12 hours into my 364-mile drive back to Toolik we came across some radio chatter regarding a couple blonde grizzly cubs alongside the
Atigun Pass.

A few minutes later we spotted them grazing.


The American Bear Association has a good arcticle
here on the different colors of bear fur and their impacts on wildlife behavior. Bears, like humans, dress in all sorts of colors for various reasons: genetics, diet, heat sensitivity, camouflage. Doesn't matter if they're black or white...
Beware of moving rocks.