Across an expanse of tussocks, (clumps of tundra grass and short willows),
I caught a rare glimpse of Dragonback Ridge from the Nome Teller Road near
the Sinuk River crossing.
The highest peak here is only 3,000' above the Bering sea to the west, but patches of snow were still visible and the ambiance remained mystic, except for the nearby buzz
of mosquitoes and distant screams of Arctic terns.
"Call her moonchild ...
Dancing in the shallows of a river.
Lovely moonchild ...
Dreaming in the shadow
Of the WILLOW ..."
(Sorry for the quality --- a mosquito was doing a tap dance on my
right elbow.)
July 26, 2012