Katmai

_____,_.. ' Katmai was declared a national monument in 1918 to preserve the living laboratory of its cataclysmic 1912 volcanic eruption, particularly the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. The intervening years have seen most of the geothermal features die out. But there has welled up an equally compelling interest: to safeguard the area's awesome brown bears. To protect this magnificent animal and its varied habitat, the boundaries were extended over the years, and in 1980 the area was designated a national park and preserve. Katmai looms so vast that the bulk of it must elude all but a very few persistent travelers. To boat its enormous lakes and their island-studded bays, to float its rushing waterways, to backpack -the wind-whipped passes of its imposing mountains, o r to explore its Shelikot Strait coastline require great effort and logistical planning . This unseen Katmai lurks beyond our usual experiences here of fishing from B rooks Camp , walking up to Brooks Falls, and riding the van out to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. We come to Katma i to samp le but an edg e o f t his enormity of raw natural forc es, a sampling that itself constitutes a rare and endange red opp ortunity. Ka tmai's awe-inducing na tural powers confront us most visib ly in its volcanics and its brown bears: In summer North America 's largest land predator s gather along streams to feast on the salmo n runs , those annual d isgorgings of oceanic The 15 active volcanoes that line the Shelikof Strait here make Katmai National Park and Preserve one of the world 's most active volcanic centers today. These Aleutian Range volcanoes are pipelines into the fiery cauldron that underlies Alaska 's southern coast and extends down both Pacific Ocean shores-the socalled Pacific Ring of Fire. This Ring of Fire boasts more than four times more volcanic eruptions above sea level than any other region in historic times. Nearly 10 percent of these more than 400 eruptions have occurred In Alaska; less than two percent in the rest of North America. The current theory of plate tectonics attributes this phenomenon to the collision of the series of plates that compose the Earth's crust. The Ring of Fire marks edges where crustal plates bump against each other. Superimposing a map of earthquake activity over a map of active volcanoes creates a massed record of violent earth changes ringing the Pacific Ocean from southern South America around through the Indonesian archipelago. Major volcanic eruptions have deposited ash throughout the Katmai area at least 10 times during the past 7,000 years. Under the now quietfloor of the expansive Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, and deep beneath the mountains that rise around it, there is still molten rock present. Most visible as clues to this are the steam plumes that occasionally rise from Mts. Mageik, Martin, and Trident. These steam plumes show that there is real potential for new eruptions to occur. And , in fact, Mt. Trident has erupted four times in recent decades, its last eruptive episode taking place in 1968. A volcanic eruption capable of bringing about major change could occur at any time in this tru ly dynamic landscape. Since the great 1912 eruption, the massive deposits of volcanic ash and sand that resulted have con solidated into tutt, which is a type of rock. In the valley these ash deposits have been rapidly cut through by streams to form steep-walled gorges. The thousands of fantastic smoking fumaroles that greeted the scientists who discovered the Va lley of Ten Thousand Smokes after that powerful eruption (see story below) have now all cooled and ceased their ominous smoking. But the fiery cauldron, whose intense heat and pressure can be forcefully released to alter the landscape radically in a matter of hours, still looms close to the surface here in the park's portion of the vol canic Aleu· tian Range. A predictable eruption occurs here yearly as salmon burst from the Northern Pacific and into park waters. Sockeye salmon return from the North Pacific where they have spent two or three years. By some homing mechanism they return to the exact headwater gravel beds of their birth. Their size, an average 2.2 to 3 kilograms (5 to 7 pounds), varies proportionally to how long they spend in saltwater. The salmon run be gins here in late June. By July's end a million fish may have moved from Bristol