On June 23 we turned our baidarkas’ bows to the upper bay, at the head of which we ascended a small river that wound through a vast meadow until the stream met the mountains.  Here we unloaded our simple camp gear, and while the men prepared breakfast, Blake and I ascended an elevation which commanded an uninterrupted view of the grassy plain.  No bears were in sight, so we had time and undisturbed opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the scene.  We lay for some time basking in the sun, talking of books and people, and of many subjects of common interest.  Now and then one would take the glasses and scan the outskirts of the vast meadow which stretched before us.  All at once Blake gave a low exclamation and pointed to the west.  I followed the direction of his gaze, and saw four bears slowly leaving the woods.  They were at some distance, and we did not think we had time to reach them before they would probably return to the underbrush for their mid-day sleep, so for the present we let them go.

After breakfast, as they were still In the same place, we attempted the stalk, going most of the way in our baidarkas, winding in and out through the meadow in the small lagoons which intersected it in all directions.  Every little while the men would ascend the banks with the glasses, thus keeping a watchful eye upon the bears’ movements.  Taking a time when they had fed into the underbrush, we made a quick circle to leeward over the open, then reaching the edge of the thicket, we approached cautiously to a selected watching place.  We reached this spot shortly after one o’clock.  The bears had entered the woods, so we settled ourselves for a long wait.  It was Blake’s turn to shoot, which meant that he was to have an undisturbed first shot at the largest bear, and after he had fired I could take what was left.

Just before three o’clock three bears again made their appearance.  Two were yearlings which in the fall would leave their mother and shift for themselves, and one much larger, which lay just at the edge of the underbrush.  Had these yearlings not been with the mother she would not have come out so early in the afternoon, and, as it was, she kept in the shadow of the alders, while the two smaller ones fed out some distance from the woods.

We now removed our boots, and, with Stereke well in hand, for he smelt the bears and was tugging hard on his collar, noiselessly skirted the woods, keeping some tall grass between the bears and ourselves.  In this way we approached to within one hundred yards.  Twice one of the smaller animals rose on his hind legs and looked in our direction; but the wind was favorable, and we were well concealed, so they did not take alarm.