I had taken notes during the workshop to share with the attendees about the places we visited and the sights we saw, so I turned it in to my Alaska Workshop Diary and something I could share with you. I hope that you find this entertaining and can give you a sense of what it was like on this amazing workshop. If you have any questions or comments, please feel to leave below or send me an email.
Monday – Arrival
Most of our group gathered at the Lake Hood airport in Anchorage for the 11:30 flight to our lodge, with 
three others scheduled for the second flight of the day. We boarded our aircraft, a Pilatus PC-12 that is operated by our guide company. We took off from Anchorage and flew West for 90 minutes over the snowcapped mountains to land in Iliamna. The lodge staff greeted us at the airport and helped load our luggage on to the shuttle bus. They brought us to Lake Lodge for the initial orientation as our bags were delivered to our rooms. After signing waivers and meeting Callum, the lodge manager and chef, we got fitted for chest waders and boots, then took a shuttle 
to the original lodge reserved for our group. Once we were settled, we met in the family room of the lodge to go through a presentation and images that I had prepared in the hopes of educating and building excitement about photographing the bears. The rest of our group arrived around 6pm, making our party complete. Dinner was served at Lake Lodge at 7:45, featuring a salmon entrée with vegetables and dessert. Our guides have numerous aircraft, some on floats and some on wheels. We learned that one of the float aircraft was out of service, though two Dehavilland Beavers and a Cessna 185 remained available. With full bellies and tired eyes, we retired to our cabins by 9pm and prepared for the days ahead.
Tuesday – Brooks Camp
Early Tuesday morning, most of us met in the lodge to drink coffee and talk before breakfast, a feeling of excitement about the day ahead was evident. At 7:45am we hopped the short shuttle to the other lodge for breakfast. A hearty breakfast was served, and we learned that we would be heading to Brooks Falls on this day. Brooks is a great introduction to the landscape and being around wild grizzly bears and we try to go there the first day of the workshop each year. After breakfast we picked up our sack lunches and returned to our cabins to put on our waders and be at the float plane dock by 9am. The morning was chilly and cloudy, but dry and we all wore our waders in case we couldn’t make it to Brooks because of the weather and we had to divert to another location for the day.
It is about a 45–60-minute flight to Brooks Camp and the weather held the entire way. We landed on the lake and taxied to the beach and the entrance to Brooks Camp. . In the summer, this beach can be packed with 50-100 planes, all bringing folks in to see the bears. This is a popular day trip from Anchorage. There are no roads to get here and the only way you can visit is via floatplane landing on the lake.
We stashed our food and gear in huts and headed in to the ranger station to attend the mandatory bear school. Lots of do’s and don’ts about being at 
Brooks and around the bears. After the 20 minute presentation, we were awarded pins to signify to other rangers in the camp that we completed our class, we grabbed our gear (left our food in the locked hut) and began walking the trail to the falls. Crossing over the bridge at the lower marsh, we saw a few bears in the distance, though none were close, so we kept moving to the falls.
The walk to the upper platform is about ¾ of a mile along a service road and then an elevated boardwalk. When we got to the platform, we were the only ones there! In summer you can wait upwards of one hour to get on the platform. This time of year much of the salmon migration, and the bears, have moved to other locations. Typically there are bears around and provide a great intro to this wild world. Unfortunately, as we arrived, we saw no bears were visible from the platform. We had purchased “river permits” and a few of the group broke off and headed down to the river to scout some bears further downstream.
