Day Two: Notes from Bear Camp (continued from last week)
If you live to be a hundred, I hope I live to be a hundred minus one day, so that I never have to live a day without you.
From Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
Bear Camp lies deep in British Columbia’s unspoiled wilderness. The rustic camp was originally built 1954 as a hunting & fishing camp but has evolved into a prime destination for outdoor adventure activities and wildlife-viewing. There are 8 tents spaced out along an elevated platform above the shoreline and several outbuildings including the kitchen & dining lodge, washrooms, staff cabins and the owner’s log home.
Bear Camp
The camp is situated where the Chilko River enters 50-mile long Chilko Lake. The area has a couple of other lodges founded originally as hunting camps. Grizzlies were the top trophies. The good news is grizzlies are now protected so these camps have become bear viewing and fly-fishing destinations. The camp is built on titled land of 6 First Nations. The area is protected by the vast terrain of the Tsilhqot’in (Chilcotin) First Nation People.
When we arrived in camp co-owner, Brian McCutcheon, instructed us to bring all our toiletries and any snacks we might have in our bags to the main lodge. We were each given a cubby for these items. The reason for this precaution was because grizzlies have a keen sense of smell. In fact, bears are thought to have the best sense of smell of any animal on earth. A bloodhound’s sense of smell is 300 times better than a human. A bear’s is seven times a bloodhound’s or 2,100 times better than a human! Bears are curious by nature and interesting smells attract their attention. Plus, the local bears are hungry since the salmon haven’t arrived yet. We dutifully retreated to our tents to collect our potentially interesting smelly products. Hmmm, that leaves only interesting smelling humans in the tents, I thought to myself.
The first night Brian regaled us with stories about bear encounters and what to do if we met a grizzly on the path: 1. Stay still, don’t scream or run. 2. Look, listen and feel. The feel is to check to see if you’ve pooped your pants! I doubt I’d need that step to know the answer. He was very chill about it all. I noticed my own anxiety rise a level imagining encountering a grizzly in camp.
Brian McCutcheon - epic storyteller, boatman and guide
Everyone was up early for our first day of bear watching. We’re a compatible group, there’s much laughter and lots of photography stories. Our leaders, Michelle Valberg and Tamara Lackey, are Nikon ambassadors and internationally renowned photographers. In our group of 12, everyone is carrying a Nikon except me (Fuji)and another woman (Cannon). I confess some envy for the Nikon gear, especially the mighty 800mm prime lens (sigh).
The mighty telephoto lenses
We were eager to get on the water and start the day. Unlike early predawn safari game drives in Kenya, we enjoyed a hearty breakfast before we left at 9:00 am. The late departure respects sows that might be nursing cubs in the early morning. The camp has three jet boats and a large “lake boat” for touring the lake plus a metal skiff known as the “drift boat” that Brian rows expertly through the rapids of the Chilko river. I stuffed my two Fuji cameras with telephoto lenses plus my iPhone 15 Pro Max into my waterproof backpack and headed for the dock. I was assigned a boat with Dawson, one of our guides, and joined Mike and Penny from Montana.
Bearwatch (Photo credit Tamara Lackey)
Dawson followed the current down river, navigating around shoals and rocks below the surface of crystal-clear water. Merganser ducks scooted out of our way. When the river widened into a small lake Dawson whispered the magic words: “There’s a bear!”
A huge boar (male grizzly) stepped out from the grassy shoreline. He lifted his head sniffing the air. I was both mesmerized and simultaneously in full photo mode. It’s hard to put into words how it feels to be in the presence of such an iconic animal. There’s the paradox of power and strength with all the familiarity of the teddy bears I grew up with – and SUPERSIZED! Those ears, that nose, those shoulders, that head, that long powerful BODY!!! Dawson turned off the motor and we drifted closer. No doubt about it, the bear knew we were there. He slipped into the water, raised his head as if to say hello, then proceeded about his business of looking for fish. We followed along at a respectful distance.
(to be continued)