Bay into the Naknek system of lakes and rive rs . Salmonstop feeding on entering freshwater and physiological changes lead to the distinctive red col or, humped back, and elongated jaw they develop during spawning. The salmon spawn during August and September. Stream bottoms must have the correct texture of loose gravel for eggs to develop. The strea m must flow freely through winter to aerate the eggs. By spring young fish, called smelt, emerg e from the gravels and migrate into the larger lakes, living there two years. The salmon then migrate to sea, returning in two or three years to spawn an d begin the cycle again. Salmon provide food for th e bears, bald eagles, and other creatures that forage along streams during the annual run . They also have been important to Katmai peoples for sever al tho usand years , and com· - - ---- -- - ~ ~ -- - ------- ~-----------~-- ------------:---. ~------ Cover photo: Brown bea r on shore of Nakne k Lake. by To m Bean protein-wealth into the upper freshwater world. Aiaska 's brown bears and grizzlies are now considered one species. Peop le commonly consider grizzlies to be those that live 160 kilome te rs (100 mites) or more in land. Browns are bigger than gr izzlie s beca us e of thei r high-protein diet, t hanks primarily to the salmon that make a hea dlon g rendezvous with death near the stream-bottom gra vels o th ei bi . Kod iak brown bears are a different subspecies tha t is ge09raphica ll y isolated on Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. Matu re mal e bears in Katmai may weigh up to 400 kilograms (900 pounds). Mati ng oc curs fr m May to mid-July, with the cubs born in dens in mid-winter. Up to fo ur cubs may be born, at a mere half-kilo (1 pound) each. Cubs stay with the mother for two years, during which time she does not reproduce. The interval between litters is usually at least three years. Brown bears dig a new den each year, entering it in November and emerging in April: About half of their lifetimes is spent in their dens. Because each bear possesses individual characteristics and behavior, no formulas can predict how a given bear will act in a given situation. These awe -inspiring bears symbolize the wildness of Katmai today. Unseen Katmai Wildlife Volcanics - - mercial fishing - outside the park - remains the mainstay of today's local economy. Flying into Katmai from nearby King Salmon you cross over expansive Naknek Lake, your first clue to the extensive system of lakes and rivers, streams and marshes that is just one aspect of the unseen Katmai. Katmai is so large and imposing of access that its contrasting faces do not reveal themselves to the usual itinerary. The vast systems of elongated lakes nestl e in valleys gouged out by glaciers. The lower slo pes of interior mountains are covered with birch, poplar, and spruce forest. In the alpine tundra of the higher slopes wildflowers abound in the brief summer Katmai 's coastal mountains are part of the Aleutian Range. These snow-clad mountains arc down the Alaska Peninsula and culminate in the Aleutian Islands, which are crests of a string of submarine volcanoes. Katmai's high mountain passes are forbidding because of their foul weather and the intense winds that result when major weather systems from the Gulf of Alaska and from Siberia meet. The interior backcountry of many national parks is relatively little seen by most travelers. All but the most minute fragments of Katmai are backcountry wilderness, hence the un- bald eagles, hawks, fal cons, and ow ls. Brow n bea rs season_The seen Ka tm ai. and moose live throughout the coastal and lake regions, the moose feeding on willows, water plants, and grasses. Smaller mammals include the red fox , wolf , tial additio n to the park in 1980, offers brown bear habitat and boasts extensive salmon spawning and nursery areas. These homing salmon are critical here to the bears, and elsewhere to commercial fishing. Katmai 's lake edges and marshes serve as nesting sites for whistling swans, ducks, loons, grebes, and that 32,000-kilometer (20,000-mile) annual commuter, the arctic tern. Sea birds abound along the coast , peregrine falcons nest among coastal cliffs , grouse and ptarmigan inhabit uplands, and some 40 songbird species summer here. Seacoast rock pin nacl es and treetops along lakeshores provide nesti ng sites tor secretive lynx and wolverine , river otter, mink, marten , weasel , and that natural