Alaska doesn’t feel like the rest of America. It’s wild, remote, and almost impossible to wrap your head around until you’re flying over glaciers and endless forests without a person in sight. That was the view from the tiny bush plane I took to reach bear camp inside Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. After a night in the small town of Homer and a strict 35-pound luggage limit, I arrived at a remote stretch of shoreline that would be home for the next four days — no cell service, no Wi-Fi, just wildlife.
With the strict baggage limit preventing me from bringing too much gear, everything I packed had to work overtime. And one item I wore from the moment I arrived to the moment I left? These hiking pants.
When I arrived at Lake Clark National Park, I quickly realized that the terrain wasn’t for the faint of heart — or weak fabric.
When you see more than a dozen wild grizzlies roaming at once, it’s simply mesmerizing and I could have spent all day happily viewing these beautiful creatures. With our trained guides, we were able to spend days viewing bears in the wild meadow for hours at a time. Hiking to bear observation points isn’t a leisurely stroll. I crouched behind bushes for photos, got down on my knees on the sandy shoreline, moved quietly through the wooded areas and sat in the grass for long periods of time. From standing around to squatting, sitting on a log, down on my knees and laying in the grass, these pants were perfect.
