Day 5

We really did try to wake up early but were exhausted. Blue skies finally urged us out of the tent even though I was still really tired.




We hiked up Toklat which involved multiple BIG river fordings.

Soggy boots again but it was nice and sunny so minded less. Also, it was neat to see the very turbulant glacial silt water (milky colored) mix with stream water from nearby springs (clear water).

Bear Draw creek was our route to the plateau - a modest sized river with tons of rocks and boulders enclosed by DENSE brush and trees. We were basically forced to hike directly up the stream bed because the surrounding dry land was too thick to bushwhack.

A note to any unexperienced hikers, hiking up a noisy stream bed in bear country is dangerous, the bears dont hear you coming and the last thing you want to do is surprise a bear....so, Mark and Kate were yelling "Hey BEAR!" for the better part of the day. WE made our way up stream crossing from one side to another wherever a path could be managed. We stopped for lunch on a big sandbar on the river for some hummus roll-ups. About five minutes after packing up lunch and back into our hiking, mid-conversation, Mark points up river to a mama bear and two cubs about 50 yards ahead of us on the riverbed next to some brush!

We do much as yesterday, walk slowly backward trying not to mess our drawers. The bear seems less concerned with us and turns away pretty quickly. She probably was watching us have lunch for the past 20 minutes (um, scary?).

We walk downstream to reroute. Our plan had been to go up Sheldon Creek and cut back to Bear Draw which was too narrow and brushy. Starting straight back up Bear Draw, walking basically in the river was more that I could handle. The trip plateau needed to be cancelled, I was totally freaked out about all the near sight bear encounters! We walk back down Bear Draw at double speed, Mark's shoulders and back slowly being killed by his malfunctioning backpack. Once back on Toklat River, we both were ready to collapse.
We walked back down Toklat and ALL the way back to our previous night's campsite. Tamale Pie for dinner *not a triumphant meal but we were starving and ate every last bite. A good few games of Rummy (Mark won). Bed. Exhausted. Whoa.