“What have been the five best days of your life?” That is one of my favorite questions to ask people. It is a great question to ask your elders. It’s a great question to ask the new people in your life. It’s also a great question to ask yourself when you are writing next years bucket list, so you can include the experience you haven’t lived yet. I recently experienced one of the most exhilarating days I’ll ever have, and as it usually happens in life, I couldn’t have planned it if I had wanted to.
As a new correspondent for Bikernet.com, it feels odd to begin this story, which has nothing whatsoever to do with motorcycles. I just happen to be a middle-aged biker woman that goes out into the world seeking whatever kind of adventure that comes my way. More often than not, it is on a motorcycle. This particular time, it’s about a biker chick, and a Grizzly Bear encounter of the close kind.
I just returned home from my month long summer and Sturgis travels. Which even though is technically a vacation, the trip itself takes a lot out of me. Just before my leaving for my travels, my life long best friend and motorcycle companion, Edith Speed, committed suicide. This is the woman who taught me to ride over 20 years ago, and we shared an incredible life long bond of travel and adventure. Her choice to end her life this way deeply saddened and confused me. Also, upon returning from my travels, I lost another faithful friend and constant companion. My 13-year-old white Siberian husky “Ute,” who lived a full and happy life, died of old age. But that doesn’t make missing him any easier.
So, when an opportunity presented itself for me to steal away to Kodiak Alaska to experience pure solitude on a 60ft. fishing yacht, I knew it was something my heart needed. September, late in the season, afforded brisk, cloudy days, but it would mirror the haze I felt on the inside. All I wanted was to feel unsullied crisp air, open seas, unbelievably fresh seafood, and time to allow the sadness to pass.
The weather was more than crisp. It was wet, stormy, and steel gray. Within ten minutes of leaving Kodiak, we were in 12-foot swells, eliminating anyone subject to seasickness. Lucky for me, that motion of the ocean put me to sleep. We passed a few of those “Deadliest Catch” fishing vessels, and I knew I was no longer Kansas. I was the only woman on my plane from Anchorage to Kodiak, and the only woman down around the docks, not that I’m complaining! Suddenly, I was with the fearless Captain Tom, as our little boat bounced across the sea. Spouting whales dotted the horizon. Jimmy Buffet sang “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” and Captain Tom asked what kind of seafood I liked to eat for dinner. I answered crab, although my stomach wasn’t feeling capable of keeping anything down.
“We'll drop crap pots on the trip out,” he said. “Hopefully we'll have dinner on the way back.” Then he asked me what I’d most like to see on the journey.
I said, “Grizzly Bears, Grizzly Bears, or hopefully some Grizzly Bears. I need something to scare the livin' shit outta me.”
I grew up with an outdoor-loving Minnesota family watching “Gentle Ben,” “Grizzly Adams,” and anything about wildlife. In 2005, when the documentary film “Grizzly Man” came out, every member of my family watched it. Then we watched it again. Then I bought it, and we watched it several more times. And while I understand fully the attitude held by many that Timothy Treadwell was not altogether sane, I can say without hesitation that I fall on the side of sharing Timothy’s insanity instead of faulting it. And if you’ve never seen or heard of Timothy Treadwell or the documentary “Grizzly Man,” it is a tragic piece of history and cinema. It's both visually and emotionally compelling. Above all, I am drawn to anything that inspires me to think, to feel, to dream, and to love. Timothy Treadwell had a passion for life that even in his death leaves me in awe. There is purity in his child like insanity.
The documentary was made from over 100 hours that Timothy Treadwell shot of himself living among the Grizzly Bears over 13 consecutive summers. His best friend became a fox he named “Spirit.” He was there to study the bears, and wanted to protect the endangered animals from poachers. He shared his photos and films with school children across the country, and made several TV appearances.
In one appearance on David Letterman, David asked, “We’re not going to see that bear eat you one day, are we?”
Timothy immediately answered, “No.” But he knew the incredible risks involved in what he was doing, and he talked about it often. He recorded himself saying over and over that he would die for these animals. But he also said he doesn’t want to be eaten by a bear. He often told his family and friends that if he did not come back, it was what he would have wanted.
