Bears in Valdez
We headed into Valdez from our campground on our second day. We are almost directly across the Valdez Arm from downtown Valdez. We have to go about 10 miles around the end of the Arm, cross the Lowe River, cross the Valdez Glacier Stream, pass the site of Old Valdez, and then arrive in the town of Valdez. Our campground is at the foot of a steep mountain. There is a narrow road that goes to the oil terminal, and what amounts to a series of turnouts right on the water, which is the camping area.
So, the last thing we were thinking about was bears, when we came upon this marshy, grassy area at the end of the Arm, and here was a mother grizzly and her three cubs. This was about a mile from our campground.
Mother and cubs were not paying much attention to the people or the traffic, as cars slowed down and pictures were taken. The mother did sit up on her haunches once and let out a blood-curdling growl that was truly frightening.
We watched them for quite a while, and once again realized that we are in their territory and all of the warnings we are given about their proximity are real. When she growled, I was truly thinking of how quickly I could get back in the truck!
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