Windy Corner – Winter

Location: Windy Corner. Milepost 106 Seward Highway south of Anchorage, Alaska
Date of Photo: January 5, 2020
Temperature: -7 F
Current Weather: Mostly Clear

Camera Settings for photo

Canon 1DX Mark IV w/ 100-400mm 4.5-5.6 L II at 100mm f/7.1 1/1000th second ISO 320 hand-held

Image Description

A Dall Sheep family ewe, ram and lamb pause while feeding in the Chugach Mountains in Chugach State Park in winter.

History and Information about this location

There’s a place just south of Anchorage along the Seward Highway, Windy Corner, that is famous for having Dall Sheep visit often. It is the only location in the world where Dall sheep make it down to sea-level. They are often times right next to the highway. What attracts them here is a natural mineral lick as well as a lot of lichen and shrubs as food sources. In the spring there is a good chance to see ewe’s with their newborn lambs. In October, during the rut season one might get to see ram’s butting heads to see who has the right to mate with a particular ewe.

From the highway the Chugach mountains rise nearly vertical to over 4,000 feet. The sheep are most adapt at climbing these near vertical slopes with the aid of their special cloven hooves with rough pads that aid in gripping. The Dall sheep are named after American naturalist William Dall (1845-1927) who visited Alaska in the late 1800’s and described the sheep.