polar bears of the alaskan arctic - backcountryjourneys.com · life in the arctic with the polar...

Backcountry Journeys – Polar Bears of the Alaskan Arctic 1

Landscape & Wildlife Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris 928-478-1521 | [email protected] | www.backcountryjourneys.com

Polar Bears of the Alaskan Arctic

“For humans, the Arctic is a harshly inhospitable place, but the conditions there are

precisely what polar bears require to survive - and thrive. 'Harsh' to us is 'home' for

them. Take away the ice and snow, increase the temperature by even a little, and

the realm that makes their lives possible literally melts away.”

-Silvia Earle

Pricing, Dates & Booking

For current pricing, trip dates

& online reservations please

see our website.

Trip Packets

Our PDF Trip Packets are being

updated all the time. Ensure you

have the most recent version by

clicking here.

Last Published: April 9, 2020

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Trip Overview

Join us on an incredible once in a lifetime adventure this fall to

photograph Alaskan Polar Bears up close and personal! We’ll travel to a

remote island in the Arctic Ocean to photograph scores of Polar Bears at

eye-level from a small boat. Travel with an experienced professional

photographer and Inupiaq boat captain who have been living with and

photographing Polar Bears for decades.

This trip takes us to an isolated Inupiaq Eskimo Village situated on the

shores of the Beaufort Sea in the heart of the Arctic National Wildlife

Refuge. Each day we will head out in our privately chartered boat to

photograph Polar Bears as they swim, play, wrestle and forage for food

along the icy shores. Phenomenal close-up images are possible with

focal-lengths of 300mm to 400mm as we will often get as close as 90 feet

in our boats.





Fall is the optimal time of year for photographing Polar Bears in the

Alaskan Arctic as they are waiting for “freeze-up” when they can begin

their migrations across the vastness of the frozen Arctic Ocean. Often,

we will be able to photograph between 20-30 different bears on this trip.

Each evening we will retire to our rustic village accommodations where

you can relax in the warm great-room after an excellent day of Polar

Bear Photography. Hot meals are wonderful and guests can swap

stories with other travels to this remote corner of the world. The

Northern Lights are usually visible every night that it is clear along the

Arctic Coast – if they are out, we will photograph the Aurora as well!

Life in the Arctic with the Polar Bears is the definition of living on the

edge!

Highlights

• Maximum of six photographers

• Excellent Polar Bear Photography

• Up to 25% more time with the bears than your average bear

viewing outing!

• Get incredible eye-level Polar Bears shots

• Stay in an authentic Eskimo Village

• High concentration of Polar Bears

• Northern Lights

• All Inclusive Trip





Noteworthy Travel Logistics

• This trip begins & ends in Fairbanks, Alaska at:

SpringHill Suites (by Marriott) Fairbanks*

575 1st Avenue, Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 USA

907-451-6552

*Please note: Exact hotel is subject to change - equivalent hotel may be substituted.

If you are planning on arriving early or staying late please contact us.

• You can arrive at any time on Day One of the tour as long as you

arrive in time for the 5pm orientation meeting that evening.

• You can depart Fairbanks at any time on the last day of the tour.





Transportation On-Tour

When you arrive in Fairbanks, Alaska just call the SpringHill Suites at

907-451-6552.

If you are using their complementary airport transportation, please

contact them at least 24 hours before your arrival to arrange your

shuttle pickup. We will provide ground, boat and air charter

transportation for the duration of the tour. All you have to do is show

up in Fairbanks!

Pre & Post-Trip Recommended Lodging

If you are arriving early or want to spend more time in Fairbanks after

the trip we recommend:

SpringHill Suites (by Marriott) Fairbanks

575 1st Avenue, Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 USA

907-451-6552





Itinerary Most meals included – (B,L,D) denotes Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day One (Travel Day)(D)

Arrive in Fairbanks, Alaska by 5:00pm for orientation and welcome

dinner. If the Northern Lights are out be prepared for a nighttime

photo session!

