This is the area known as Sheep Steps. The cliffs form the southern wall of Alaska Basin, and yes, you have a good chance of spotting bighorn sheep in the area. You're guaranteed to see some marmots and pikas. They were scrambling everywhere I looked when I passed through on the way to the Basin.

The Alaska Basin in the Jedediah Smith Wilderness


The Cathedral Group, with the jagged peak of the Grand, rises above the Alaska Basin in the Jedediah Smith Wilderness. This incredible high mountain basin draws the most visitors of any portion of the Wilderness, with the possible exception of Table Mountain. Table Mountain is visible in this photo, against the skyline on the far left (west) side of the photo. Hurricane Pass is partially visible too, just to the left of the Grand. It's possible to scramble from the Pass up to Table Mountain (or vice versa) to make a long dayhike that takes in both the South and North Forks of Teton Canyon. This area is known for having a lot of bear/human conflicts, so it's really important to keep a clean camp. The Basin lies very close to timberline, so suitable trees for hanging food are often difficult to find. Bear canisters are a handy and safe way to store your food items, but bear in mind that the wily blackies in the Basin associate packs with food, and if they can get to your pack, they'll do so. I sometimes hang my pack and food from the side of a cliff or huge boulder when I'm packing through the Wilderness. With the Griz steadily expanding its range southward, it's doubly important to follow proper bear country etiquette.