Pete Thomas Outdoors

Grizzly bear decides video camera looks too good to pass up

If you ever wondered what it would look like to be mouthed by a grizzly bear, here's proof that it would not be a pleasant experience.

Brad Josephs, a wildlife biologist and expedition leader for Natural Habitat Adventures, got the footage while in Alaska filming "Great Bear Stakeout" which was shown on BBC One and Discovery Channel.

Josephs said that the above video was "filmed with a GoPro camera that I strapped to a rock with a rubber band! The first bear to appear is an older mother, and the second is her 3-year-old cub. The bear only gently mouthed the camera, and didn't even put a dent in it!"

Josephs also shares some other behind-the-scenes footage on his website that was obtained during the making of the documentary.

-- Kelly Burgess

 

Ski video showcases amazing run through abandoned building

 

One of the more creative skiing videos making the Internet rounds this past week was not filmed in a pristine mountain setting, but inside an abandoned building with graffiti-marred walls.

The accompanying footage shows Logan Imlach stylishly negotiating the interior of the historic Buckner Building in Whittier, Alaska, after he and friend Matt Wild spent nearly a week covering its five floors with snow and constructing ramps.

The video, titled "Five Floors of Fury" and shot by Wild, was uploaded to Vimeo in late 2012. But the footage only recently gained significant traction, after it was featured on a handful of popular websites, including Deadspin, as well as Imlach's hometown Alaska Dispatch online newspaper. It garnered more than 10,000 views since last Friday alone.

In the footage Imlach's remarkable talent is on display as he traverses the building's narrow interior and soars through broken-out windows, performing various tricks in a 1953 building that once contained 1,000 apartments, a hospital, bowling alley, theater, gym, swimming pool and shops.

Imlach's run also was featured in the full-length ski movie "Sunny," by Level 1 Productions. "Sunny" was named Movie of the Year at the recent Powder magazine video awards.

--Note: A variation of this post appears on the GrindTv.com Snow blog

Magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes off British Columbia; regional tsunami warning issued

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off British Columbia at 8:04 p.m. Saturday night, prompting a tsunami warning for coastal areas within the Canadian province and from the north tip of Vancouver Island to Cape Decision, Alaska.

Minutes later the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center issued a statement requesting that people in low-lying areas within this zone "should be alert to instructions from their local emergency officials" and  "if in a tsunami warning coastal area, move inland to higher ground."

A warning means widespread coastal flooding could be imminent within the warning zone.

A Pacific-wide tsunami threat is not anticipated.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The earthquake was centered 125 miles south-southwest of Prince Rupert at a depth of 10.9 miles, the United States Geological Survey said.

As the accompanying USGS image shows, this is the Queen Charlotte Islands region west of British Columbia.

Alaska heli-skiing operator dies after fall in convention center

What seems to be a bizarre accident inside a convention center in Alaska has claimed the life of Theodore "Theo" Meiners, owner and operator of Rendezvous Heli-Guides.

Meiners, 59, died late Thursday night after a two-story fall at the Anchorage facility, while trying to ride on an escalator handrail, according to police reports.

He had been attending the International Snow Science Workshop at the Dena'ina Convention Center. Police spokeswoman Marlene Lammers said Meiners may have been drinking, according to a report in the Anchorage Daily News.

Meiners, whose Valdez-based company utilizes the pristine Chugach Mountains, had been participating in an avalanche research course before the accident.

Police are investigating and the heli-skiing community is mourning the loss of one of its own. Friends are expressing sentiments on the the Rendezvous Facebook page.

Two more choices for president: polar bear and wolf

--Note: This is a reprint of a Pete Thomas story on GrindTv Outdoor channel

Those who have grown weary of the U.S. presidential election, of the savage attacks and what often seems a circus atmosphere, might enjoy a much tamer election that involves candidates who really are down to earth--who understand hard times and the difference a helping hand can make.

Tamer, despite these candidates being wild animals. They are Ahpun, a 14-year-old polar bear, and Denali, a 6-year-old gray wolf.

Both have been nominated as candidates for the presidency of the Alaska Zoo, in a race that will raise funds for an Anchorage facility that provides homes for orphaned, injured, and captive-born animals.

