<< Our First Day at Ultima Thule - Part 4

09/16/17 - Our Second Day at Ultima Thule - Part 1

Our second day was a hiking adventure. We took a short flight to the ridge that followed the river. It was just north of the lodge and offered views of the Chitina River and distant mountains. It was three thousand and some feet higher than the valley floor, so we circled for a bit before heading north. We set down on yet another impossibly short landing strip where our guide was waiting for us with supplies and a high powered rifle, just in case.

We arranged to be picked up later in the day and started heading east, following the ridge. It was wild, open country, barren of trees. We were in our own isolated world. Depending on the lay of the land, we could see for miles in every direction.

We could see the herd of Dall sheep from quite a distance, tiny white forms dotting the hills. Our binoculars revealed more detail, and as we approached we could see an entire herd of sheep all busy doing the usual sheep things, mainly eating. As we drew nearer, a bunch of them got skittish and bolted up the far hillside. Then they settled down and returned to their meal.


Autumn color at the lodge

The view from our landing strip

Autumn color on the trail

Dried grasses and flowers

Dall sheep

Here's what they eat. Yummy?

Alpine foliage

More sheep

Skittish sheep; we spooked them.

Safety in numbers

It was quite a herd.

Keywords: alaska