Adventuring
“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 can help you discover the perfect activity each day to match your fitness level and your interests.
“In these Piper Super Cubs we can land you anywhere,” 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.
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.”
