TCM: You probably remember Todd Salat from TCM’s “The Aurora Hunter ” article back on February 25, 2007.  For more photos of Todd’s, visit his website at www.aurorahunter.com .  Thank you, Todd, for submitting your story, “Where’s My Honey?”

Where's My Honey? 
By: Todd Salat 

How does this all relate to truck campers?  Well, I couldn't do the Denali Professional Photography Permit gig without my rig.  Normally, the only vehicles allowed in Denali Park are tour buses so it is quite a treat to have your own wheels.  To get the permit one has to prove that they make their living by photography (25 published photos per year).  Then there is a drawing and I hope I get the dates I want - ten days maximum.  This year I drew five days in June and five in July.  Then it's a roll of the dice for photo opportunities with all senses alert.  I took 300 pictures in the June trip, 3000 in the July trip!  It was awesome.

This male (boar) grizzly lost his honey – a beautiful blonde female (sow) –somewhere in Denali National Park & Preserve this past July, 2007.  I found them kicking back in a pool of water trying to cool off in the 75° F heat (that's hot for Alaska, especially if you permanently wear a fur coat).  After a long while, the sow climbed up a steep hill, sauntered across the Park Road and around a tour bus, then ambled down the road… and the male lost scent of her.  They see a whole lot better with their noses than with their eyes.  When he realized his hard-earned honey was gone he felt the sting of his battle scars and got a little frantic.  Up and down the hill he went at a deceptively fast pace, searching and sniffing everywhere. A couple of times he looked directly at me, which had me leaning towards my truck camper door!  I was like "Whoa bear, I didn't take her – she went the other way!" It’s a very exciting moment in nature when a bear loses his cool.  The funny part was she was so coy about the whole deal that it almost appeared to be a game, or more like a test.  Making him earn it?  Denali “Days of our Lives” drama in real-time.

 
Get-away Move (sow in the distance)

 
Where's my Boarfriend?
Eventually, after much huffin’ and puffin’, he caught her trail and off he went.  I re-grouped for 15 minutes then drove down the road, curious how it all ended up.  A mile down the road I spied her up on the hillside grazing away on grass (they do a lot of that).  All of a sudden, I saw movement in my rear-view mirror and out he pops from the brush, walks 20’ away from my truck window (rolled up truck window!) and climbs the hill and reunites with his sweet honeybee.  I gave him a mental high-five and with a smile on my face moved on down the road to see what was around the next corner.

 
Good Sign
This view shows how much he's worried about me.  At this point I felt comfortable enough to roll down my window and get a parting shot off.

 
Reunited
...and it feels so good.