In the end, Timothy Treadwell is horrifically killed and partially eaten by a bear. And even more sadly, over the last two summers that Timothy lived among the bears, he brought along his girlfriend Amie Huguenard. And although Timothy had successfully lived over 35,000 hours with these noble creatures, that history had a cruel end. This was the first incident of a person being killed by a bear in the 85 years of history in Katmai National Park. It is speculated that Timothy and his girlfriend were attacked while they were asleep in their tent. Although the lens cap was covering his video camera, the camera was on and recording sound. As a result, there is audio of Timothy being killed, and screaming for Amie to run for her life. She instead stays and fights for his life, and ultimately ends up losing her own.
So, as I rode shotgun on the Nordic Mistress in the co-pilot's chair, I told Captain Tom of my fascination with the “Grizzly Man,” and his 13 years of living out there with the Grizzly Bears. He told me that he thought Timothy Treadwell was insane, and that he got what he deserved. Many native Alaskans share this point of view. Captain Tom said he would never walk in those areas. If he did, he’d carry a shotgun. The only way to view Grizzly Bears should be from a boat. But he offered to take me to the area where Timothy lived and was killed, and hoped maybe we would see a bear or two along the shore.
It was a long way out, and we didn't see another sign of life for days. As we entered the bay where Timothy lived, we could see something move on a small rock island. Captain Tom handed me the binoculars and asked me to investigate. As we motored closer in the freezing waters, we could see it was two guys fishing, with their kayaks near by. He told me to let him investigate, because you never know what sort of demented individual might paddle in the middle of nowhere. He offered them some bottles of beer, which they gladly accepted, and then gave them several bottles of wine. Then he loaded them up with meat, as they said they ate only seafood for several months.
Just then, a small familiar plane flew over. It look like Timothy's transport aircraft, to this place every summer.
“Is that guy dropping you food and supplies?” I asked.
“Yes,” they answered.
Then I asked if they had seen any bears. To which they replied with huge grins, “uh…yes.” They continued to explain who they were and what the hell they were doing in the wilderness alone.
David Bittner was a Swiss biologist, who in a way, picked up where the Grizzly Man left off. A scientist, with much more education and knowledge than Timothy Treadwell had, David shared the same passion. David lived with the bears in Katmai National Park for the past three summers. Richard Terry was a documentary filmmaker, who had previously shot “A Stranger Among Bears,” for the Animal Planet, and was now filming David’s mission for an upcoming documentary for a British production company, Firecracker Films. The two were at the end of their 3-month stay, and hadn’t seen human beings for a while.
My enthusiasm for what they were doing was hard to contain. When David took a long silence, then looked at me, and asked, “Would you like me to take you to see the bears?”
I think it took me about two minutes to get dressed and jump into his kayak. Captain Tom didn’t have any interest in joining, and highly suggested that I not go, and if I did to carry a shotgun.
We kayaked to shore and they showed me the humble tents and campground they called home, which was surrounded by a string wire connected to hot electric current. The wire looked unable to detour a bunny rabbit, but perhaps it would have saved the lives of Amie and Timothy.
Just a couple of minutes passed before David said, “We have visitors!”
We watched as two adolescent bears made their way to our camp. David explained that he knew this pair, and they were very curious. They sniffed around the kayaks. Relunctly David stopped them from using kayak ores as chew toys. As we hiked with the buoyant kayaks to the other side of the island, and the young bears walked ahead of us.
Bear cubs stick with their mother up until about the age of two. Then when they separate, the cubs stay together for at least another year, before becoming loners. These two bears were probably around 3 years old, and in healthy condition. A sick, old, or hungry bear is more dangerous than one who is readily capable of finding food. As the bears approached us, David told me to be quiet and calm, and stay facing them. I of course, did whatever they told me, with the exception of a constant whispering of, “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!” Not in fear, but in sheer exhilaration!
