A Whale of a Month

Stumpy keeping an eye on us

   This is the view I have seen many times in the last three weeks from my front porch.  A  Humpback has been circling the inlet in search of food.   A few guests have seen it from the bottom of the trail, and others have watched it rising out of the water from the lodge, at eleven hundred feet.
  I chased it with my camera several times and this is the best shot it presented me with.
 Although, when my camera isn't nearby, I have seen it rise straight up out of the water head first with it's mouth open, feeding.
  I am guessing it is only about twenty feet long at the most,  just a baby in the "whale world."  Jerry named him " Stumpy" because of his small size. 
   Also, a small Orca, or it's famous name "Killer Whale",  beached itself at the end of the inlet for unknown reasons.
  I am seeing more and more whales in the water as summer approaches. And..... The King Salmon are here too!

Sunrise over Lutak Inlet

    The bear tracks that we have been seeing at the lake since early spring are gone with the snow.  It seems to me, the bear wintered on the side of the mountain and called the lake area it's home for a few weeks, while waiting for summer.  They are out and about now and looking for their spring breakfast of skunk cabbage and grubs.  The skunk cabbage grows along the trail and has a distinct smell, " SKUNK," it also resembles a cabbage. " What a combination!  It does however, keep the bears somewhat happy until the salmon fill the rivers.
   We have spotted a few bears at the lodge, twice while guests were inside quietly eating their halibut meal.  Just last week as we came down the trail to the lodge, we saw a black bear off to the side of the parking lot hiding behind a stack of logs.  A few days later I was riding with a couple from Hershey PA, when we turned a corner to find a black bear standing broadside on the trail, a second later it was simply a black streak and gone.

A couple of Merganser's enjoying the sun

   Everyone is happy when the fish come.  Eagle's get their fish easily, by swooping down, a quick glide over the water with the landing gear down and lift off picking one out of the water. After landing safely on the river bank, they must then fight off seagulls and other birds that constantly hound them for whatever they can get.
   Bears simply walk into the water, watch for the right moment and swoop one up with their long sharp claws, they place it in their mouth and walk to the river's edge where it's safe to put it down and begin eating.  In most cases bears will only pull the skin off of the fish and eat it.  The skin of a salmon is rich in fats and proteins and bears need to put as much weight on as they can before winter sends them scurrying back to their dens.

A Sandpiper inching closer to me for a picture

  

  Except for a few chilly days in mid May and one or two drizzly days, the weather has been cooperating quite well.   Mother nature has been nice enough to throw in a few days where the temperature's reached just above seventy in the sun, " A warm day for us", and welcomed with open arms. 
  
  
  
  

Warm and sunny day for the kids on the trail.

Jerry in charge at the lodge



Twins at the lake

The weather turned chilly yesterday after only a couple of warm days, and with it came the gray clouds and winds that moved in overnight.  The winds seemed to be more exaggerated at the lake, so we spent a few minutes in what seemed like a wind tunnel and headed toward the end of the trail, where they wouldn't be shooting down off the side of the mountain in a whirlwind.  Everyone had a good time and enjoyed the meal, as usual.