Summer Time and the Living is Large

The mountains surrounding the Lodge are still crowned with snow. But the days are long, with glorious cerulean skies, a never-ending sun, jubilant songbirds and the scent of native wild roses. Summer in the Wrangells – a sub-zero world suddenly transformed by an over-the-top abundance of new growth, beauty and blessing.

After a winter of near record snowfalls, we had a fabulous spring season with spectacular displays of northern lights. An enthusiastic series of skiers and climbers came  --  returning home with memories to last a lifetime. The 4th annual geocache -- a sort of treasure-hunt-with-attitude in which some of the elite bush pilots of Alaska land in the most improbable ways in the most impossible places -- was wild and wooly and an over the top good time. Teton Gravity Research finished filming for their big mountain snowboarding movie, ‘Further’. 

Our new deck with an oversized view is well underway and we’ve completed the first stage of our kitchen remodel. Ultima Thule’s walk-in freezer is stocked with thousands of pounds of fresh-caught  salmon and Alaskan game along with a variety of native berries. Speaking of berries – these intensely flavorful, vitamin-rich berries, picked by Lodge family and staff, grow in nearby glacier-carved valleys that are accessible to humans only by bush plane. They give new dimension to the term ‘organic’. And speaking of organic - our veggie and herb gardens will be bigger and better than ever this year. We’re beginning work on a 2100 sq. foot greenhouse, moving Ultima Thule another giant step forward in terms of sustainability and self-sufficiency. 

The sounds of summer at the Lodge – the ongoing, rhythmic rush of the Chitina River … the rustle of leaves in a refreshing breeze… animated dinner table conversations and top-that-one tales of adventure… the crackle and pop of a bonfire by the river ….  the periodic hum of our planes transporting guests.

“Who knows what adventure will happen,” Paul commented this morning as he and a guest from Australia strode toward the airstrip wearing hiking boots and carrying an assortment of gear along with a bulging, gourmet lunch basket.

Glacier exploration?  Grizzly Bear viewing? A wildlife photography safari? Geology tour? Bush flying adventures? It’s the time of year when the possibilities are boundless in the Wrangells.