just fallen....all at the same time...but...
Then she screamed...a bear!!...WE of course STOPPED in our tracks...because we were not at all interested in going any further...even IF we had to pass the bear in order to get OFF the trail!!
My sister said...GET YOUR BEAR SPRAY!!...which of course we DID...but STILL...we were NOT going to continue down the trail!!...well, after about 20 seconds...we reconsidered and realized it would be BETTER for us ALL...IF we were together as a tight collectively looking LARGE ANIMAL!!...and all three of us with bear spray!!
The bear was a mama...with 2 cubs—DANGER Will Robinson!!
We conjecture now that...other hikers had recently startled the mama...who had gone up a tree alongside the trail. Then...along treks my sister...who just coincidentally...stops to lean against another tree...TOO near to the tree’d mama bear.
Mama bear was NO WAY allowing this humanoid to be SO CLOSE to her babies who were on the ground under her tree...hiding in the brush!!
So...she shimmied down the tree landing with a big HARUMPH to scare the predator—my sister—which she DID!!...and the tree branches broke in all of that commotion!! The mama bear crouched there in the woods beside the trail—about 20 feet away from my sister...all the while...giving her the evil, you’re in trouble NOW “mama’s” eye!!...we ALL know what that’s about!!
My sister had slowly backed up...and my peep and I had slowly walked up to join her...just as the mama bear scooted up another tree...along with her babies!!
YIKES!!...GIRLS let’s get the heck out of Dodge!!
We of course walked very slowly down the trail, making a lot of noise...and my sister pulled up the rear...walking backwards to make sure the mama/babies stayed UP in the tree!! HURRAH SISTER!!
PHEW!!...I’m surprised my sister still has red hair...and NOT GREY!!...we got back to the parking lot as soon as we could...and skedaddled....
My sister later reported the bear incident...and after several other encounters by other hikers...the trail was temporarily closed!! WOWZER...what a DAY!!
8.2 miles round trip...with a gain of 1000’ elevation with each mile up!! DIFFICULT hike—thank heavens for hiking poles!! SHEESH!! Even though there were MASSES of people hiking the trail...believe it or not...they were very welcomed because we figured the MORE people on the trail, hopefully, the LESS bear trouble we might have!! This is BEAR country!!...where I personally had MY bear encounter years ago!!
BTW Tidbit # 1: Good thing we made this hike when we did...the trail was temporarily CLOSED two days later...because of activity of a mama black bear and her cubs!!...more on that to follow....
Beautiful scenery...difficult—YES!!...even a mama goat and baby at the top....
We had to cross WAY too many patches of SNOW for my liking!!
BTW Tidbit # 2: Watermelon Snow!!
...the bear story continues...now...this is MY recounting of the story...I’m SURE my sister and peep will have different versions!!
Literally a few minutes from the end of the trail...my sister had stopped and was resting against a tree...waiting for us to catch up. When we were in sight of her, we heard a loud HARUMPH and a tree crack/fall and my sister let out a screech!!
My FIRST thought was that she tripped and hurt herself...although she was standing up...and that a cracked tree limb must have just fallen....all at the same time...but...
Then she screamed...a bear!!...WE of course STOPPED in our tracks...because we were not at all interested in going any further...even IF we had to pass the bear in order to get OFF the trail!!
My sister said...GET YOUR BEAR SPRAY!!...which of course we DID...but STILL...we were NOT going to continue down the trail!!...well, after about 20 seconds...we reconsidered and realized it would be BETTER for us ALL...IF we were together as a tight collectively looking LARGE ANIMAL!!...and all three of us with bear spray!!
The bear was a mama...with 2 cubs—DANGER Will Robinson!!
We conjecture now that...other hikers had recently startled the mama...who had gone up a tree alongside the trail. Then...along treks my sister...who just coincidentally...stops to lean against another tree...TOO near to the tree’d mama bear.
Mama bear was NO WAY allowing this humanoid to be SO CLOSE to her babies who were on the ground under her tree...hiding in the brush!!
So...she shimmied down the tree landing with a big HARUMPH to scare the predator—my sister—which she DID!!...and the tree branches broke in all of that commotion!! The mama bear crouched there in the woods beside the trail—about 20 feet away from my sister...all the while...giving her the evil, you’re in trouble NOW “mama’s” eye!!...we ALL know what that’s about!!
My sister had slowly backed up...and my peep and I had slowly walked up to join her...just as the mama bear scooted up another tree...along with her babies!!
YIKES!!...GIRLS let’s get the heck out of Dodge!!
We of course walked very slowly down the trail, making a lot of noise...and my sister pulled up the rear...walking backwards to make sure the mama/babies stayed UP in the tree!! HURRAH SISTER!!
PHEW!!...I’m surprised my sister still has red hair...and NOT GREY!!...we got back to the parking lot as soon as we could...and skedaddled....
My sister later reported the bear incident...and after several other encounters by other hikers...the trail was temporarily closed!! WOWZER...what a DAY!!
BTW Tidbit # 3: I had been seeing these SUPER COOL (must be anti-zombie mobiles!!) here and there ...we NEED to have one!!...what the heck are they??...all of the license plates were Canadian...and the brand is IVECO!! Bring it ON BABY!!
POOPED...was the optimal word of the evening!!...headed DIRECTLY to EAT and DRINK at the Salmon Bake Restaurant!!...YUM!!
POOPED...was the optimal word of the evening!!...headed DIRECTLY to EAT and DRINK at the Salmon Bake Restaurant!!...YUM!!
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