“Wilderness,” says Paul, “is the unexpected. We let nature lead us, not the other way around, so every day here is different.”
Ultima Thule's daily Alaska Adventure Tours have no itinerary. When you wake and make your way to the grand room at the main lodge, the Claus family is already studying the skies. The Clauses and their experienced Alaskan wilderness guides will help you discover the perfect activity each day to match your mood, experience level and your interests.
AND every uber-customized adventure filled experaince is INCLUDED in your package.
“In these Piper Super Cubs we can land you in the most amazing places,” says Paul, one of the most celebrated bush pilots in Alaska. “We can fly you up into a mountain valley, put you down on a sandbar at the edge of the forest, and guide you on a hike that literally no one has ever done before."
One day, you may fly to explore an abandoned gold mine. Or kayak and fish for salmon in a glacial fed river. Or hike in pursuit of Dall sheep across a mountain ridge. The next day you'll find yourself landing in the middle of the largest non-polar glacier in the world, the Bagley Ice field, for an undisturbed view of the earth's most massive pile of rock and ice, Mt. Logan.
There is something unique and perfect for every age group and fitness level to discover in this vast Alaskan wilderness. With a maximum capacity of 12 people, at the lodge, the experience is already intimate; even so every group of 2 always has the option to adventure privately. If you are a multi-generational family traveling together you also have the option to split up and accommodate everyone's wish list while gathering back together at the lodge for dinner to tell your tales.
Ultima Thule offers the classic tick-list of Alaskan Adventure options, however, there are no itineraries and flight safari adventures highlight all the possibilities in one uniquely customized experience.
Some examples include:
· Air Safari Adventures
· Glacier Exploration and Hiking
· Flight Seeing
· Hiking And Trekking on Alpine Tundra, Glacier Ice or through Boreal Rainforests
· Salmon and Trout Fishing
· Bear Viewing
· Wildlife Viewing
· Bird Watching
· River Rafting
· Photography
· Beach Combing
· Wilderness Discovery And Immersion
· Leisure Travel
· Downhill Sledding on Glaciers (Anytime of the year!)
· Visit Gold Rush Era Historic Sites
· Wine & Cheese Luncheon on the Icefield (in the middle of the world's largest non-polar glacier!)
· Comfort Camping – (Choose to sleep out in a cozy camp away from the lodge)
· Wild Land Protection And Education
· Back Country Skiing and Snowboarding (available in March and April)
Every Day is Unique
Or maybe Paul will take you flying over the pinnacle of Mount St. Elias, the largest vertical rock face on Earth. You’ll dust Elias’ snowy peak, then dive down over the glacier fields, breeze over the grassy plains, and glide out to the Pacific Ocean. Land on the beach and eat the gourmet picnic lunch Donna sent along in the back of the plane. Sit on an iceberg in the sun and watch huge chunks of glacier ice crash into the waves .No itineraries you have to chose from ahead of time here. No set schedule of events. This is adventuring as it's meant to be, in its purest form, adhering to the laws of nature while respectfully marveling at her grandeur.
“You could go to the Himalayas,” says Paul, who climbed Everest in 1989. “But everywhere you go in Nepal, you see signs of civilization. Tea houses. Villages. There’s so much history there. So many people. Not here. This is the last true wilderness on earth.”
“I love this place,” says lodge owner and championship skier Donna Claus. “And I love sharing it. This land will change your life if you let it.”
Video: True Wilderness
