Ptarmigan madness at last

[Richard Flanders]

I finally, in the last few days of the season, got out to my favorite ptarmigan spot today. I didn't get out there last spring at all and this is the first time I've flown anywhere since last fall. There were birds; I could mostly hear them chuckling off in the distance and actually saw a few, but they were pretty spooky and courting as it turns out. I was satisfied to cut the day short and leave them to that. The snow was nice and compacted so I didn't even need snowshoes. Here's a few pics of the area if everyone isn't bored of this yet. Lots of lynx trax up there and some wing drag marks by a displaying male. I added a cropped pic of this so they show better. First I've seen those up there and saw several examples. Saw a group of caribou lounging on the nice cool snow downriver from my little lake spot. I love this place!

[Dean Romig]

Great pictures Richard. I always look forward to seeing them.
I wonder if the cock ptarmigan’s primaries wear down like a tom turkey’s do?





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[Harry Collins]

Fascinating! Richard, you make the barent cold of Alaska look appealing.

[chris dawe]

love it !

[keavin nelson]

Great pics Richard, really enjoy seeing a spot like that, as wild as it gets!

[Dean Romig]

I see snowmobile tracks crossing he lake - how far from the nearest town is that lake?




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[Richard Flanders]

73miles from Fairbanks Dean. 35miles SE of Healy, a coal mine town, but it's quite a trip over the pass to get here from there. It can be done though; a hunting guide used to ride his working horses in over the pass every summer. Those tracks are from a trapper who bases out of a sizeable lodge complex 2.3miles down river. It's quite the place and used to be a hunting lodge until the owner fatally crashed his Super Cub because he strapped hay bales on the struts and tried to get out of a very short strip. Bad idea. Someone tried to make it a sightseeing lodge for a while but that didn't go and it has a new owner now, but not much activity that I've seen. There is a beaver lodge on this little lake that has never been active since I've been going out there. There is an active lodge on a tiny pond between this lake and the river that the trapper made a trap set on this spring. First time I've seen anyone trap that lodge. A google search of "Lynn Castle Wood River Lodge" will turn up a lot of information. The link below shows only a fraction of what is there. There's something like 17 buildings there. The main bldg is in good shape but some of the rest are falling apart. There's a road grader, a Cat D-2, and some horse drawn equipment there used for their hay field. The original owner put a lot of effort and money into putting it together. I know several hunting guides that got their start working for Lynn. Not enough room here to go into all the history. https://woodriveralaska.com/the-lodge

Have added a pic showing where the lodge is compared to my little lake.

Dean: I assume the orimaries are the wing feathers? Google has no idea what an orimarie is! I can tell you that I had a drumming ruffie in the woods here for a month one spring and by the time he was finished drumming he looked like he had gone a few rounds with Mike Tyson! His tail was especially frazzled. Good thing I kept him fed with daily dishes of sunflower chips and water delivered right to his log. Actually, the second grouse picture shows the reception I got most days...

[Garry L Gordon]

I never get tired of your pictures! Thanks for posting them.

[charlie cleveland]

i tt enjoy all of richards adventures....charlie

[John Dallas]

I'll bet "orimaries" were intended to be primaries

[Dean Romig]

I'll bet "orimaries" were intended to be primaries


Yup, that's what I meant to type. Now that I've retired as editor I am not as careful...:whistle:




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[Dean Romig]

Richard, that looks like Mt. Spurr in the center skyline...?





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[Richard Flanders]

Mt. Spurr is across the inlet from Anchorage. The middle hill doesn't have a name. The one on the right is Anderson Mountain.