Day Two (B,L,D)

Today we will board a small charter flight for Barter Island. After a

safety briefing we will board our private boat and begin

photographing Polar Bears! We will spend the entire rest of the day

photographing the bears from several locations.

Days Three & Four (B,L,D)

Full days of boat-based Polar Bear photography. The Northern Lights

are visible just about every night it is clear along the Arctic Coast – so

if they are out we will photograph them!

Day Five (B,L,D)

We will have one last 3-4 hour morning session of photography from

our boat, then eat a hearty lunch before we board the charter plane

bound for Fairbanks.

Day Six (B)

You can make flights reservations home anytime today





Please Note: Weather delays are possible, and we highly recommend travel insurance. Please note that the exact sequence of the itineraries on all photography trips will be based on weather and lighting conditions. The goal on these trips is to make sure we are at the right place at the right time for the perfect light on our subjects. Also, itineraries can change for a variety of other circumstances including floods, forest fires, national park closures, road closures and more. Due to the nature of wildlife and nature photography we do not guarantee any specific sightings or specific compositions regarding wildlife or natural phenomena.





Trip Details

Physical Requirements

All participants must be in good physical condition and have the ability

to hike short distances with camera equipment and get into / out of a

small boat. This trip doesn’t require much (if any) hiking but if the

Northern Lights are out, we might have to hike a bit to have a clear

view.

Group Size

Maximum six photographers

Accommodation

We will be staying at the SpringHill Suites while in Fairbanks. While in

the Eskimo Village of Kaktovik we will be staying at the very rustic

Waldo Arms Hotel. Rooming is shared with another guest (there is very limited space for single supplements in the village. If this is something you prefer, be sure to book early!)





Trip length

6 days

Meeting Time and Place

5pm at the Springhill Suites by Marriott on the first day of the trip.

Fitness Level 1:

Fairly Easy – This is a boat-based trip and you must be able to get into / out of a small boat in potentially rough seas.

Trip Conclusion

Fairbanks, Alaska morning of Day Six. You can fly out anytime when

you wake-up on day six (just catch our hotel’s free shuttle to the airport

after breakfast!)

Price/Start Dates

Polar Bears of the Alaskan Arctic (see website)

Pre and Post Trip:

Recommended lodging SpringHill Suites Fairbanks

Meals

Most meals are included during the trip dates from dinner Day One

through breakfast on Day Six.

Weather

Typical daytime temperatures are in the 20-30-degree Fahrenheit range

while in the Arctic during September. It can get windy out on the water

so make sure you have plenty of warm clothing! Evenings are usually in

the 20s.

Price Includes

Most meals, ground transportation, roundtrip air charter to Barter

Island, Polar Bear viewing boat rides, accommodation during the trip

dates: from the evening of Day One through the morning of Day Six,

professional photography instruction, medically certified wilderness






guide, & gratuities for service personnel such as drivers, pilots, captains

as well as hotel & restaurant staff.

Price Does Not Include

Airfare to/from Fairbanks, alcoholic beverages, accommodations before

or after the trip dates, one meal on your own, souvenirs & trip leader

gratuities (industry standard is typically 10%-20% of the trip cost based on your experience)

Lodging & Meals

Backcountry Journeys Photography Tours & Workshops include meals,

lodging from Day One through the morning of the last day of the tour,

ground transportation while on the tour, guide fees and other items

essential to a successful trip – meaning that once your there all you will

have to focus on is your photography. We can accommodate most special

diets so please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions.

Gear List

This gear list should answer a lot of your gear questions so please read

through this carefully. If you still have questions, please give us a call.

