More beauty from Alaska

[Grumpy Old Guy]

Nugget Falls



A coastal brown bear near Sitka



Glacier Bay



Glacier Bay

[Walleye]

1. Wow that glacier shot is outstanding. And the brown bear !

I used to work summers on a fish boat gillnetting salmon in Bristol Bay. We would see those brown bears when we were anchored up in the river at night cleaning up the salmon that fell out of our nets. They are huge. I was glad I was in the middle of the river or not onshore

[Grumpy Old Guy]

2. I'll bet you were glad to be anchored up offshore.

Those bears are fearsome. There were two of them on the shore near a fish hatchery. We were bouncing around about fifty yards offshore in a rainstorm, which explains why the image quality isn't great in this photo.

Working summers on a fishing boat in Bristol Bay sounds pretty good to me. I'm jealous!

[Walleye]

3. My boyfriend's father had one of the coveted permits from when he started in the 50s

And I went along as a deckhand. Actually called a puller on a fish boat. Hardest work I’ve ever done. It’s dangerous too, my hands still hurt, but I was a lot younger. One of those bears got into the camp with the bunkhouses one night and about a dozen dogs were howling and barking their asses off. Thanks for the memories

[ShazzieB]

4. Is a puller someone who pulls in the nets full of fish?

If so, I can hardly imagine what hard work that was!

Sounds like those dogs gave that brown bear quite a welcome when he or she got into the camp. I hope all that howling and barking made Mr. or Ms. Bear think better of coming in there and beat a hasty retreat!

[Walleye]

5. Yes pulling in the net. And picking the fish out

Difficult than it sounds. They weigh 5 to 10 pounds some of them are still flopping around and they are caught by the gills in a 3 1/4 inch mesh. Catch them by the hundreds on a good day. The net was 150 fathoms as long and 12 feet deep.Cork line on the top and lead line holding it down on the bottom.Sockeye salmon, bright red meat. Delicious. Funny the things you remember. Have a healed up cracked rib from a fall into the hold.

[mike_c]

6. I especially like the third image

That's got to be a retreating glacier.

[Grumpy Old Guy]

7. Thank you!

I like that one too.

I'm pretty sure that all these glaciers are retreating.

I shot this early in the morning before the cloud cover burned off. I love the moodiness of it.