David said, “You are doing great, you don’t seem to be afraid at all.” I wasn’t feeling fear. I was feeling ALIVE! I completely trusted these two men. But then, I suppose that Amie trusted Timothy Treadwell. I probably would have trusted Timothy Treadwell too.
We hopped back in the kayaks and paddled easily across a smooth lake to the mouth of a clear stream where the bears came to fish for salmon. The two curious cubs were not far behind us, swimming to the same place. At least a dozen other bears came and went as we walked along the edge of the water. One mother and her young cubs seemed nervous about some of the male bears making their way toward us, and she stayed close to us to keep her babies on the far side of those larger bears.
As she came closer, we could see that she had been injured in a fight, which left a deep scar over her eye. David speculated that this added to her timid behavior.
As I walked out onto rocks in the middle of the stream, she came over to take a sniff. She walked so close to me I could have reached out to touch her nose, as she investigated the strange biker broad standing in her stream. I became very aware of the obvious lop-sided weight of the situation. If she wanted me instead of salmon for lunch, there was nothing preventing her. I didn’t know it then, but legally we were required to maintain at least 50 feet from Grizzly Bears. We were closer than 50 inches, as they were busily looking for salmon, and only took slight notice of us as they continued to hunt. It was apparent to me that these enormous creatures could eat just about anything they desired. Luckily, they seem to prefer fish! For as fierce as they are known to be, they do move gently thru their environment.
Being late in the season, the salmon were no longer running. So these gentle giants left no stone unturned. They methodically walked through the stream turning over every loose rock, in hopes that a salmon had been caught underneath. They were able to find a fair amount of food that way. As the mother closest to us turned over each rock, her cubs waited with anticipation for her to pull up one fish, and then all three of them wrestled for it. Every single movement was captivating, to the point of not wanting to blink! We sat on the edge of the stream surrounded by Grizzly Bears, and talked and watched until daylight ran out. The entire time I snapped photos excitedly. I thought I would pee my pants. I didn’t want the day to end.
We kayaked back to the yacht where Captain Tom made us all a huge Halibut dinner. Our new friends didn’t mind eating and drinking on the yacht well into the night. They told us many funny bear stories and kept us laughing long after we sailed away. I still can’t quite believe how cool the whole experience was! I thank Captain Tom for bringing me to that place, and David and Richard for inviting me to share the most awesome day of adventures. It was a moment in time I will never forget!
The adrenaline from the day was hard to purge from my system! It was hard to relax. A huge storm moved in, so we faced even rougher seas ahead. Empty crab pots bounced on the slippery deck. The wench sprocket lacked teeth, so Captain Tom yanked the huge cages on board by hand. He actually sounded like a Grizzly Bear himself out in the wind and rain, growling at the ocean that seemed to be fighting back. My job was to keep the nose of the boat headed into the swells, so I was too busy and nervous to be sick! I couldn’t even take photos during the gail. Just staying upright and on course was job enough. Everything not anchored down flew to the slippery wet decks. The items carefully sequestered in locked cabinets shot out when anyone inadvertently opened a door, especially the full refrigerator!
It’s a severe environment at sea, and watching Captain Tom navigating thru those waters was intense. It's a extremely powerful and tough environment where truly only the strong survive. Like Grizzlys, the ocean is powerful beyond description.
The minute I stepped back onto dry land, I called my little sister and spilled the wild details of my adventure.
Before I could finish she said, “Shut Up! Are you about to tell me you met that Richard guy with the long hair from the Animal Planet? Why are you always so lucky? He is a BABE!”
I told her I was so excited about the bears that I hardly noticed the men in Alaska. Okay, I might have noticed. Coming home to my quiet house saddened me. My faithful companion wasn't waiting for me. Alaska reminded me that there are many sweet adventures still out there, just waiting to be lived!
To learn more about Timothy Treadwell, the documentary movie “The Grizzly Man” is available on DVD.
To learn more about Richard Terry: www.RichardTerry.eu
To learn more about David Bittner: www.kodiak.ch
Capatain Tom and the Nordic Mistress are available for summer excursions: www.NordicMistress.com.
And me, I’m www.BetsyHuelskamp.com
