This beautiful bear reserve, southeast of Wrangell near Bradfield Canal, attracts mostly black bears, although in recent years brown bears venture up the stream now and again. During the pink salmon run, bears wait hungrily around a waterfall as the fish push upward toward their spawning grounds. At the time of our August visit, we photographed some 14 bears feasting on the fish.

Photo conditions were extremely challenging on the sunny day when we were there. The falls were usually in deep shadow or spotted with sunlight, and the bears moved swiftly as they lunged for their dinners. On our digital cameras, we often set our ISO to 800 or 1600.

The U.S. Forest Service carefully regulates visitors to this area, and visitors move along the well-developed trail from tidewater to the falls in tight groups. At the falls, viewing platforms, blinds and fences separate bears from humans.

On the trail, we encountered a bear sniffing along the shoreline, but otherwise, we were undisturbed until we got to the viewing area, where bears seem to make a sport of unsettling humans who come their way. In particular, this seems to be the problem with the outhouse, which is located outside the fenced area.