Grizzly Bear, Gates of the Arctic NP, Alaska #3073

Two weeks ago I spent eight days canoeing the Noatak River in the Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve with my wife and six other friends. In spite of the cold and rainy weather we had an amazing trip paddling and hiking our way through 50 river-miles of the Brooks Range. The Gates of the Arctic National Park is the second largest national park in the U.S. park system but only hosts a little over 2,000 visitors per year, with 1,000 backcountry canoeists, backpackers, and rafters making up half of all the visitors last year. This vast and lonely country supports healthy populations of wild animals including Dall sheep, caribou, wolves, and grizzlies. On one beautiful evening a robust grizzly walked down the river in front of the rugged mountains, brilliantly lit in rich evening light. We only had two really beautiful evenings and I was lucky to get this bear wandering through this amazing view in the light photographers usually can only dream of. Thank you for visiting and enjoy – Camera: Nikon D810, Lens: Nikkor 24-70mm, Digital Capture, Handheld ©MarkKelley