Day 7 (June28_05)
Drive to Yol Valley National Park cradled between the foothills of the Altai Mountains. An ancient river carved this green valley and we will hike to discover habitat for indigenous vulture-like lammergeyers, Altai snow cocks, ibex, yaks, and Argali mountain sheep. We visited the local natural history museum and the guide stated three snow leopards had been spotted 20 days before by wolf hunters. Cool! We did see a lammergeier, and glacier ice still in the valley. Some Mongilian horseman were also riding along the trail we hiked and a tired out camel rested at the entrance. I purchased a Mongolian horse halter braided out of camel hair as a gift for my friend Cindy back in Nebraska.
When we returned to the lodge Tugah took us horseback riding on his Mongolian horses.