At last check, neither animal has chosen a running mate, and a certain Momma Grizzly has not thrown her hat into the ring.

As Obama and Romney attempt to prove that they understand their constituents and their everyday struggles, these two furry candidates don't have anything to prove along those lines.

Ahpun was orphaned near Point Lay, at just 3 months old, and would not have survived if she hadn't been rescued.

According to her position statement, she is "large and in charge," and "the best candidate for the position."

Denali has a similar background. He has lived at the zoo since he was two weeks old. As a pack animal, he "believes in teamwork." Of his iconic nature, he states, "I have a mountain named after me."

His position statement adds: "I'm quick on my feet and steady in my pace."

Early polls favor the much-younger wolf, but voting will run through Nov. 6 during an election that will not be influenced by Super PACS or negative TV ads.

However, wealthy voters could easily sway this election.

Votes cost $1 and people can vote as often as they wish, and it seems that somebody has dropped a wad on Denali. Through Friday morning the wolf was leading by a margin of 270 to 140.

To be sure, Ahpun, a definite believer in climate change, is walking on thin ice. But the lovable bear isn't worried, according to this slogan:

"I paddle with the best through rough waters."

Denali hiker killed by grizzly bear, a first in park history

A lone backpacker was killed by a grizzly bear Friday afternoon in Alaska's Denali National Park and Reserve, but not before photographing the animal for at least eight minutes from what appears to have been a dangerously close distance.

It marks the only known fatal attack by a grizzly in the park's history.

Park officials issued a news release confirming the incident Saturday, as they endeavored to secure the site, recover the body and search for a "predatory" bear. They also ordered a temporary closure of a large area surrounding the attack site, a portion of the Upper Toklat River.

The identity of the victim was not released pending notification of next of kin.

A search for the victim was launched after three hikers found an abandoned backpack, and later discovered torn clothing and blood. The hikers notified National Park Service staff after hurrying back to a nearby rest area.

A dusk search aboard airplane and helicopter revealed the victim's remains, with at least one bear still present. The bear fled as the helicopter landed and two rangers disembarked to inspect what appeared to be a secluded "cache" site away from where the initial attack occurred.

Rangers discovered a wallet and camera. Photographs from as close as 50 yards show the bear grazing for an extended period, not acting aggressively. The park requires that visitors maintain a distance of a quarter-mile when bears are visible.

It's the first fatal attack involving a grizzly in Alaska in seven years.

Because more bears probably were in the vicinity, park officials decided to postpone the recovery of the body until Saturday.

Park officials were scrambling Saturday to make sure there were no other hikers or backpackers in the area, which they say provides habitat for about 12 grizzly bears, and were hoping to find out just what triggered the attack.

Backpackers in Denali receive mandatory 'Bear Aware' training prior to receiving a backcountry permit. They also receive a 30-minute safety video, a safety briefing from the ranger staff, and a mandate to carry a Bear Resistant Food Container.

The Anchorage Daily News reports that this marked the first fatal grizzly bear mauling in Alaska since 2005, when a grizzly killed an Anchorage couple camping in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. That was deemed an unprovoked attack and the bear subsequently was hunted and killed.

-- Image shows a portion of the Upper Toklat River, which is near where the attack occurred. Courtesy of Danali National Park and Reserve

Intrepid blogger humbled on the dog-sledding trail (video)

I tried dog-sledding for the first time last week and discovered that a) the animals are surprisingly fast, b) concentration and a good sense of balance are required to stay aboard the sled, and c) I probably will not be getting an invite to participate in the Iditarod anytime soon.

Fortunately, I was wearing a GoPro camera and managed to capture the splendor of the Alaskan wilderness from atop a tenuous vehicle being towed behind a real dog sled piloted by veteran musher Kathryn Lenniger.

Unfortunately, I also managed to capture the painful few moments during which I was pitched from my sled, which began to tip as our dogs were passing another team that was stopped on the trail.

There was a slight tilt in the landscape and the rails seemed to be sliding into the dogs we were passing, so I tried guiding my sled away by leaning and that's when things went haywire. I landed on a dead run, felt my hamstring pull, and tumbled.

