Monday, July 28, 2025
End: Sukunka Tarn
Route (km): 16.3
Total (km): 51.7
Actual (km): 19.8
Hours: 10.4
Total (hrs): 20.7
The Charging Grizzly
From the iceberg tarn, it’s an easy walk to the spot where I got charged by a mother grizzly bear with two cubs in tow. The route hugs the bottom of the cliff to the West. I took a small shortcut by going through the grass before the turn to the forst to the Northesat. The bear came from the bushes directly West, in the direction of the cliff.
Perhaps the bear thought that I had cut off any escape route for her, since I was between her and the forest, and she had nothing but a rock wall behind her. In any case, I would strongly recommend making a lot of bear noise in this area. I believe that the tarn where I camped the night before is where Dylan was charged by a grizzly bear, and this spot is only a few kilometers farther along the route. It might be a coincidence, but I would prepare for an encounter with a grizzly bear on the first day or two of the Misinchinka High Route.
In my case, I heard a noise and looked left to see the bear running right at me. As I yelled and faced the bear, she got closer and decided not to go directly to swipe at me, moving laterally for a second or two as we faced each other. I’m lucky that this happened, as it gave me the extra time I needed to grab my bear spray, rip off the safety, and spray her as she got closer, probably as close as two or three meters. I fully trusted that the spray would work, and it did. She ran off to the forest to the East, where the route goes, and her cubs followed her. I was dealing with the aftertaste of the bear spray for the rest of the day.
Overgrown Myhon Pond
I noted that Dylan camped at the pond between Mt. Myhon and the beginning of the valley below Sukunka Peak. When I arrived, this area was much more wet and overgrown than I had hoped. Thankfully I hadn’t planned on camping here, but I wouldn’t count on finding a good spot for a tent in July.
Sukunka Valley
I found the valley below Sukunka Peak to be slow hiking. I followed game trails for some of it, but it took some work to decide which game trails to follow and when to stop. There was not really one game trail that was perfect, I was continuously getting on and off of them, making sure to stick close to the route. There was a bit of bushwhacking involved, and it took some work to stay on the route.
Beautiful Sukunka Tarn
The climb up to the tarn is not so bad, and it’s a beautiful area. The tarn has a stream rushing into it from the mountain behind, and there is a decent amount of flat space around to set up a tent. I’m glad I camped here, I recommend it.
