This photo is from June of 2014, seems like a lifetime ago!
I have received some really nice emails and calls checking on us to make sure all is well since I haven’t posted anything in awhile. In short, yes, fortunately all is well, but it has been a challenging few months and a fire threatening our Tucson Desert Photo Retreat seemed like the final blow. Thankfully, the Tortolita fire has been contained, and the threat mostly eliminated thanks very much to the many firefighters who battled that blaze in challenging conditions. Unfortunately, a second fire continues to burn and threaten other parts of Tucson, and my heart goes out to those folks.
Really beginning in March with our Arizona business and continuing until now, we have been busy with cancellations, re-bookings and working through many other challenges. It was hard to look out from the home office last week at a humpback whale and beautiful weather knowing I should have been leading my Kenai Fjords trip right then.
However, much has changed in the last couple of weeks. With Alaska’s requirement for a Covid test before flying, and offering a second test at the airport upon arrival, coupled with numerous other precautions including private rooms for everyone, and meals delivered to rooms, we are now ready to offer our first bear trip of the season with a small group. In fact, we will be the only group at the lodge, and likely the only people in the entire area! I hope I’m wrong, but I believe testing coupled with other precautions is how trips in Alaska will be lead this summer and next, so we might as well figure out how to do them safely.
I will say, I’m excited to get back to the bears, to a place where life revolves around nature, wildlife and tides.