Remarkably, though, I did not produce a single profane word as I was ordered to "hurry" back to the sled, trying to conceal my injury and maintain a small measure of dignity.

After the hourlong adventure outside of Fairbanks I was relieved to learn that several others in our group of bloggers -- on a trip arranged by the GoPro PR staff -- had also been pitched from their sleds.

Beforehand, none of us would have considered mushing to be a contact sport?
 
-- Pete Thomas

Dallas Seavey, 25, sets age record in Iditarod sled-dog race

With his dad and grandfather still following in his wake, Dallas Seavey made history Tuesday night by becoming the youngest musher to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race from Anchorage to Nome.

Seavey, 25, crossed the finish line before cheering fans on Front Street at 7:28 p.m. local time, completing a grueling 975-mile competition that began March 4.

He finished comfortably ahead of Aliy Zirkle and Ramey Smyth, who were expected to finish second and third, respectively, and beat an age record held by five-time Iditarod champion Rick Swenson, who won his first time out in 1977 at age 27.

Zirkle, 41, who held the lead for much of the past week, posed the only real threat to Seavey after following him out of the White Mountain checkpoint, 80 miles from Nome, with more than an hour to make up.

But she could not gain enough ground in what's billed as "The Last Great Race."

Sled-dog racing is definitely in Seavey's blood. His father Mitch, winner of the 2004 Iditarod, was in seventh place at the time his son crossed the finish line.

Dan Seavey, 74, who finished third in the first Iditarod in 1973, was 53rd out of 55 mushers still in the race.

Defending champion John Baker was in eighth place and four-time champion Lance Mackey was 27th.

On beating his father, Dallas Seavy quipped to the the Alaska Dispatch, "I think he always hoped it would come after he retired."

Smyth, 36, might have contended more closely for the title were it not for a mishap at the start of the race, and illness among some of his dogs late in the contest.

On the first day of the Iditarod, Smyth tumbled from his sled after falling asleep, and spent the next 40 minutes chasing after his team of dogs.

The annual race, which was first staged in 1973, is a tribute to the role sled dogs have played in Alaskan culture and a means of preserving an  historical trade route.

Dallas Seavey poised for historic Iditarod triumph

Barring unforeseen circumstance, Dallas Seavey, a third-generation musher from Willow, Alaska, will become the youngest person to win the historic Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Seavey, 25, who was the first musher into the White Mountain checkpoint, maintained a commanding lead when he pulled out Tuesday morning, and was expected to cross the finish line at about 6 p.m. to complete the historic 975-mile competition.

In the accompanying video, courtesy of the Anchorage Daily News, Seavey talks about his recipe for success on what is often a grueling competition in harsh elements that test the mettle of mushers and their dogs.

 

His closest competitor on Tuesday morning was Aliy Zirkle, but she appeared to have been too far back to mount a significant threat.

Among those Seavey will out-pace are his father, Mitch Seavey, who was in seventh place early Tuesday, and his grandfather, Dan Seavey, who was in 55th place and close to the back of the pack.

Dallas Seavey, after arriving at White Mountain, told the Daily News that becoming the youngest Iditarod champion was his goal all along.

"That's been something I've really been working toward for five years now, and now that it's almost a reality is pretty cool."

Web-cam puts spotlight on polar bears of Churchill, Manitoba

Polar bears are gathering near and within the small town of Churchill in Manitoba, Canada, awaiting the seasonal Hudson Bay freeze-up so they can venture onto the ice and prey on seals.

The bears have long been a draw for scientists and tourists but this season a live web-cam feed enables wildlife enthusiasts from around the world to witness the phenomenon (the feed is posted below). The camera is funded by a $50,000 grant from the Annenberg Foundation and displayed on the explore.org website.

There are between 600-800 polar bears in the Western Hudson Bay region. Freeze-up typically occurs about the third week of November but last year it didn't occur until mid-December, which is bad for the bears because they're unable to hunt from shore.

A late freeze-up is expected again this year, meaning prolonged mingling in Churchill. Enjoy the web-cam and click on the above links or read this AP story to learn more about the bears and the project. Viewing is best between early morning and early afternoon, Alaska time.