Seattle Ridge looks good.

     So today I wanted to ski again and I headed down to turnagain.  After hitting up Eddies twice this month I was not up for that trail again.  The alders were pretty thick leading up to pyramid; Tincan and Sunburst were tracked out.  I wanted to do the lookers right shoulder leading up to Wolverine but the access looked like a miserable bushwhack.  If anyone knows a route please tell me. 
     I started looking at the snowmachiners' side and noticed some tracks which gave me an idea.  This was appealing as there are no snowmachiners yet AND if I skied it I would have the pleasure of being in the sun all day: something to revel in this time of year.  So I parked at the construction access site to situate myself below the clearest way up.  There are still quite a few alder stands that need to be buried but there was a solid skin track already in place, easier on the Lucy as the deeper snow wears her out quick and I am too impatient to wait.
     Followed that up to Seattle Ridge.  I had never been so I took the opportunity to explore a few of the drop-in points to the drainage west of the ridge.  I was skeptical but it looks like there are some good runs in there once more snow comes.  I don't know what the snowmachiners will do to it though.  Maybe I could hitch a ride back up with one.  I feel like there could be a be an unspoken mutual avoidance between snowmachiners and those who earn their turns.
     I went south along the ridge to a high point and got some fresh tracks for awhile before options funneled me through the alders.  What a pleasantly sunny and clear day to be out.  However, I hit the creek bottom there and the cold hit me hard.  My face was bitter cold and the hoar frost grew like weeds.  It was frigid but peaceful.  I stayed warm enough to enjoy the short jaunt out.

     On the way home I was going to stop in Girdwood because I heard the skate skiing there was good but decided to hurry and make it to potters marsh so I could skate with the sun setting rather than in the shadows of Alyeska.  It was well worth it.  Another great day in Alaska.

Redeeming Eddies

     So today a buddy of mine and I headed to the only place with snow.  But the snow that is there is pleasant enough to make the trip for.  We went to Eddies as he had not been there and I was looking to redeem it from my last, rather unsuccessful trip. 

     We got an average start but were the first at the parking lot: surprising given that it was a beautifully clear/calm weekend day and the only place around with snow.  Surely more ski fanatics would be out.  I had not been up high on Eddies and my buddy had never been.  After skinning up lookers' right ridge a ways we noticed a skin track crossing and heading up the left ridge to the top.  We decided to go for it.  Up to that point snow conditions had shown no whoompfing/shooting cracks but the second we started traversing there was significant whoompfing and occasional shooting cracks.  We kept the terrain green and skinned to just above the west facing steeper slope.  So far consistent with the CNFAIC findings.

     After fueling up we skied on down.  We mostly skied on the top right-side-up layer of snow and didn't notice the weaker layers beneath until we got further down the mountain.  It was without incident but that whoompfing sound always makes my heart skip a beat, especially when it sinks down a few inches with me on it.
     Skies were clear, no wind, great views, swishy snow sounds, soft turns. Man, I love skiing.  Simple as that.  What a great way to spend the day. 

     We had the option to traverse back to Eddies south ridge to ski out but got greedy and continued down the middle further than we should have.  That lent itself to the classic session of chugach-alder-bashing.  After much sweating, under-the-breath foul language, and flailing about in snow covered alders we made it to the skin track and back down to the car without issue.  I didn't leave my boots at the TH this time.

Trail to Eddies

     So I went out to turnagain to ski some low-angle stuff as the avy reports were a bit sketchy for higher up and I was by myself.  Co-skiers said Eddies was skiing well and there was a nice trail through the woods so I thought I would check it out: the need to get out and ski was growing and my jewel glacier outing was not holding me over. 
     Loaded up with some dogs and got a good start.  Turns out there was a fresh 4-5" of fluff to enjoy.  I managed to find the trail and skinned through the woods.  Skies were generally clear but the lower Eddies was socked in.  I toured longer than I preferred but it was easy going and the woods were peaceful and snow covered, so I didn't mind.  The dogs were exercising themselves: bonus.  Mine is well-seasoned in backcountry skiing but the other two were noobs and didn't understand the concept of the single-file skin track.
     I broke off the trail and headed uphill,  the snow was looking great.  I did hear some whoompfing but didn't see/hear anything else.  I lost the skin track and was breaking trail, the dogs were not tolerating that well and I didn't feel like waiting so I stopped and dug a pit.  Snowpack was consistent with the CNFAIC reports.  I found 2 weak layers, one mid-pack the other at the snow-ground interface.  The later layer is where I got most of the action. 

     After eating/lounging I skied back and out to the car, saw who I believe was 'Erik the Viking'? skinning up, interesting story to come.  Packed up headed home.  Later that evening unpacking my car I noticed my boots were missing.  It occured to me I left them behind my jeep and drove off, lonely boots in the Eddies parking lot, panic set in.  My only hope by that time in the evening was that Erik had picked them up when he got back to the TH before anyone else.  The problem was I was guessing that he is who I saw and I had no way of getting a hold of him.  I texted ski-buddy-A who managed to get his info and thank goodness he saw them, picked them up, and chugach Ress lives to ski again this winter. 

Maybe hunting is not for me?

     So I waited in line at Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game to get my permit to hunt a bull in the Ship Creek drainage this fall.  I spent the night there, comfortably in my bivy, because I heard they only issue x permits and they run out.  Come door opening time there were way fewer people than permits.  Oh well. 
     Got the permit and headed out Friday of the opening weekend with some ski buddies.  So did everyone else.  We went from S. Fork Eagle River trialhead to the second pass back.  When we got to a good vantage point we could see about 6 groups of hunters scattered below us.  No bulls.  All cows.  If there was a bull, it would have 15 pairs of binos looking at it no doubt and everyone would be on it.  Ridiculous.
     We went out several other times as the season progressed and encountered fewer hunters.  We hunted the same areas, saw no bulls whatsoever but plenty of cows.  It may have been the late and sparse snow coverage or maybe it is just me.  The original plan was to wait until later in the season and ski in there to hunt and sled/pulk it out, hoping our backcountry travel skills would work to our advantage.  No snow = a no go. 

The season came and went.  No luck, but being in the chugach was great and worth it.

First ski of the season

So I was trying to hold out until a solid amount of snow had fallen but now that it is November it has been long enough:  for the first ski of the year, though much later than last year, we decided to head up to Jewel glacier in Girdwood.  None of us had skied it before but had all had enough info on it to give it a shot. 

The typical morning start of rallying before dawn with the dogs was a good reminder of what's to come.  We headed out from Crow Pass TH.  About 2-3 inches were on the ground, barely enough to carefully skin from there.  We were expecting clear skies but it was overcast with comfortable temps.  We conveniently left our maps at home so were going by memory.  Fortunately we were able to make it to the base of the glacier, but not after crossing a talus field and turning our skis into genuine rock skis (we found the good skin track on the way back down).

              




Snow conditions were great: approximately 8 inches of freshness with fewer tracks that we expected given the lack of snowfall so far.  We skinned up to check it out.  By then a fog had moved in and visibility was poor and lighting was flat.   After lunch at the top we waited for a gap in the fog and cautiously did our first run as the location was new to us and the moment of clarity didn't last long. 
We elected to do another lap which was better than the first. 

We threw the skis on the packs for the walk out: too many rocks and too thin of snow to ski it out.  I think this outing can hold me over until a better snowpack develops.