Recollections of Katmai. A remote land in western Alaska dotted with miracles, like little lights strung together in a constellation. A place that glows with the cosmic incandescence of Ursa Major, revealing the prospect of viability. An ecosystem ruled by the Ursus arctos, massive coastal brown bears who grow larger than the inland brown bear (grizzly bears), their titanic proportions fed by a salmon-rich diet.
It’s a miracle that humans are even permitted — by both the bears and National Park System alike — to spend time on this land, which pulses with the vibrancy of an ecosystem that is synched by creation, powered by the currency of the great salmon run and lived by all the creatures therein who fly, swim or tread. To witness the cycle of nourishment in which a roaring and seemingly infinite stream of ruby-fleshed fish swim upstream en masse to become a living banquet for bears… or simply perish at the conclusion of a lifelong journey immersed in waters both fresh and salt, returning to the exact location of their birth — itself another miracle.
To watch seagulls perched patiently on stones in the streams as they wait like patrons with reservations at restaurants for their own antipasti of scraps; and even the giant flies with bulging iridescent eyes who buzz around and wait for the feast of decomposition, which is rightfully theirs. To see fish skeletons strewn like relics on river banks, and even swarms of maggots who form dizzying slithering masses on carcass remains. To watch the most brave or most fast or most crazy of the swimming sockeye leap with might to try and make it over the highest gurgle of waterfall, even if it means flying directly into the unhinged jaw of a famished bear.
To hear the river screaming with momentum. To breathe in the scents of life and death. To catch the gaze of a bear who sees you see it. All miracles.
***
It’s been a few weeks since my husband Arron (WAC founder + CEO) and I returned home from this year’s company onsite in Bristol Bay, Alaska, where we fished, feasted and learned alongside WAC teammates. Some of the most meaningful shared experiences of my life, to be honest. For some of the WAC teammates, it was a first visit to Alaska; for others, it was a reunion and return. Many, though, had never been to Bristol Bay, the place where Arron spent his summers fishing on a salmon gillnetter with my late father-in-law Walt Kallenberg, a place that for me has always inspired so much awe.
Knowing how soul-shifting this place can be, I’ve reserved some space in this week’s newsletter to share some of my teammates’ favorite moments of the onsite gathering, to bask a bit longer in the golden hour of our recent shared experiences.
“One of my favorite stories from Alaska happened during our trip to Katmai National Park… I veered off the standard path, my bear bell jingling, when I suddenly found myself about 20 feet from a bear. We locked eyes for a moment, and that jolt of adrenaline was a perfect reminder that in Alaska, you’re never just a spectator; you’re part of the wild. It was equal parts humbling, thrilling, and unforgettable.” - Drew Pion, Director of Email & SMS Marketing
Caption: A brown bear with its eyes hidden behind a massive paw, in a photo taken by Drew.
“Gillnetting let me experience sustainable fishing in practice, and develop appreciation for those who do it for a living. Katmai showed me the beauty of the natural bear/salmon ecosystem, and the wildness of Alaska. The cultural experiences strengthened my belief in the importance of sustainability and our responsibility to foster and champion it.” - Matt Libera, Senior Software Engineer
Caption: Matt pulling salmon from the gillnet (in a portrait snapped by fellow WAC teammate Colin Clancy, Senior Copywriter)
“I learned that so few salmon actually make it back to their spawning grounds — under 10%! So we were given so much insight on how important salmon truly is — that the other 90+% is not wasted at all. The salmon runs sustain insane amounts of animals and plants, directly and indirectly. I was watching the salmon use the last of their energy to jump those falls and we had a great time (quietly) cheering for the ones that made it to the top!” - Victoria Pherigo, Marketing Operations Project Manager
Caption: Victoria (on left) and Kelsey Rose Weber, Senior Marketing Operations Manager (on right) in front of the Wild Alaskan Company parade float at this year’s Fishtival in Naknek, Alaska.
“One of my favorite memories, and one that will forever be embedded in my mind was watching the salmon jumping at Brooks Falls. With so many jumps and so many misses, there would be one single salmon that would make it up that fall every now and then and continue swimming, and it was a celebratory moment for me and that fish. I felt a sense of accomplishment myself when I saw that, and it was beautiful. I then walked to the lake, and saw a few of them swimming around and couldn't help but say "you made it" to both the fish, and to myself.” - Heather Mullen, MX Specialist
Caption: A group of WAC teammates in Katmai National Park.
***
Every moment that I shared with the WAC team at this year’s onsite gathering in Bristol Bay seemed to fully embody something my late father-in-law always said: The most important thing is to be life-positive. From celebrating the harvest of an ancient resource; to breaking bread together; to living in concert with swarms of flies and colossal bears all around us — we surrendered ourselves to the life-positive cycles of Alaska, experiencing more deeply than ever what it means to live wild.
Live Wild,
Monica
Pictured above: A collection of snapshots that I took in Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park to document the life-and-death dance of brown bears feasting on salmon running up the river — plus a sweet moment of Papa Bear (Arron) with our son walking through the park together.
