The three of them packed their gear again and headed toward the plateau where the Dall Ram King had fallen.
Despite the short linear distance, they faced a steep canyon, requiring them to descend to the bottom and climb up the other side.
As they reached the canyon's midpoint, surrounded by towering rock walls, a faint yet distinct buzzing sound suddenly came from overhead.
The three stopped simultaneously and looked upwards.
A white quadcopter drone soared a few hundred meters above them, heading toward their target destination.
"A drone?" Stan's brow furrowed immediately, his gaze becoming wary.
"At this time, in this godforsaken place, why would there be such a thing?"
"Maybe it's those guys at the University of Alaska doing research," Old George speculated.
"I heard the university's biology department has been researching the effects of glacier melt on alpine vegetation recently, perhaps that's why they are using it."
