The end of the year report from the best season ever is hard to sum up in few enough words to be a sensible length blog. And phrases like “It was a fantastic year!” just aren’t good enough. Taking a quick look at our TripAdvisor page will give you a sense of what I mean. Even in the words of our guests there just aren’t enough superlatives to capture the wonderful year that it was and avoid sounding too cliché.
First and foremost, thanks go out to our incredible crew. The sum is only as good as its parts and those rave reviews on TripAdvisor go to show that we had a top notch group contributing to the magic of Ultima Thule Lodge this year. It takes a dedicated army to run this outpost. Sincere thanks to each of you whether you were here all season or just a few weeks – You made the difference and we can’t wait to have you back!
Secondly the weather must be recognized. WOW! Pretty much sums it up. We had 48 consecutive days of PURE sunshine between June and July. During that time we topped the temperature charts at 104 degrees Fahrenheit and basked most afternoons in the 90’s. All that warmth and good weather has lingered to give us one of the longest and most beautiful autumn seasons in years. Much to the delight of our lucky late season guests and TV crews. Everyone agrees that last year’s deck project on the front of the main lodge has been a HUGE success!
And speaking of projects, this year had its fair share. A new copper kitchen, a 30x75 greenhouse, a big welcome deck and yurt and copious amounts of landscaping are among a few of the bigger projects that took shape over the summer.
And last but certainly not least our guests and new found friends are the real reason that the season was such a success. It is easy to say that it’s our true passion to share this special place with our guests when each of them is so much fun to have around. We are lucky to have met so many fascinating and memorable folks from around the world and honored to have shared time in the wilderness with them!
Among countries represented this year were Italy, Sweden, Argentina, Switzerland, Spain, Japan, The UK and the biggest showing came from what we call “the lower 48” (meaning the continental United States.) It was also a big year for families, and 5 seemed to be the magic number among them. What fun we had meeting so many awesome parents, sons and daughters who were experiencing Alaska for the first time together. There were some courageous escapades including swimming out to icebergs in the Pacific Ocean, catching “world record” salmon and extreme sledding on the biggest (non-polar) glacier on earth.
There were also many celebrations and special events this summer. Birthdays, honeymoons, retirements, milestone anniversaries, corporate retreats, bucket list journeys, television and movie productions, mountaineering expeditions and family vacations. We also had the pleasure of hosting Jeremy Jones and his family along with the winners of the Protect Our Winters fundraising raffle for some awesome days of snowboarding and summer solstice adventures. Stay tuned for the video clip documenting that week!
Yes, its cliché, but it was a fantastic year.
So what are we doing now that the days are growing shorter and the lodge is getting quiet? Well, there are still projects happening and the pilots are still flying (Not that they ever stop…) We’ve harvested the veggies, put the gardens to bed under huge piles of straw, winterized the cabins and have begun contemplating the winter ahead.
During the off season everyone disperses to various corners of the world. It’s an important part of the seasonal ritual and the rejuvenation that we each need in order to make next year the best season ever!
You can keep up with us through the winter on this blog and our social networks. We have a huge store of photos and stories to share with you over the next couple months and we promise to keep in touch! If you would like to make 2014 the year you visit or return to Ultima Thule we can’t wait to have you! Email Ellie soon so she can get you the best dates available!
The adventure continues.
