Stepping off the plane, I knew we were far from anywhere—and exactly where we wanted to be. The beach-turned-runway stretched wide and empty beneath our boots, the salty ocean air mixing with that crisp northern chill that makes the world feel impossibly vast. Just beyond the surf, the wild opened up in every direction—rivers, spruce-dotted flats, and distant mountains fading into a quiet horizon.
Our guides met us on the sand, seasoned pros in backcountry travel and bear safety, ready to lead us through two nights at Shelter Creek—a tiny tent outpost perched on the edge of the Cook Inlet in Lake Clark National Park. They pitched our tents, laid out gear, and set the gentle buzz of the electric fence that would watch over us after dark. Even with that thin line of protection, you could feel it: the awareness that Coastal Brown Bears wandered freely all around us. Their home, their rules—and we were lucky to be invited in.
