Detour

Due to a massive rock slide that another guide had told Carol about, and because the warm days melted the snow and caused the creeks to run faster and deeper - we had to alter our hiking route to the Kongakut. We were supposed to finish our trek with a 3 mile hike along this creek, but it became 4-5 miles because we went up and over the hills, rather than following the creek around the edge.

Some caribou tolerate us, but we unintentionally spooked this group.

As we approached the aufeis to walk around it, we noticed 2 bears foraging on the hill above us. We were concerned that they would go down the hill on the back side and that we might run into them as we turned the corner. But as we started to climb the opposite hill across the ice, the bears saw us and started running in the other direction. OK - that eased my grizzly phobia.