hydro engineer, the beaver. Along the coast are sea lions, sea otters, and hair seals, wi th beluga and gray whales sometimes cruising the Shelikof Strait. e o n try, which accounts for subs a n- The interior mountains rise to about 900 meters (3,000 feet), but the coastal mountains, the ice-shrouded backbone of the park and peninsula , reach above 2,100 meters (7,000 feet ). Deep bays, rock shoals, sheer cliffs, and narrow beaches dot a rugged, indented coast. This choppy coast provides habitat for marine mammals and birds and for moose, bald eagles, and brown bears. Wide valleys reach inland like corridors into this ru gged range of wild and imposing coastal mountains. Crossing Martin Cree k Eruption! And the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes The June 1912 eruption of Novarupta Volcano altered the Katmai area dramatically. Severe earthquakes rocked the area tor a week before Novarupta exploded with cataclysmic force (see diagram). Enormous quantities of hot, glowing pumice and ash were ejected from Novarupta and nearby fissures. This material flowed over the terrain, destroying all life in its path. Trees upslope were snapped off and carbonized by the blasts of hot wind and gas. For several days ash, pumice, and gas were ejected and a haze darkened the sky over most of the Northern Hemisphere. When it was over, more than 65 square kilometers (40 square miles) of lush green land lay buried beneath volcanic deposits as much as 200 meters (700 feet) deep. At nearby Kodiak, for two days a person could not see a lantern held at arm's length . Acid rain caused clothes to disintegrate on clotheslines in distant Vancouver, Canada. The eruption was 1O times more forceful than the 1980 eruption of Mount Saint Helens. Eventually Novarupta became dormant. In the valleys of Knife Creek and the Ukak River, innumerable small holes and cracks devel- oped in the volcanic ash deposits, perm itting gas and steam from the heated ground water to escape. It was an apparently unnamed val ley when the 20th century 's most dramatic volcanic episode took place. Robert Griggs, exploring the volcano 's aftermath tor the National Geographic Society in 1916, stared awestuck off Katmai Pass across the valley's roaring landscape riddled by thousands of steam vents. The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, Griggs named it. "The whole valley as far as the eye could reach was full of hundreds, no thousands-literally, tens of thousands-of smokes curling up from its fissured floor," Griggs would write. One thousand steam vents reached 150 meters (500 feet) in the air, some more than 300 meters (1 ,000 feet). Such marvels inspired explorers on the next year's expedition: " I felt like a boy at a circus, for I couldn 't take time to study the attraction Robert Griggs th ought t a a1 had blownhe found its new crater lake o arupta Vol cano subseq ently proved th e source . al hough much of the e1ec ted magma was before me because I suspected something more capti va tin g farther on. " " The meager pictures of the previ ous year . .. had not pr epa red me to face such a spectacle of awesome magnitude . I had pictu re !! the Valley as large; the actual view dwarfed my wildest imagery to insi g nificance." " You may build in memory , but never reproduce the see n s which lie beyond the Katmai Pass. They seem too big to be a part of th rest of the world. They do not connect up with the little things which a. e built into our lives." The expedition's surveyor did not concur with such glowing a sessments of natural wonders that seriously reduced visibility: "The smokes did not impress me with their grandeur. . . . The ir ability to make surveying next to impossible did ... A wool comfort placed on the ground which is 110°F ... will steam beautifully. It is a natural phenomenon, but ii is not a good bed." Nature can 't please everyone. drained from beneath Mt. Katmai. As Mt. Katm ai's foundation was drawn aw ay, its su mmi t su bsid ed, leaving a ca ldera in wh ich a crater lake formed . The ash flows that spewed out over the valley held their heat for years. Surface water pe rcolating through them was heated and vented to the surface as fumaroles. Only one eruption in historic times-Greece's Santorini in 1500 B .C. -displaced more volcanic matter than Novarupta . The terrible 1883 eruption of Indonesia 's Krakatoa belched out little more than half as much, yet killed 35,000 people. Vastly