Most of the group hung out on the upper platform and then eventually we made our way down to the lower platform, called The Riffles. Again, not many bears in close proximity. We waited for a while and then decided to 
walk down to the river and eventually make our way down to lunch. Walking along the elevated walkway, a bear passed beneath us and then laid down right below us. We had a great perspective on the bear, shooting straight down. We don’t normally get this perspective so we all took full advantage of shooting top-down on the bear. Fun stuff. As we got our fill, we heard there was a bear blocking the path exiting the boardwalk. We decided to go look and as we got to the end of the boardwalk, one of the biggest bears we’d seen was sitting right at the end of the boardwalk, blocking our way. There was no way to move around it because we were on an elevated platform and couldn’t exit in to the forest. We waited for a while and saw no movement in the bear. So we decided walk back to the Riffles and see if we can take stairs down to river from there and circumvent the bear. No luck so we returned to the bear blockage. Soon enough, rangers arrived and said “Bear Techs” were on their way. Another 20 minutes and they arrived on scene. They banged some pie pans and waved a branch and were able to move the bear off the trail and up a hillside in to the woods. At Brooks it’s a delicate balance to walk and be amongst the bears and this type of stoppage is quite common. A few trips ago we were stopped for over one hour as we waited for bears to move so we could cross the lower bridge. You have to have patience and understanding that we are only guests in their home.
We made the quick walk down to the camp, grabbed our food and had lunch inside a bear fenced area. One of our guides informed us we were leaving from the upper lake 
because it was getting too windy at the lower lake for a safe takeoff. With that news, once we had finished eating we again walked the trail up towards the falls and upper lake. There were a couple of good bears in the marsh which we shot and then continued on to the upper lake. Because of time constraints we decided to walk to the upper lake and check out that area before our flight. Walking uphill for about 1.5 miles, we were all thankful when we finally reached the lake. After catching our breath, we looked around a bit and started seeing bears at the mouth of the river. Some tried to photograph them, but they proved to be elusive. We loaded into the planes and had a great flight back to the lodge. Fall color was in peak form and coupled with the blue glacial lakes, it looked amazing!
Back at our lodge we got out of our waders and headed to the family room to download images and have snacks as we waited for dinner. Eventually we were picked up in the shuttle and headed to the Lake Lodge for hors d’oeuvres at 7:30. Warm drinks, yummy snacks and great conversation reliving the day! A dinner of pork loin was served at 8:00pm along with sides and desert. It was becoming evident we might gain some weight on this trip thanks to all of the great food. After dinner we made it back to our cabins and began winding down to rest up for the next day.
Wednesday – Battle Lake
We arose to another cold and cloudy day with a strong breeze whipping through our lodge area. At breakfast, we learned that the winds were too strong atour planned lad to land the aircraft, so we were going to fly to the lower lake, Battle 
Lake, where the Battle Creek joins the lake. We had planned on floating the river this day, but instead we would do a land-based outing amongst the bears.
We donned our waders and loaded the aircrafts. After a short 30-minute flight, we came to a gentle landing on Battle Lake. During the final approach, we could see amazing fall color out the windows and grew excited for the upcoming experience. We met our guides as we exited the planes on a rocky shoreline. Our guides had spent the night in a camp at the lake with our rafts as we didn’t have enough planes for all of the people and gear movement each day, so they stayed out and met us. Once the planes were offloaded and we were all assembled, the guides said we could divide in to two groups, one to walk up the hillside in the tundra and another to walk along the lake shore.
The tundra group set off and very soon started climbing up through the alders and tundra headed towards a bear they saw in the distance. 
Walking on the tundra is difficult as it’s spongy, unstable and very uneven. We all were working hard to hike up to the bear, getting our exercise in after a big breakfast. After several dead ends trying to find a way through the alder bushes, we saw that the beach group had started to climb up after a sow and two cubs. We weren’t having much luck on our own so we headed down to the shore and moved to a place where it was easier to go up after the bears.
Both groups combined and we photographed a sow and cubs for a while with the colorful tundra bushes as a backdrop to the fat and fluffy bears. We tracked them for over an hour, working to get ahead as they slowly walked along feeding on berries. At one point we all dropped our packs and pulled out our sack lunches and had an enjoyable rest on the soft ground. Eventually the bears moved off to a place we couldn’t access so we all headed down to the flat ground of the lake shore. Walking back towards the airplanes, we had a little more time before departure so we decided to split again, and one group headed up in to the tundra and one continued on the beach.
The Tundra group found a huge bear and spent an hour photographing it eating berries on the hillside. The beach group encountered a sow and two cubs walking back to the plane providing a great photo opportunity. Once back at the planes, a few of the beach group headed up into the hills behind the plane as it was reported a big boar was up there. They spent 35 minutes photographing this bear before it was time to return to the planes.
