How about a WACH report? March 14th 2009

[Gulkana Rafting]

I just returned from a 80 mile snowmobile trip up into Noatak National Park and Cape Krusenstern National Monument. Very nice spring conditions with temps right at -10 and almost no wind.

Animal report! Caribou everywhere! I have never seen this many bou in Cape Krusenstern during the winter. I had a tent camp up there for the past few winters so I have spent many nights camping but never so many animals! They were in bunches of 40-80 and lots of them. Saw the craziest thing and maybe some one can tell me why or what, I came a crossed a pile of sheds? Yes a small pile of fresh sheds. All from mature bulls, no sign of humans, just horns. Very strange. Any ideas?

The snow is very deep and it will be a very wet break up here with LOTS of run off. We got stuck a few times and in a bunch of timber we were in about 5 feet of the fluffy stuff. Man spring time in the Arctic is great!

Enjoy boys and keep your stick on the ice!

Walt
Northwest Alaska Back Country Rentals
33 miles north of the Arctic Circle
Kotzebue Alaska
www.northwestalaska.com

[danattherock]

What I would pay to take an 80 mile sno go ride in the Noatak right now

Thanks for the update Walt.

Always nice to hear how things are up your way.

Such a special place NW Alaska.

[strangerinastrangeland]

Sounds good.
I havent ridden the Igikchaiq mts ina few years.Aniok to Rabbit Creek is a rally cool ride, even from Sissolik.
You were in some awsome country.

I've been riding the herds from moving up from Selawik lake, through the Kobuk Delta and around Ivik, seems there plenty moving North now, but only a few Wolves.Teres quite a gathering in the hills betwwen Buckland and Selawik lake,as we just broke a camp up that way on Thurdsday.


My pard Chris caught two Grey yesterday, above Ivik, and I ended up with one fat female Cow, so I'm in a fur deficit.~LOL!~
It was cool towatch him from above, I was up the hillside, keeping them cut off from gaining the trees, and Chris had them both in just a couple minutes.
Lots of fat animals and healthy bulls. seems the deep snow has come late enough that the animals arnt in much danger of starving, and they arnt spooky either.

Were lucky NWAK, this is Heaven on Earth.

[strangerinastrangeland]

Northwestalaska, it dawns on me that many don't realize just how big and spred out this herd is when it winters in the area.

I belive this GM Unit is as big as Indiana, with us being in smack dab middle,
It's fairly common for fellows to have hunting grounds vast miles apart.

Perhaps we'll cross paths out there, amid the Caribou