Your clothing should be a system of layers that you add and subtract

according to the weather and temperature. A good pair of good synthetic

“Smartwool” type socks under sturdy boots works well. Clothing should

be light-weight nylon pants (maybe base-layers), a polypro shirt and

either a sunhat or warm hat depending on the weather. As weather

conditions change add insulating and waterproof layers to your base

setup. Don’t bring any cotton clothing. Cotton is not a good insulator

and once it gets wet it takes forever to dry. Absolutely no jeans! (see

complete clothing list below)





Photo & Field Gear Recommended Camera Gear:

• DSLR or Mirrorless Camera. (Nikon, Canon, Sony, Panasonic etc.) • Telephoto Lens (400mm-600mm or equivalent)

• Normal Lenses (ranging from approximately 35mm to 100mm)

• Memory Cards

• Batteries & Chargers

• Lens cleaning pen & cloth

• Camera Day Pack (this should appropriately carry all your camera

& hiking gear and have a rain cover)

• Camera Rain Sleeve

Optional (but recommended) Camera Gear: • Back-Up Camera Body

• Medium telephoto zoom lens (100–400mm zoom or equivalent) • Wide-angle lens (10-20mm, f2.8 or faster is best if we see Northern

Lights!) • Tripod (please note that you won’t want to use a tripod in the boat

however this is a must for Northern Lights. Monopods are ok on boat-based trips.)

• Normal Lens (50mm or equivalent zoom) • Macro-Lens (snow-flakes anyone!)

• 1.4x tele converter

• Laptop Computer with Lightroom / Photoshop Pre-Installed (for

personal use in hotels for downloading images while on tour)

• External Hard Drives

• Remote Shutter Trigger

• Camera’s Instruction Manual

Suggested Field Gear & Clothing for Alaskan Winter • Base Layers (top & bottom): Mid-weight long-john style thermal

underwear (merino wool is best) • Mid Layers (top & bottom): Heavier weight long-john style

thermal underwear (merino wool is best)





• Heavier Mid Layer (top & bottom): Heavier fleece or wool jacket / fleece pants

• Top Layers: Insulated snow pants & good winter jacket (heavy,

puffy down jackets that are water-resistant are best)

• Weather-Proof Layers: Weatherproof jacket that goes over down-

jacket

• Heavy, warm, ski mountaineering socks (wool / merino wool) • Insulated winter boots (high performance insulated boot that is

supportive, waterproof, lightweight, and breathable.)

• Hand-wear: Light-weight fleece gloves + heavy down gloves over

the top

• Warm hat: aviator style is recommended

• Balaklava

• Headlamp with spare batteries (for photographing Northern Lights! There are short daylight hours during the winter)

• Gaiters (optional, but recommended, depending on your ski pants) • Shooting Gloves

• Casual wear for around town & in the hotel

• Swimsuit for the hot-tub in Fairbanks

• Water Bottle (insulated is best. Hydro-flask is a great brand)

• Prescription medication

• Personal toiletries

• Money, for tipping your guide (industry standard is generally 10%-20% of the trip cost based on your experience), and for any

personal expenses not included in the tour package such as alcoholic

beverages, a few of the meals, souvenirs, etc.

This is a general list. Call or email us with any questions!

Note on Packing for the tour:

Please pack your extra clothing, toiletries, extra camera gear, and other travel items into a suitcase, duffel or travel bag. You will not bring all your camera gear on every hike or outing. Each day you will be briefed on which lenses, filters, etc. you will need on each outing the following evening.





Important note: The luggage limit for the Bush Plane is 75 lbs per

person. This includes all your camera equipment as well as your

personal gear. Basically, anything you bring to Kaktovik.

Pro-Tip: Roller luggage is very heavy with nothing in it (typical roller luggage weighs 8-12 lbs. per suitcase!), if you think you may be overweight please purchase a lighter-weight appropriate hiking/camera bag (typical backpack weighs 2.5-5 lbs per pack), and/or duffel (typical weight 1-3 lbs per duffel) for the trip.



polar bears of the alaskan arctic - backcountryjourneys.com · life in the arctic with the polar...

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