We loaded up the planes and headed back to the lodge, cold and tired, but oh so happy! After changing clothes and warming up, we enjoyed appetizers and a wonderful dinner of fresh Cod fish in the Lake Lodge. Everyone was exhausted and we quickly made it back to our cabins to restore some energy for the following day.
Thursday – Battle Creek Float
We awoke to colder temperatures than we’ve had this week so far, still overcast with a breeze. The overcast skies are great for photography because it provides soft even lighting on location, especially with dark animals and somewhat lighter landscapes. I was excited for the light conditions, though I knew it might be a bit chilly for us. After breakfast, we grabbed our lunches and dressed in all of our warm layers, plus waders and boots, to fly out to Battle Lake.
The wind had died enough that it was possible to land on the upper lake and utilize the rafts to float the river. YAY! We flew the 30 minutes out to the lake and met our guides, who had spent the night in tents in the area at the upper lake. Getting off the plane, we looked to the high mountains and saw a good coating of snow! The guided reported that it snowed on them overnight, confirming visually the temperature we were feeling along the lakeshore.
We divided up and boarded the rafts to begin the 2-mile float down Battle Creek. 
2 miles doesn’t seem like a long way to go in an entire day but when you consider how much we stop the boats to photograph bears, this is an ample distance to cover and give everyone enough time with each animal to get all the photos they would want. We began seeing bears along the river after a little while and we stopped and shot them when it was appropriate. At one point, we came upon a sow and 2 cubs, fat and fluffy. We photographed them along the river bank and soon they moved past us upriver. Our guide walked back upriver to see if they were still visible and soon he was motioning us to follow. To get up to the guide, we had to cross a channel of the river and for some it was up to their waist. We all 
took it slow and the buddy system got us across to the far bank. When we got there, we saw the sow laying on her side and the cubs nursing on her! She noticed us and knew we were there, but was comfortable enough that she continued to nurse. It was an amazing sight and a few folks got shots of the cubs with a milk moustache! This was a highlight of the day so far. Eventually we had gotten all the shots that we could possibly get and made our way back to the rafts.
We continued down the river, photographing what bears we saw and soon enough made it to the lower lake. The planes were parked in a safe cove across the lake and the guides had to row us across the flat water with a strong breeze to get to the airplanes. Tanner, the senior guide, challenged the younger guides to a race and they all worked amazingly hard to “win” the race. One of the younger guideswon the race, but just barely and this provided some great fun and competition between the boats.
After a 30 minute flight back to the lodge, we changed into warm clothes and gathered in the original lodge to download images and enjoy some snacks. Soon enough it was dinner time in the Lake Lodge with appetizers followed by a dinner of chicken alfredo. After being out in the cold all day, plus the excitement of seeing the bears, we were all tired and headed back to our rooms soon after dinner and fell in to bed for a sound nights sleep.
Friday – Kulik River Float
Friday dawned clear and cold, colder again than the previous days. But it was so nice to see the sun! At breakfast we learned the plans were to head over to the Kulik River and float this short river. All of the bears had gathered in this area as it had the highest concentration of salmon and we know, where the fish are, the bears are!
We loaded up the 2 Beavers and the Cessna and flew 30 minutes out to Nonvianik Lake. The winds were calm enough to land on the lake, thankfully. Getting off the plane, the sun felt great, however it was in the upper 30’s with a breeze, so the windchill made it feel even colder. We eventually got our guides and loaded up the rafts and started the float.
The Kulik river is short, perhaps ¾ of a mile and we planned on spending the entire day on this short stretch. At first I was worried that it was too short to occupy all of our time in the field, but I soon learned that we didn’t have enough time. There were SO MANY BEARS along this river. We were stopping every 50 yards to shoot different bears that appeared along the riverbank. 
The guides would hop out of the rafts, standing in the water and holding the boat, positioning everyone in a raft to get a good perspective on the bears. It was a bit challenging to shoot with the boat constantly moving, with our seating positions not ideal for stability…yet we all made it work! The sun, though very welcome for its warmth and happy feelings, made it a bit tougher photographically as the bears were dark and it made for a more contrasty scene than we had on previous days.
