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| Serine Halverson |
Alaska offers incredible state parks that give visitors the opportunity to spot a moose munching on twigs in the brush, a bear ambling across the tundra or an eagle flying overhead. With more than three million acres of state park land, many Alaskans constantly ask tourists through the glass of their windshields, “Why don’t you clog the shoulder of somebody else’s highway?”
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| Serine Halverson | |
The danger of hitting a moose while driving seems to dissipate a little between May and August. In summer, the main concern is hitting a wide-eyed, binocular-clad visitor who’s motor home is parked halfway over the white line on the Seward Highway, Alaska’s most scenic and dangerous drive. But sometimes Alaskans are humbled by an unsurpassable opportunity that forces them to slam on the brakes and stalk an animal by pavement.
This happened to me two weeks ago on a road trip to Fairbanks. After entering the Denali Borough, I drove around a sharp corner to a line of taillights and slowed down to see if there was a car accident. I was relieved to find out that nobody was hurt, and delighted to see a large brown bear munching on some foliage on the right side of the road. The only spot available for this live National Geographic special was three car lengths away. I pulled over.
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| Serine Halverson | |
As I secured the telephoto lens on my camera and popped in a memory card the bear started to mosey in my direction. It walked along the side of the road until it was parallel with my car, 15 to 20 feet away, and it plopped down to chomp on the brush. I rolled down the passengers-side window, snapped photos and shot video.
After a few minutes the bear walked down a nearby hill. I turned my emergency lights off and put my car in drive. Vehicles were all over the road with passengers hanging out their windows, cameras in hand. I swerved and dodged at two miles-per-hour until I made it passed the congregation of gawkers.
Driving away, still ecstatic about my bear sighting, I realized that I felt the same way about Alaska fauna as any tourist. Seeing a moose on the side of the road, eagles flying overhead or glimpsing a dall sheep hundreds of feet away is common for me, but for a visitor to Alaska, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. After my bear sighting, I know how they feel.