Bear on Beaver Lodge

Day 10, July 4, 2019

Started at 6:00 am under calm overcast conditions perfect for paddling. The smoke was gone. Soon we spotted a lone trumpeter swan, then a red fox working the shoreline for sandpiper fledglings. A pair of beavers watched us slide by, then disappeared with a loud tail slap. Even a river otter stretched its neck higher for a look. The river is braided with islands and beaver dams. Lots of backwater and possibly a fish haven.

Navigator (Deb) was unsure of our location much of the day as landmarks were often obscured by the many islands (we speculated). We never saw any other paddlers yesterday, and none today. Deb wonders if we are on the wrong river. We paddle harder hoping for landmarks, almost missing a very black bear on a beaver lodge. We paddled close and were shouting at him hoping for a showstopper photo. The bear totally ignored us as he was systematically dismantling the lodge. We could not linger to see the end result as the river’s pull is not long denied. Judging by his determination, it seemed he has tasted success previously.

Just before lunch, a moose cow and calf swam the river in front of us and blended into the willows.

White River joined us from the left and everything was changed. The load of silt was unbelievable. Instead of seeing rocks on the bottom, the Yukon became totally opaque, resembling boiling mud pots in Yellowstone. Grit ground loudly against the canoe bottom. How do salmon swim through this?

We camped on a sediment bar with no bugs and a nice breeze.