Kodiak Bear on Mostaganem Ridge After Rain

Wet, dark fur rests on the massive shoulders of a Kodiak bear standing waist-deep in a rocky stream. The animal faces away, its broad back glistening under the soft, diffused light of a late afternoon sky. Rain has washed the wind-scoured ridge clean, leaving stones slick with moisture and the water flowing clear over smooth pebbles. Early autumn colors appear faintly in the sparse, low vegetation clinging to the slopes. The perfectly clear sky above casts a cool, even tone across the landscape, highlighting the texture of the bear's coarse coat against the gray stones. One ripple spreads outward from the bear's submerged paw, disturbing the still surface of the water.