River Day

For those that want an adventure that goes a little more off the beaten path… to Trapper Rick’s!

Our optional extra day is truly extra-ordinary, please take a look below.

Visiting Trapper Rick’s 5 of 5

river fishing

Once the grizzly bear watching is complete and picnic lunch has been eaten most guests cannot resist fishing. Even guests that have no interest in fishing cannot resist a few casts with a spinning rod when they see all the salmon in the water. Some days it is like the “fish pond” at school fairs, if you can get your line in the water you will catch something.

 

 

 

Visiting Trapper Rick’s 3 of 5

Trapper's grizzly

With the small camera I use (Pentax Optio Wpi 6MP and 3X Optical Zoom) it is possible to get photos of grizzlies eating salmon across the river. It is an interesting sensation watching a grizzly when the river is not that deep and the bear could cross without much effort. And even though Rick known the grizzlies and has spent twenty years on the river he is still armed and prepared.

Visiting Trapper Rick’s 2 of 5

salmon jumping falls

… salmon jumping the falls. Moving out of the shade, if there are no grizzly bears fishing in the river, one can go to the water edge and with patience get a photo of salmon jumping the falls. There is a fish ladder, which bypasses the falls, but many salmon prefer the traditional route.

 

 

 

Visiting Trapper Rick’s 1 of 5

Trapper Rick's watching grizzly bears

A day tour to Trapper Rick’s occurs when you book the extra day at the lodge. We cross Knight Inlet pass through Thompson Sound to the Kakweikan River and Trapper Rick’s cabin. The river is located on the BC mainland and we travel by road, cross a river by boat and a short level hike to Rick’s cabin. Once at the cabin we walk 200 meters (yards) down river to sit and observe….

Bald Eagle Catching Bottom Fish

 

Another great photo by Glen bald eagle fishingone of Grizzly Bear Lodge’s guides. And how do I know that the eagle is picking up a bottom fish because I can see it in the water just in front of the eagle’s talons. Bottom fish have an “orange” colour so this is one that was left behind by a sports fisher and floated to the surface.

Dolphins come to Play

dolphins plating

I have tried over the years to parallel a pod of dolphins but they have their own idea of fun. Their plan is to either ride our bow wave of stick their nose right into the prop wash of the motor. The blackness in the water to the right of the dorsal fin is a third dolphin coming in for a check on our prop. I have developed my own idea (no scientific proof) why dolphins like the prop wash and it is the same reason why people like the water jets in a hot tub – they feel good.

Trapper Rick’s Remains

Trapper's scenery

Actually the remains of a black bear killed by a grizzly bear near Trapper Rick’s. The extra day booked at the lodge involves a trip to Rick’s and a day on the river looking for grizzlies, possibly river fishing and many stories from Rick including how he came by this black bear skeleton.

Black Bear Gathering Mussels

black bear scrape mussels

The black on the rocks beneath the bladderwrack seaweed is mussels. The black bears come to the shore at low tides and scrape the mussels from the rocks as a source of protein. You will notice the white patches of rock around the bear that have already been scraped clean. This bear is promoting the “grass is always greener” philosophy of getting mussels.

Twofer

bald eagles on a grizzly river

Although bald eagle mate for life that does not mean they sit in the same tree together. While along the shore they are in hunting mode and in separate tree they cover a much larger area. A two for one eagle photo is not that common and the only thing that you can be sure about is that these two are a mating pair as eagle are very territorial.