August 2 – The Bears of Anan

Having been turned away from the Anan Bear Observatory on our way north, we have learned the hard way that a permit is required to enter this area. A phone call early three days before nets us the required admission, and we are looking forward to a great day. We leave Berg Bay early and motor eighteen miles to Anan, where we anchor bow and stern in shallow water on the mud flat. We motor ashore and pull the dinghy high up on the beach to allow for incoming tide. The sun is shining and we have a beautiful day.

Hundreds of eagles sit on the beach watching the spawning salmon enter the mouth of Anan Creek. They must already have had their fill, as not many are flying around or diving for fish at the moment.

We check in with the park ranger, a pretty young woman, who gives us the standard warnings about bears, then we walk along a boardwalk trail along the creek, through beautiful thick forest, stepping over and around bear scat. After half a mile, we reach the observation tower and bear blind, where we are close to the place where the bears are catching salmon in the rushing river. One has to feel sorry for the salmon, having struggled and fought their way this far upstream, only to be snatched out of the water by a greedy bear who takes one or two bites and then goes for another fish. After a couple of hours watching the fish fight their way up the waterfalls and the bears grab all they want, we walk back downstream and see seals and eagles also enjoying the bounty of the sea.

Now we can see the gorgeous scenery that was obscured by clouds and rain on the way north, and we have a beautiful trip to Meyers Chuck, where we find a place at the dock and enjoy a very sociable time with other boaters and residents of “the Chuck”. The sunshine makes such a difference and Meyers Chuck is bustling with the activites of summer cottagers and local fishermen. We walk along the trail connecting the properties, stopping to chat with the friendly folk who are fortunate enough to have homes in this beautiful spot.

Most cruisers are now heading south, and we meet several Washington boats whom we will no doubt see again along the way. The fishing is very good just outside the bay, and there is great excitement as cruisers come back from short excursions in their dinghies to show off their catch. One couple, Jay and Benita on Moon Angel, have too much fish for their freezer and are canning the extra. This couple is from St. Marks, Florida, and are good friends of Steve and Gail Tribble (“Misty Bleu”), who were our cruising buddies in Venezuela and we visited in St. Marks.

We stay in Meyers Chuck for another day, expecting to see Shirley and Grahame, but they don’t show up, so we have a quiet day reading and relaxing. The weather has turned cool again.