“Bear”, JF was pointing high up the mountain. I thought I must’ve misheard him, but I glanced up the steep slope, and there he was, striding limberly across the loose rocks on the ridge. He looked just like another snow patch until he moved. Seeing him there dashed my hopes that we wouldn’t see bears far from the sea. He must’ve been about a kilometer away and two or 300 m high. We stopped paddling and watched him gracefully lumber over treacherous terrain.
He weaved his way down the mountain, reaching a large Snow patch. He turned onto his belly and slid down like a kid. I couldn’t help giggling. Over 10 minutes he got gradually closer. We lost sight of him as he reached a flat low plain, until paddling around the corner, a small ice floe in the water caught our eye. It didn’t move. Only two gleaming black eyes and a shiny black nose gave it away. The bear saw the four kayaks and started swimming away. It was amazing to watch the powerful animal, so at home in the frigid water. We watched him head towards the valley we had camped in last night. He looked more and more like a tiny ice floe as he got further away. I paid a lot more attention to every speck of white on the water after that magical encounter.

We woke up yesterday to bands of fog lingering just above the horizon. The towering mountain peaks stood proudly above, but their bases were hidden from view. The fog thickened and shifted over breakfast and we wondered if we would lose all of our view. On the water, we took a slightly longer route close to shore, hoping to see some wildlife before the mist cloaked everything. JF spotted a herd of six or seven female caribou on a low grassy plain. We landed to watch them feeding until the chill started to run through our bodies. Warmth here is fleeting and fickle. The sun has the power to warm us to the core but a breath of North wind, or a large cloud instantly removes the comfort. The only consistency is change. I have just enough warm clothes, and I usually wear all of them when on bear watch. Last night we had enough driftwood for a fire, which provided more wonderful, fleeting warmth.

The only good thing about the low temperatures is the lack of bugs. A few hardy mosquitoes appear when the sun bathes us but a few swats is enough to keep them away. Tomorrow is meant to be 19°C which could turn the tables in their favor.

I’m writing this at 6 AM. It’s my turn to have the last bear watch. I’ll wake everyone at seven and before that I’ll make hot drinks and have the oatmeal ready to go. We’re having a relatively late start today because we landed on a beach with large boulders which are slippery at low tide. We’re having amazing weather with very little wind the last few days. Yesterdays fog dispersed by the afternoon revealing yet more stunning mountains, piercing the sea. Perhaps we should be making more distance, but we want to enjoy this beautiful place.