Anyone been to Kulik lodge?

Hi everyone,
I revisited Brooks Lodge this past fall; I hadn't been there in literally decades.  I kind of want another bear "fix" next year and was curious if anyone had been to the other lodge nearby, Kulik (it's also run by Katmailand).  It seems to be mostly fishermen during the summer, but Sept 16-30 they offer bear-viewing.  If anyone's been there I would love to hear what you thought.
Thanks!
--Ana

Ana,
Good evening. Unfortunately I have no input on Kulik lodge, but may I ask you your thoughts on Brooks lodge?

Thank you,
Rich

Hi Richard,  I had a good time at Brooks.  I was there in September, so not at the "best" time.  The main problem is that it's crowded, not surprising given how accessible it is.  I can't imagine what a madhouse it must be in high season.  I understand there is a lot of day tripping, which was largely absent in September.  I'm one who feels bad about hogging a prime spot for too long but with such limited space even a small number of people who want to camp out for hours in the best spot really impacts everyone else.  What I regret is not doing the guided wading; that would have added a lot to the experience.
Anyway, I think it's a great "starter" bear viewing experience, but if people are really into that sort of thing (and I am totally not hard-core like some people) then there are better options out there.

I've made 2 trips to the Brooks River for fishing, each 2 weeks long. The photography is one primarily of bears standing on the edge of a small fall that spans the river and catch salmon leaping over the falls. The bears are only there during these salmon runs, otherwise they move to creeks that have more fish. The biggest run is the sockeye salmon which runs through the month of July. This has the largest number of bears and photographers. A second run of Coho salmon occurs in September with fewer bears. They've built a platform that juts out over the falls making it easier to get good unobstructed views of the bears doing their thing. It has bench seats and even a cover for rain protection. The entire area is greatly supervised by the park service that don't want you getting within 50 yards of the bears when not on the platforms (they're gated). They'll sometimes make you wait hours if a bear has decided to take a nap on the trail. The lodge is expensive but the nearby campground is $8 a night, tent spots. Hope this is useful. 

You should also enter the lottery for McNeil River, which offers far more bears – we had 46 in sight at one point – and a much wider pattern of behaviors. McNeil is a little more expensive, and you have to camp (although there is a nice sauna and cook shack). But it's worth the cost and inconvenience. 

I would also suggest a trip to the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Preserve.  I went some years ago with Brad Hill, and the variety of Bear activities and the proximity to the Bears was just awesome.  

One last note about Brooks River photography: just as the bears wait for their turn at the  prime hunting positions at the falls, so do photographers wait for the prime spots at the platform ledge to get the best shots. Enough said.