Bear catching salmon

Gary, you are right about that being a coveted ticket. ; They began taking reservations for the 2012 season in January 2011. ; That's right, 18 months out. ; We made our reservations on January 3, the first day they took them after the holiday. The salmon run is basically the month of July with some overlap either way depending on the year. ; A two night Air/Lodging package is $1298 for two people. ; The most expensive nights lodging I have ever spent. ; We stayed in a small but comfortable cabin with bunk beds, a sink and shower. ; They also do day trips where you fly in in the morning and fly out in the afternoon. ; We flew in on a float plane but our landing had to be diverted due to high winds and waves on the lake next to the lodge. ; We landed on a smaller nearby lake and were trucked in by jeep to as close as they could get and then hiked the rest of the way in. ; We talked to some people a few days later after we had left Brooks Lodge whose day trip flight was cancelled due to weather. ; Quite disappointing for them since their schedule only allowed them to visit on that day. ; They had booked their trip a long way out too.

 

The interior of our $600 a night lodging. ; The shower is behind the curtain. ; Laundry hanging on the curtain wire.

 

The interior of our $600 a night lodging.

 

The interior of our $600 a night lodging.

 

The interior of the lodge with a really nice fire place. ; The dining hall buffet line can be seen in the background.

 

This is the bridge that one has to cross to get to the falls and the platform for bear viewing. ; It is about a mile and a half hike from the lodge to the bear viewing platform at the falls. ; The park rangers patrol this spot very well. ; If there is a bear near the bridge (called a "bear jam"), all traffic halts until the bear moves on. ; If the bear decides to take a nap at the end of the bridge, traffic could be held up for some time. ; This means you don't get to the platform or the reverse, you don't get to your flight out.

 

Gary, There is a camping option. ; $12 per night per camper. ; My wife refused to be in a tent with bears around. ; There are sporting goods stores in Anchorage that rent camping equipment for staying at Brooks campground. ; The campground is limited to 60 persons and books up fast for the peak bear watching season. ; The hike to the falls from the campground is a couple miles farther than from the lodge and you still have to cross the bridge.