As I looked out the window of a tiny seaplane approaching Alaska’s remote Katmai National Park, I felt my 85-year-old dad squeeze my shoulder from the seat behind me.
The roar of the engine made conversation impossible, but I didn’t need words to understand his excitement when he spotted a herd of caribou galloping along the river below us.
As the seaplane dipped closer to the water, we saw our first brown bear of the trip, half submerged in the river and swiping a fat, pink salmon with its enormous paw. We were awestruck.
I couldn’t believe we were experiencing this together.
Exploring the Alaskan wilderness with an 85-year-old might sound unimaginable and a little worrisome, but my dad proved to me it’s possible.
My dad loves traveling, but he had never been to a national park
Growing up, my family’s travel mainly centered on cities, and it wasn’t until later in life that I discovered a love for the outdoors.
So, when I invited my dad on a six-day excursion to Alaska, including a visit to Katmai National Park to see the famous brown bears, I was a little surprised he immediately said yes.
Not only was he agreeing to go on his first trip to a national park at 85, but he was also trusting me to be his guide in one of the most remote places in the country.
Even though I was so excited to embark on this adventure with my dad, and he is in amazing shape for his age, I was concerned he might struggle in the wilderness.
In preparation for the trip, he supplemented his regular workouts — weekly pilates and gym sessions — with long walks to build endurance.
We also stocked up on guidebooks, thoroughly researched travel options, made a packing list, and watched YouTube videos so we would know what to expect when we arrived in Katmai.
He was one of the oldest people there, but he never acted like it
Even after all our research, I was surprised at how challenging it was to exit the seaplane when it landed, for both my dad and me.
As we deboarded, I carried his new backpack so he could focus on balancing as we walked along the bobbing, narrow float until the water gave way to the beach.
Once we started along the sandy trail leading to the Brooks Camp Ranger Station, every sound made our heads turn, wondering if it would be our first on-the-ground bear sighting.
The adrenaline of being in one of the most brown-bear-dense places on Earth began to hit us.
After a mandatory safety lesson, we headed to Brooks Falls, one of the best places to view and photograph the bears. When we spotted the first one emerge from the brush, we froze and watched in wonder.
While we waited our turn to step into one of the area’s most coveted viewing spots, I noticed how much older my dad was than anyone else on the platform.
Yet there he was, embracing a completely new experience, equipped with his backpack and his always-present sense of adventure.
Once on the viewing platform, we laughed when we saw one particularly large bear lose its footing and tumble down the falls, then pop up victoriously with a prized salmon hanging from its mouth.
Laughing with him in that moment made me feel like a kid again. It didn’t matter that he was in his 80s — all that mattered was this once-in-a-lifetime moment we were witnessing together.
As we explored deeper in the park, I was touched by how often my dad stopped to admire the wildflowers. Normally, he walks quickly with a destination in mind, but in Katmai, he slowed down to photograph bright-pink fireweed and purple lupine along the trails.
Seeing my dad take on this adventure was inspiring
I feel so lucky to have a father who still wants to experience firsts, even in his 80s. For him, getting older doesn’t mean his world is getting smaller.
Watching my dad embrace a place as wild and remote as Katmai National Park reminded me that curiosity doesn’t have an age limit.
To me, he is proof that you never have to stop seeking adventure, no matter your age.
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