Though we had tons of bears, many of them were not that active. The salmon were almost done, so the bears didn’t have to work hard to catch and eat a salmon. Plus, the bears were trying to conserve energy during the last stretch before hibernation. The good thing about visiting in September is that the bears are fatter and fluffier than you see in July. Much more visually appealing, like giant teddy bears.
At one point the boat I was in we spotted a white cub so we veered off to a side channel to photograph the white cub. We found it with mom and a sibling. The still water and reflections of fall color made for an amazing photograph! However, when walking down the river towards the cub, I was in the lead, our guide instructed us to try and stay close to the right riverbank so we didn’t spook the bear. Along these riverbanks there are alder bushes and tall grasses and every 3 feet there is an opening where the bears have trampled the foliage. There are tons of trails along the riverbank that the bears use to travel up and down the river. As I was walking, totally focused on the white cub, I eventually heard the guide whispering my name saying “John, move to your left”. 
When I finally heard my name, I looked up and then to my right and I was confronted with a bear that had appeared along the bank I was close to and it was about 10 feet from me, at eye level. All I remember was the huge size of its head!!! My first instinct was to back away quickly but I remembered not to run. So, I slowly moved to my left, away from the bear, trying not to slip on the rocks in the creek. Eventually I moved far enough away and the bear moved on. It took a long time for my heart rate to drop and the adrenaline to leave my system. We did end up finally getting a good vantage point on the white cub and were able to capture some amazing images of it.
Over the course of the day, we saw over 100 bears, plus, other groups saw different white cubs. Everyone got a huge variety of photos, from shaking to lunging to cute photos. It 
was an incredibly successful and enjoyable day. And, even though it was just ¾ of a mile long, we had to push at the end to make it to the planes by our designated pickup time.
We made it to the lake and saw only two of our 3 airplanes. One of the Beavers had to return to the lodge after dropping us off in the morning for its 100-hour inspection. However it did not return to pick us up. During the inspection something broke and it couldn’t fly, so we had to shuttle people back using only two airplanes. This meant one group had to wait on the lakeshore for a returning airplane and they were an hour or more later than the first groups returning to the lodge. They were all cold and tired by the time they reached the lodge. This is part of the “adventure” of Alaska as you can not count with certainty on exactly what will happen. You can hope for the best, but also leave room if something happens.
We enjoyed a great dinner of steaks and shrimp, along with desert. Heading back to our cabins, everyone was ecstatic with the number and quality of bears we saw today. Each day of the trip had built up with more and more bears and this day seemed like the pinnacle. It was an amazing day and we couldn’t image it getting any better!
Saturday – Kulik River Float pt 2
We awoke to overcast skies and even colder temperatures, in the low 30’s and close to freezing. The clear sunny skies of the day before were gone and we had overcast skies, which will make for less contrasty photos but we’ll miss the meager warmth of the sun. After a hearty breakfast, we geared up and met at the float planes. It was quickly obvious that the Beaver had not been repaired, and we would have to shuttle the group to Kulik lake. The replacement part had to be flown in from Anchorage and didn’t make it in time to be installed before we needed to depart.
We broke in to three groups to fit in the remaining planes, plus, one group who would take the later shuttle. The 2 planes left with the first groups of folks and dropped them at the lake along with some bear spray. I was in the first group and once the planes departed to pick up the remaining passengers, we were left alone on the bank of a wilderness lake with only the sounds of nature. It was a wonderful, peaceful experience. But it was cold! Had to have been 32 degrees at 9am when we arrived. Soon, the cold started seeping through our layers and chilling our bodies. So, we started doing exercises and yoga to stay warm along the bank of the river. We saw a couple of bears headed our way along the shoreline and I got ready with the bear spray. Thankfully the bears headed in to the brush before they got close to us. Eventually the rest of the group, plus the guides and rafts showed up at the lake and we inflated the rafts and started the float down the Kulik river.
