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Flightseeing Trip to Katmai Nat’l Park

The bear viewing platform

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This trip was planned from the beginning. At least the intent was. How we were going to accomplish it was somewhat in question. We arrived in Homer, Alaska on Tuesday, June 10. We wanted to take the Katmai flightseeing trip on Thursday because the weather looked better than Wednesday, so we immediately contacted Bald Mountain Air, whom we had previously talked to but not booked with, and signed up. The fly in that ointment was, we were the only ones signed up for Thursday and they need a minimum of four.

So we got on the list and waited. Wednesday turned out to be such bad weather that the folks who went didn’t see any bears, had a miserable trip and were offered a “free” trip the next day—Thursday.

We got the call at 6 PM on Wednesday: We were on the Thursday flight. So at 8 AM we reported for duty and Tony, our pilot and guide, briefed us and issued our stylish hip waders. Tony elected to take us to Hallo Bay, different from the disastrous flight the day before where there were no bears. Because there are no docks at Hallo Bay, it’s a beach landing and waders are necessary in order to disembark from the aircraft. So we all clomped on board with many layers of clothing, bags of cameras, lunch, snacks, water bottles and high expectations. It was a perfect weather day as we had predicted.

Our landing spot is the little strip of water above

After a 1-1/2 hour flight to Hallo Bay, we landed on a tiny strip of water already inhabited by several other float planes, waded ashore and after securing the plane so that we could get back, hiked off into the field.

After about a mile walk we saw two bears, a mama and a yearling cub, we think, dozing in a pond. We watched them for a while, ate our lunch and then moved on a mile or so further into the field.

Suddenly there were bears everywhere we looked!

Right: A map showing Homer and the flight path to Hallo Bay in Katmai National Park and Preserve, about 120 miles.

The airplane is a 50+ year old DeHavilland Otter retrofitted with a 1000 hp turboprop engine. These and their little brothers, the Beavers, are the workhorses of the Alaska bush. They hold up to 12 passengers and crew and all seats have headphones. This aircraft has a center aisle and single seats down each side so it’s relatively spacious. Once seated you are pretty much immobilized with your seat belt, camera gear, binoculars, jackets, hats, hip waders and headphone cords, however.

Wading ashore and pulling the plane into the beach

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