Midnight Sun Excursions

07/02/2024

Whahoo! ✨

08/17/2023

Beautiful BC ✨

08/13/2023

Rainbow on the pass ✨

08/10/2023

Bove Island, Yukon Territory ✨

08/09/2023

From the Yukon to BC ✨

08/04/2023

08/02/2023

Emerald Lake was glass today ✨

07/30/2023

We are able to see a Moose cow and two calves. ✨

07/27/2023

In case you were thinking about petting a bear when you come visit the Tongass, here's a handy guide.

Please don't pet the bears.

07/26/2023

Still can't believe we have to say this...

When you visit the forest, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO HUG, FEED OR PET THE BEARS!

We realize how friendly and fluffy it looks. It is also 300 lbs., over 5x stronger than the average human, has up to an 800 psi bite force & can run 30 mph.

07/24/2023

This is heartbreaking and the same thing happens on the Klondike Highway. Slow your Roll!

Speeding Kills Bear

We get this call a lot. Too much, to be honest. “Bear hit by vehicle, dead on the side of the road.” Sadly, it’s become routine. I log the coordinates into my phone, gather the equipment I may need, and head to the location. This call came in cold; it sounds like the collision happened sometime around noon and it’s 4 pm now. The location is an hour’s drive away, so by the time I get there it’s well after 5 pm. I pull off on the shoulder, lug a large backpack of equipment over my back, and head off down the road. My job here is easy, really: find the bear, move its body far away from the road to prevent any other animals from getting hit while scavenging on it, fill out a report, and collect samples and measurements for research. Then I’m off on my way again with another number to add to the total of bears hit by vehicles this year—data we hope will help prevent future collisions. Pretty callous. However, the reality behind each of these numbers is not.

Per the coordinates I was given, I’m still a few hundred yards off, so I continue down the road scanning it for blood as cars whiz by. I try to remember how many times I’ve done this now and, truthfully, I don’t know. This is not what any of us signs up for, but it’s a part of the job nonetheless. Then something catches my eye. It’s small and artificial, and laying in the middle of the road. As I walk closer, I see that it’s a broken shapeless car part, likely from an undercarriage. More cars whiz past. I turn my gaze from the car part down the embankment on the side of the road and there it is.

A cub. Its tiny light brown body laying just feet from me and the road, nearly invisible to every passerby. It’s a new cub—couldn’t be much more than six months old, now balled up and lifeless under a small pine tree. For a moment I lose track of time as I stand there staring at its tiny body, but then the sound of more cars whizzing by reminds me of my place and my role. I let out a deep sigh and continue on with my task.

I pick up the cub—it couldn’t be much more than 25 pounds—and begin carrying it off into the woods. I have no certain destination; I’m just walking until I can no longer hear the hiss of the road behind me. I see a grassy spot surrounded by a semi-ring of down logs and gravitate towards it. The least I can do is find it a nice place to be laid. I lay it down in the grass protected by one of the nearby logs and sit back on the log opposite of it, slightly relieved that it looks far more in place now than when I found it earlier. I take another moment and then continue with my work.

I slide off my backpack, remove a binder, and start the assessment. It’s a female. This immediately triggers thoughts of the life this bear may have lived—perhaps she would have had cubs of her own—but before I finish that thought I hear a stick break and look up. Just beyond the ring, there’s a familiar figure intently staring back at me. It’s another bear. Surprised, I stand up quickly and the bear runs off into the brush but stops not far off and looks back at me. Acting on instinct, I pick up a stick and smash it over a tree to scare the bear further away. I stand there quietly, listening as I hear the bear’s footsteps tapper away.

A few silent minutes pass, and I settle back into my task. Timely coincidence, I think at first. It could be a bear coming to scavenge or this could be a common crossing area for whatever reason—we did have another bear hit and killed not far from here last week. But then I hear it, and it changes my mind completely. From behind me there’s a deep toned but soft sounding grunt. I immediately know what it is. It’s a vocalization, the kind sows (female bears) make to call to their cubs. I turn and look in its direction and there she is, the same bear from before intently staring back at me. It’s no coincidence. I can feel the callousness drain from my body. This bear is the mom, and she never left her cub.

My heart sinks. It’s been nearly six hours and she still hasn’t given up on her cub. I can just imagine how many times she darted back and forth on that road in attempts to wake it. It's extremely lucky that she wasn't hit as well. The calls to the cub continue, sounding more pained each time. I glance back finding myself hoping it would respond to her call too, but of course, nothing. Now here I am, standing between a grieving mother and her child. I feel like a monster.

I get up, quickly pack my bag, and get out of there. It is time to go even though my task is not done. Quickly, I set up a remote camera. Why? Every year we report the number of bears that get hit by vehicles, but numbers don’t always paint a picture. I want people to see what I saw: the sad reality behind each of these numbers.

So please, remember this. Remember that when traveling through Yosemite, we are all just visitors in the home of countless animals and it is up to us to follow the rules that protect them. Go the speed limit, drive alertly, and look out for wildlife. Protecting Yosemite’s black bears is something we can all do.

Learn more at http://keepbearswild.org/vehicle-bear-collisions/.

07/21/2023

Oh so happy in Tormented Valley! ✨

07/20/2023

Tutshi Lake was stunning today! ✨

07/19/2023

The glaciers are glowing in Tormented Valley! ✨

07/19/2023

It’s berry season! 🫐

07/15/2023

Another stunning day at Bove Island in the Yukon. The Fireweed is abundant and all aglow! ✨

05/31/2023

This Porcupine was huge and hesitant today with his quills on guard!

05/31/2023

This was a hungry hungry cinnamon bear! 🐻

05/30/2023

Haven’t been great at posting but felt inspired today. It was snowing at the summit but look at these blue skies in the Yukon!

05/11/2023

4 Moose!
3 Bears!
2 Willow Ptarmigan
1 Spruce Grouse -Listen to the video!
1 Bald Eagle
And many Mountain Goats!

Today was one for the books and i didn’t get a single great photo! Not even one of my wonderful group from Ohio! Hopefully they will post some photos. 😉

05/10/2023

This healthy Cinnamon Bear woke up hungry!

05/09/2023

Emerald Lake is thawing!!! What a beautiful day this Ohio family enjoyed. No bear this trip but we did spot a Lynx! 😸

05/06/2023

Was lucky to spend the day with this wonderful group from Texas today! The Yukon is a beautiful part of Canada with stunning scenery and rich cultural heritage. It's always a pleasure to meet new people and share experiences with them, especially when exploring such a unique and fascinating location!

05/06/2023

Happy Flower Full Moon. Found these Crocus beauties blooming in the Yukon today!

05/06/2023

Yukon Bears Emerge!

12/14/2022

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=534018132099119&id=100064728097218&mibextid=qC1gEa

Calling all sled dog lovers! Consider sponsoring a TLK Dog this holiday season and make a big impact! Gifts of $300 & $100 go a very long way!

♥️ How your support helps:

- supporting races, travel, accommodation and fees
- food, supplements and supplies
- veterinary, supplements, massages & more!

Browse our amazing dogs and let us know who you want to sponsor! https://tagishlakekennel.com/sponsor-a-tlk-dog/

08/08/2022

These Canadians were so happy to visit the Yukon today! So was Ella. 😊

07/30/2022

Fred the bear. Victoria Harrison

07/28/2022

Ella is a great photo bomber!

07/28/2022

Tutshi Sled dog camp training run with these amazing canine athletes!