Today is a repeat of the day before, slowly working our way down the ¾ mile long river, stopping each time we saw bears. Lots of bears again today too! The colder temps and overcast skies meant we all were getting really cold, some folks shivering by the time we reached a gravel bar for our lunch stop. Our guides quickly built a fire on the gravel bar 
and we all huddled around it soaking up the heat to warm our bones. The fire was a pleasant treat and meant that we would better enjoy the rest of the day. While on the gravel bar and eating lunch we saw bears all around us and we’d stop eating and go shoot a few photos and then come back to eat more lunch. The guides brought hot water and hot cocoa for us to enjoy a warm beverage on the float which was a wonderful treat and really helped warm our insides. I had packed a few packets of Starbucks instant coffee in my waders and shared that around so we could have a nice afternoon cup of coffee.
We eventually ended the float at Nonvianik lake and met the two airplanes. 3 people volunteered to stay back for the second flight, myself included, while those who wanted to get back were on the first flight. Staying back, we started a fire on the beach and enjoyed the warmth as we chatted and watched the bears fishing in the lake nearby. Eventually both planes returned, and we all pitched in to load the rafts and other gear and then loaded up to fly to the lodge. 
A quick change of clothes and we were off to dinner at the lodge. Being our last night, the chef had prepared a prime rib dinner with all the fixings. After hours in the cold and the excitement of the past two days, everyone was exhausted. I realized that we had reached a “saturation” point when I heard comments about folks not paying attention to each and every bear we saw. You know it’s a good trip with lots of bears when folks don’t care about every single bear we see. This is the highest concentration of brown bears on earth and it makes sense that we start to get a bit immune to them.
Sunday
Our last day at the lodge and we had planned a short tour of the village and surroundings for the morning allowing us enough time to catch the flights to Anchorage. The first flight leaving Iliamna was scheduled for 1:30pm and we needed to pack and get ready to leave. We enjoyed a breakfast of eggs benedict, grabbed our lunch and went to our cabins to get our cameras and walk-around lenses and tripods. The first time we’ve used our tripods on the trip!
Loading in to the bus, our first stop was a smokehouse where they dry and smoke the salmon the villagers catch. Fish are a huge part of their life and survival in this area and many families have built their own smokehouse. It was nice to hear the stories of how it is used, poke our heads inside to see the building and smell the remnants of many fires used to create the smoke.
After the smokehouse we headed to the river to see the azure river, some rapids, and fall foliage. After a downhill hike on a trail, we came out at the waters edge. We spent 15 minutes photographing the beautiful scene trying to capture an essence of this landscape. Too 
soon we had to head back uphill to the bus and head to our next destination. Our next stop was a Russian Orthodox church in Newhalen. 
Being Sunday, there were no services so we could go inside. This is a neat little stop shooting the church, the cemetery behind the church and the river view. Lastly, we stopped at the Iliamna General Store near the Lake Lodge. Folks bought some souvenirs and snacks and Jack bought a Halloween mask which he wore on the bus!
We returned to the lodge and were told our departure time was moved up by 30 minutes. We had to scramble to eat lunch and finish packing in order to meet the new time. The first flight folks boarded the bus to the small airport while the second flight folks waited at the lodge. The first flight folks made to Anchorage and the terminal at Ted Stevens airport. Waiting around for hours, the second flight folks arrived and we all connected in the restaurant to eat dinner, watch football and chat. Soon enough though we all had to separate to our assigned gates so we said our goodbyes for now to our fellow travellers and all reveled in the experience we just shared.
I hope you enjoyed my Alaska Workshop Diary! I tried to include more images than just bears to help give you a sense of our experience. And boy, it was an incredible experience! If you would like to see the full gallery of images I’ve processed so far, please visit my gallery HERE. It has been our pleasure to be able to offer this workshop 6 times previously and during each workshop, it has been incredibly memorable for each and every person, oftentimes for different reasons. Each trip to this wild land is unique and full of amazing landscapes and wildlife. Plus, working with our outfitter, possibly the best in Alaska, we get on the bears each day, in a safe manner, and everyone comes home with some amazing images! I’m hoping to return here in 2027 for the next installment of this workshop and will be able to create another Alaska Workshop Diary!
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