BEARFEST 2017

Retired nurse Janet Strom gives a girl's teddy its regular checkup during Friday's Teddy Bear Clinic at the library. Dozens of kids brought their stuffed pals to be weighed, bandaged and otherwise given a clean bill of health. Part of 2017 Bearfest, the event was preceded by a book reading with the Forest Service's mascot, Smokey.

Local artist Eleanor Carlisle demonstrates how to fashion a convincing-looking bear mask of her own design, using faux fur, paste and cardboard. Held last Wednesday as part of Bearfest, her workshop was one of a number of artistic presentations available to improve people's appreciation of Alaska's wildlife. Other demonstrations included music, cooking and various aspects of photography.

Simulating what it's like to be charged by a bear, wildlife photographer Robert Johnson gets a good charge going during a bear safety workshop at the firing range on July 26. Undeterred, John Martin simulates responding with bear spray using a relatively less harmful aerosol spray.

Smokey gives a little salute during Friday's "Read with a Ranger" segment at the library, a weekly activity put on by the Forest Service that intersected last week with Wrangell's annual Bearfest.

Runners and walkers alike take flight at the start of the 8th Annual Bearfest 5K, Half & Full Marathon, which took participants either up Spur Road or down Zimovia Highway for the extended run. Despite high winds and rainy conditions, the run drew 24 marathon runners from around the country. Eleven others ran the half-marathon – still a lengthy 13 miles – while 26 took part in the 5K.