Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Hip boots or waders for McNeil

I’m headed to McNeil in early August for 4 days of bear viewing. Hip boots or waders are mandatory.. I have a 30 year old pair of Lacrosse ankle fit hip boots that seem to be okay but I’m nervous about the possibility of that old rubber failing. Looked at the new Lacrosse boots and they are Chinese junk. I’ve never had waders. Would stocking foot waders and wading shoes be suitable for hiking 5 miles a day for 4 days over there? Thanks in advance.

Waders could get pretty warm, especially for a August visit. This could be a huge plus, or minus at the stand depending on how the weather is. Ankle fit boots would be cooler but if it is windy and raining the waders would be better. Either can be removed once you arrive at the viewing areas so make sure you bring some comfortable, warm shoes to wear while viewing. Flip a coin.

The guides have areas mapped out where the water does not get really deep. It is a fairly long walk to the viewing stand, maybe 2 miles each way. Roughly half of it is along the coast the rest is a "trail" to the viewing platforms. The walk is not for the timid, you need to be in reasonable shape due to the terrain and carrying your food, water, camera gear, binos, etc.
I would be happy to answer any more questions as I have been to McNeil on 4 different occasions.

I would think either Lacrosse 12" or xtra tuffs would be plenty of boot,and croc's for camp.

Whatever is best for outrunning everyone else in the group, water resistance takes about a back seat to speed when talking brown bear footwear. 😀

The McNeil river was on my list of sites to visit for this McNeill when I was in Alaska but didn't happen. Also McNeil Port on Vancouver Island and McNeil Island outside Seattle. Never found out the actual reason for naming these places but was told a pioneer was responsible.
Anyone know for sure?
Regards,

Joe McNeill
SW Arkansas

From the Dictionary of Alaska Place Names.

Named for Charlie Mcneil, a rancher in the area, and reported by R. H. Sargent, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in 1923. The name was published by K. F. Mather (in Brooks and others, 1925, pl. 3).

The book is hard to locate and used to be pricey... no idea what it is worth today. I looked for years to find my copy.

Naw, them bears are trained to mind their own business. Unless you look, smell, act like fish. So no trying to jump the falls, or flopping around on the bank- you should be good.

Wife and I are hitting Brooks Camp on Sunday for the day. I'm doing Xtratuffs.

Edit: Make that Monday. Dogs go to Kennel Hell (their opinion) tonight, we camper overnight in/near Anchorage, make a way-early flight Monday morn, back about 7pm to Anchorage, pick up my trailer with new outboard from seller. Home by midnight.

I keep reminding my wife I've seen bears up close and personal - the last one at 9 feet. So has she, almost as close.

She wants to go to Antarctica to see penguins too.................... how crazy is that?

Chortle

Ok, been there and done that, take your tried and true hip-waders, and for back-up, get a pair of waist-high breathable wading pants and the wading shoes/boots to go with them, and your all set... :cry
Lj in Alaska.....

This was with the cell phone- have yet to get the Canon pics on computer. Brooks River Falls run is only late (hopefully) - last year's run was 2 weeks late, but the bears don't know that. They definately need it to put on the weight they need. Darned few fish at the falls yet. Probably the peak of bears haven't shown up yet either - the most we had in sight at any one time was 15, tho we knew there were others back in the woods that had left, or, one, across the river with small cubs, wasn't chancing it yet - got her pic tho..

Their patience is incredible. The second bear from the left and the one below were there the entire 4 or 5 hours we were, and neither caught a fish, tho both had only one or two attempts. There were 4 or 5 different bears that tried fishing at the big rock. No one caught a fish, or even had a try.


If'n I get ahead of chores, I'll post some more. Not ALL the 100 or so still on the Canon after initial editing for yawn or fuzzies....... Gotta see them on the big screen TV first. Probably edit them down to 30 or so.

Damn, I love digital cameras!

Some friends were just there and told me about a guy, much taller than me, in hip boots in the group that was within a couple inches of going over his boots. We've had just about non stop rain all summer. I think I'll do the waders Can't wait.

Nice cell phone pic...Saw a video a friend took last week at the McNeil falls with 21 bears in the clip and a National Geo crew too.

Good picture Las and it sounds like a nice little vacation. I’m pretty amazed at times of the patience that animals can show when it’s their belly in question. I suppose that bear 2nd from left that stood in the water for 4 or 5 hours while waiting for a fish wasn’t hindered by cold paws like I would be. 😀. I think that if I took my shoes and socks off and stood in that river for 4 or 5 hours I wouldn’t be able to feel my fee…. I guess that’s why they’re better adapted to living a subsistence lifestyle than I am.

Well, it would lift one paw or another out of the water for a time..... And some of the bears would perch on rocks out of the water. The little cub that got washed downriver when mom went out to fish, then made his way back did so. She looked at him a couple times when he was floundering his way back, but didn't seem overly concerned. She was going fishing! Swim kid, swim!

One bear that did catch a fish brought it ashore to eat right below us; its left hind leg was quivering- there were some scrapes on it, so I don't know if it was the cold or an injury.

During Covid, attendance at both McNeil and Brooks were way down, and we managed to get a McNeil permit. The day before we were to go, the ranger came down with Covid. Pffft!