FIELD NOTES   Skilak Lake Road winds 19 miles through lowlands and foothills overlooking Skilak Lake, skirting slopes now regenerating after wildfires. When the Kenai River and Hidden Creek are thick with spawning salmon, the area attracts brown and black bears. The riverside forest offers winter browse for moose and draws dozens of songbird and waterfowl species. Drive the road slowly early or late in the day. Watch for black bears foraging on roadside grass in June or crossing the road in late July and August to feed on salmon at Hidden Creek. Inspect the mounds of bear scat dotting the road to reveal what bears are eating—look for berries, plants, bones and fur. Using binoculars, brown bears can sometimes be sighted from the Hidden Creek Overlook at milepost 5.1. Wolves and lynx inhabit the area but are rarely seen. Forest birds such as varied thrushes and alder flycatchers perch in the trees along the road, and spruce grouse strut along the roadway to gather gravel. Listen for woodpeckers tapping on dead trees at Pothole Lake Fire Overlook. Keep an eye out for nesting loons on the lakes adjacent to the road. Snowshoe hares may be spotted along the roadside.