Haida Gwaii: Bicycle Excursions, Sitka

Saturday Market, Sitka

During our stay in Sitka, we visited the Saturday Farmers’ Market and went on several bike trips. The small market had fresh produce and a few local crafts. The most interesting was the fresh Sea Asparagus which we had to purchase and try in recipes. We remembered that Shane, our harbormaster friend at Thorne Bay, had suggested that we could hunt and pick for Sea Asparagus which grows along saltwater beaches in protected coves during mid-summer. We had also read about Sea Asparagus during our stay in Haida Gwaii.

Steamed Sea Asparagus

It is said that Sea Asparagus is packed with nutritional benefits rich in vitamins A, C, B2, and B15 as well as organic forms of iodine and minerals. Sea Asparagus can be steamed or sautéed and added to salads, stirfries, omelettes, and gratins. Sea Asparagus can also be pickled and jarred. We briefly steamed our Sea Asparagus and served like a fresh vegetable which indeed tasted like asparagus but quite salty.

Riding over the John O'Connell Bridge

From the Market we bicycled across the John O’Connell Bridge, Leonard had to see the airport of course, but the ride across the bridge was worth the beautiful views of Sitka and Sitka Channel.

View of Sitka from the John O'Connell Bridge

Since we were determined to see some bears, we also went on a 12 mile round-trip bike ride along Silver Bay to the “Fortress of the Bear,” a non-profit facility dedicated to rescuing Alaska’s orphaned bear cubs.

Black Bears at the Bear Fortress

Huge settling ponds once used for a pulp mill make perfect enclosures for the bears. There are three re-purposed settling ponds at this facility which allows room to keep Black Bears and Grizzly Bears in separate areas where visitors can view them from a large viewing platform.

Like Java, this Bear is Begging for Food

The State of Alaska currently has no bear rehabilitation program in place, so unfortunately orphaned cubs are shot by the Department of Fish and Game; the “Fortress of the Bear” provides another alternative, now home to eight resident bears. The non-profit was founded by Les and Evy Kinnear in 2002 and it took them five years to satisfy the required permits.

Like Java, this Bear is enjoying her Nap Time

The settling ponds provide natural flora and fresh running water which includes live salmon to catch in the summer. Volunteers and staff provide additional food thrown down from the boardwalk above, no not the humans! And yes the facility is closed during the winter when the bears choose to hibernate. It was great fun observing the bears, and like dogs, they seem to have their own personalities – pawing their food, begging for food, and interacting with others including swatting at the Eagles who come to tease them.

A Grizzly who needs his Nails Trimmed!

One black bear even made the hand sign for "more," they are smart animals. In addition to the permanent bear residents, the non-profit has sent orphan cubs to the Bronx Zoo, Montana Grizzly Encounter, and the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary in Boyd, Texas. The cubs are transported in carriers as cargo via Alaska Airlines.

Can Grizzlies be Adorable?

An easier bike ride near town is the Sitka National Historic Park which we visited in 2011. This is the site of the 1804 skirmish with the Tlingits who had withdrawn to a stronghold near the mouth of Indian River. Today a lovely pathway winds through the forest where Totems are found throughout the Park.