isolated Novarupta killed no one. If the eruption occurred on Manhattan Island in New York City, Robert Griggs calculated, residents of Chicago would hear it plainly. The fumes would tarnish brass in Denver. Acid raindrops would burn your skin in Toronto. In Philadelphia the ash would lie nearly as deep as this folder is wide. Manhattan would have no survivors. Today you can take the trip from Brooks Camp out to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, where the turbulent Ukak River and its tributaries cut deep gorges in the accumulated ash. The landscape slowly recovers: In nature, each destruction is somewhere's new creation. ·· GPO 1964 - 421·578 / 473 Ukak River. The streams cut steep gorges in the volcanic debris. At Th ree Forks. in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. Knife and Windy Creeks join the River Lethe, headed for the Porcupines eat bark, twigs, leaves, buds, and an occasional piece of camping gear. The a~ oe Ar:iencan pit house or ba'aoara used effect .e sod nsi; a 100 Rock ptarmigan wear whi te in wi nter, brown in summer, and " mottled " in between. Access and Information A skier surveys Katmai's wintry backcou ntry from a ridge on Baked Mountain. Red-necked grebes build f loating nests in vegetat ion along shallow lake marg in s. Accommodations and Services Katmai National Park and Preserve I ies on the Alaska Peninsula 470 kilometers (290 miles) southwest of Anchorage. Daily commercial fl ights connect Anchorage with King Salmon, about 10 99613. Maps and books about Katmai may be purchased by mail from the non profit Alaska Natural History Association at the same address. kilometers (6 miles) from the park's west boundary. Comm ercial float planes operate daily between King Salmon and Brooks Camp from June to September.Year-round ai r charter services are available in King Salmon. boundary. Boat service between Lake Camp and Brooks Camp and elsewhere on Naknek Lake is available from late June through September. Make all charter arrangements before vou arrive to ensu re service that fits your schedule. A 14-kilometer (9-m ile) dirt road connects King Salmon with Lake Camp, inside the park's west Weather and Clothing. Be prepared for stormy weather and some sun' shine. Summer ~'!'t daytime temperatures range from about 12° to 18° C (mid- 50s to mid-60s F); the average low is 7° C (44 FJ. Strong winds and sudde n gusts-williwaws -frequently sweep the area. Skies are clear about 20 percent of the sum mer. Light rain can last for days. For Information. Write the Superintendent. P.O. Box 7, King Salmon, AK Bring comfortable outdoor clothes. Include a warm sweater. wind- '1 breaker or hghtw e1ght fiberfill Jacket, footgear that provides good support, woot socks, and a wool hat. Rain gear shou ld include ra incoat and pants, parka, and hat. A concessioner provides accommodat ions and services at five points in the park and preserve from June 1 into early September. For addresses and information, write to the park address. Insects. You will need insect repellent! Firearms. Hunting, or discharging any weapon . is prohibited in the park, and firearms must be unloaded and cased. Hunting - under Alaska State law -and carrying firearms are allowed in the preserve only. Limited camping and food supplies and some fishing tackle are sold at Brooks Lodge. Several commercial operators are authorized to provide air taxi, "flightseeing," backpacking, canoe, and i ishing guide services in the par and preserve Write he park address ora list. Overnight services by package rates are offered at Grosvenor Lake, Kulik Lodge, Battle Lake, and onv1anu Camp Reser· vat1ons are necessary. Aea!s and accommodations are also a a1lable i ing Salmon lems with bears while f ishing. Regulat ions and Saf e ty The National Par Service conducts guided nature walks and evening programs at Brooks Camp from Memorial Day to Labor Day week. I nformation, maps, and other publications are available at the Brooks Camp Visitor Center and at park headquarters in King Salmon . At Brooks Camp are B rooks Lodge, a campground , and the park's summer headquarters. Brooks Lodge on Naknek Lake offers cabins (with plumbing) that sleep four per unit. The lodge serves family-style meals. Catch-and-release fishing is encouraged in these trophy waters. Follow the suggestions above for avoid rn g prob- Seeing Katmai. A 37-kiloe er (23-mile) d road be!Y. een B roo s Camp and he Valley