June 12 & 13th – Green Inlet to Khutze Inlet

"Whats Up?"

"nap time in Khutze"

"Who's the guy in Yellow?"

Dave, come back and tow us out please

First Grizzly when we enter the bay

Estuary at Head of Khutze

Can you see Me?

Better view of the Humans

Waterfall At Head of Khutze

Morning View

Mike - "Promise you won't leave?"

Our raft at anchor in Khutze

More Glaciers

Khutze Inlet is by far one of our most favorite anchorages up coast. Picture an inlet that opens up at the head with a valley that seems to go on forever. Over on one shore is a spectacular waterfall that starts at the very top of a sheer cliff and all the tops are still covered with snow. Large ridge cracks in the snow suggest that with some warm weather, there will be some pretty spectacular avalanches. We were last in here 4 years ago with Gayle (en route to Alaska) and we were extremely disappointed that we did not see any bears. Turns out that the Grizzly bear jamboree starts 2 weeks earlier than the last time we were in. In one afternoon in the bay, we have spotted 5 grizzlies. There was one lounging around at the entrance to Khutze and at least three in the grassy delta between the two rivers and one at the base of the waterfall. With no dinghy, Mike was bummed out that he couldn’t go roaring in there himself, but had to be reliant on our friend’s inflatable. We set out at high tide with Mike and Wayne in one dinghy and Betty and Dave in another. Cameras and binoculars in hand, we set up the left river. About ¼ mile in, we spot a female feeding in the grass at the side of the river. We get some great shots. Mike decides that we can get better shots from land so he jumps on the very edge of the grass….he did not see it, but Dave and I did, the big bear lunged from his grass eating and started clicking his jaws. From previous bear information, we were told that clicking of the jaws meant an extremely agitated bear and we are to beware. Mike and Wayne continue on through a little estuary, as they are leaving, the bear stands up on his hind legs to make sure they are gone and she goes back to eating. Whew….Mike was almost a Scooby snack for a grizzly! Dave and I catch up to the two hooligans in a small estuary where they are pointing and putting their fingers to their lips to shush us as we enter. About 50 feet away is a grizzly climbing onto a fallen tree and before our very eyes, he curls up and falls asleep (see photographs above) – the current grabs Dave’s dinghy and we end up pushing Mike and Wayne into the mud and they are stuck - which of course was the moment that the grizzly decides to wake up from his fake nap and starts standing on his log looking at us. It was kind of funny in a perverted way with Mike loudly whispering, “Dave….grab our line and tow us out, we are stuck” – it was at that moment that I forgave Mike for the dinghy blow up and we went back for them. But the adventure continues. When we get back to the boat we spot a very large griz on the nearby beach. Wayne takes Cathy and Mike ashore for a closer look with Mike at the bow of the dinghy. It’s at this time that Wayne decides to see how close they can bow in to the shore without browning off the bear. Mike knows he is in line as the first mouthful if the bear gets mad and he uses very select expletives to convince Wayne to get the heck out of Dodge. We decide it’s better to leave the bears to feed on their own as we have some spectacular bear shots and no one has been mauled yet. Prawn and Crab Traps were dropped and we float in our threesome in the middle of the bay getting a 360 degree view of all the grizzlies.
The next morning, it’s a bit rainy and overcast and we decide to spend a puttering day in the bay, getting caught up with all the chores and finishing up dinghy repairs. Dave gets up early and takes the dogs to shore as he does not see any bears there. Within 5 minutes of leaving the beach, a very large grizzly comes out of the brush and starts sniffing where the dogs had been. Close call Dave! We pull anchor the next day (14th) and head to Butedale. As we are leaving Khutze we are greeted by a humpback whale entering the inlet….we hope that the other boaters we have left in the bay get a show like we received leaving!
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