o · Ten Thousand Smokes oilers a view of this w ilderness sculpted by glaciers, stream erosion , and volcanism . A foot trail descends to the valley from road's end. Concessionoperated vans make daily rou nd-trip excursio ns to the valley. Park rangers accompany you. Charter aircraft at King Salmon and Brooks Camp offer scenic fl ights. In good weather you see the bays, fjords, and waterfalls along the coast, glacier-clad mountains with steam ing volc anic peaks, and t e 1slandstudded lakes You may fly o er the alley o Ten Thousano Smo es seeing ;he 912 erup on site Backco untry Travel. Katmai s rugged wilderness offers rewarding experiences-with reaso nable precaut ions. Be well prepared and equipped. There are several good short routes and unlimited opportunities for long trips. Katmai has few trails, but passable routes can be found along river bars, lakeshores, and gravel ridges. For overnight Valley hikes you can arrange a van d rop-off and pick-up. For more information, request the free "Traveling the Katmai Backcountry" brochure. Hiking Safety. Cold 1t nds and cywa ers pose grea hazards Gear us '" nstand g 1>.rldS 80- -00 0 .50-60 m are not nusualancl b , ng ' 8 n Carry extra cry clo ng. preferably woos Read up on hypothermia symptoms and their trea tment. Be prepared to wait out storms: carry matches, fi rst aid kit, and emergency food . Rains or melting glac iers can make stream crossings impossible. You need sneakers and hiking boots here. Be extremely cautious when crossing muddy waters. Streams rise quickly during rainstorms or heavy glacial melt. Salmon. Backcountrv campers must read the bear safety leaflet/ There is a National Park Service campgrou nd with firepits, tables, water, pit to ilets, and a food storage cache at B rooks Camp on Naknek Lake. Wh ite gas is available from the concessioner. Please use stoves; firewood is limited. Onl y deadwood that is down may be used for firewood. You can arrange in advance for meals at the lodge. Otherwise. bring all food with you. Camping. You may camp a yw ere in the park, but ·or backcoun ry camping, p ease ob;a a permit 'ro · e B<oc-<S Camp s :or Cer.:er or park r.eadeuar:e·s n Ki ng Because of bears and other wild life. please don't bring pets. Check with the park for current aircraft landing regulations. Leave archeo logical artifacts and historical objects where you find them . Fishing. An Alaska fi shing license is required in th e park . Obtain a license and regulations in King Salmon or at B rooks Camp. Catch-and-release fishi ng is encouraged. Brooks River is a flyfishing-onl v river. The Naknek drainage offers gray li ng, Dolly Varden, northern pike, and the more abundant rainbow trout and sockeye (red) sa lmon. Coho (silver) and pink (humpback) salmon are som etimes taken in streams. Boating Safety. Katmai w aters can become suddenly viole nt. Know your boat and its ope rat ion before setting o ut. A ll s tate and federal boati ng regulations app ly. One Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device is requ ired for each person on a craft. Ca rry signal equi pment. Don't ov erload your craft; load it low for stability. Beware of underwater rock outcrops. Watch the weather and stav ashore when water is rough. Wild River. The Alagnak Wi ld River is managed by the park staff. The upper r iver is rocky and mod erately sw ift. Lower down it slows, and you can take leisurely floats throu gh expans ive t undra. Q 1 - 1Katmai (} L____) NationSI Park ~-~ ~ ~-0 () r - - - - r Ka m ~~ <> · ILIAMNA LAKE _,£- ___ ·1 t.___.:! Trail L____J Nat1a'lrtill"reserve \/,0 c:::==J !====J Unpaved ~cad 10 Ki19meters 20 ~ ~ """"' f........ i.J.J K A MJ S H A K '-.J ~ B AY ' -< 0 0 () ATIONAL PRESERVE Mount Douglas 2153 m 7063 It . -NATIONAL -.u '"R'2.u- • EsUno Pl1 Houae ---o-Brooks Camp ~= •(II Visitor Center .. Mount Kelez 991 m 3250 ft . Devils Desk 1954 m 64 11 n. Alount Katohna1 1442 m 4 73() ft . • ic;.ukak Vofc8no 2042 m 6700 ff • Mount Ste'ler 2225 m 7300 n Granite Peak 513 m )683 ff Mou nt Griggs 2316 rn ,.lflll<I ff •325 m 1005 ft Snowy Mountain 216 1 m 7090 ft . Baked !-l<>untaon "" .~~~ o~~ No~~f': • 4-(, ·Mount Katmai 2047 m 6715 ft 4860 ft Katmai Pass • ·Trident Volcano 1832 m 6010 It Mount \~ege1k 2210 m Mount Martin 1844 m 60,.SO fl . BECHAROF NATIONAL W I LDL I FE R E F U G E I ~ Ir----' I ~ -~ f PENINSULA WILDLIFE _,REFUGE !....., ~t L, ~·~ ~ / <' 7250 ' ' · '.::"Qbservalion Mour:itein 994 m • 32t30 t:.