It does exist, for a limited time only

view of W. side of SFER with a front range peaks backdrop

     So I have always wanted to do a New Year's Eve ski but have always been working/had plans/etc.  Not planning it, I realized I had accomplished this goal upon returning to the car today.  The plan was to ski from the South Fork Eagle River Valley, either head up Hunter pass and shoot some ptarmigan or get some good vertical on the east side. 
     We got an earlier start as weather called for clear skies in the AM though they quickly turned cloudy with flat lighting.  Neither of us had skied any of the bowls other than off Harp, and some of them looked like they still had snow.  I believe the area is called 3 bowls.  Access was questionable: we utilized the pull-off on the left just before the turn to cross the river heading down to the South Fork Trailhead.  My maps show an access point here but there was a no trespassing sign on the north end of the lot. 
     We followed the wind-blown remnants of another skin track to the saddle below the summit and skied fair to decent wind-affected snow: soft but a little variable, shallow in some spots but with tundra underneath we were able to conserve our p-tex.  We stopped at the convergence of the bowls and returned up the left-middle ridge.  This gave us a great view of the incoming weather front, winter sun-soaked Denali poking out above the dark blue clouds, the barren front-range slopes and an up-close examination of the snow crystals pelting our eyeballs(15-20mph winds).  There is also an eerily similar "east" north bowl on this side of the valley. 
     This was a surprisingly good run.  The gully we skied was mostly sheltered, the cow's parsnip flowers gave us refuge from the flat light and we skied a run with more vertical than the legs could endure.  Snow was soft and consistent.  I am still pleasantly surprised at the pleasant conditions we found.  I didn't think they existed in the local mountains at this point. 
     Though the days are short they still have the amazing views and sky unique to this place.  One of my favorite is the sunrise/set on the arm during winter as seen on The Uptrack blog.

The snow made skinning slippery.  Mr. 3puffies made it look easy.

this was the front moving our way



manitoba summit

A wifey has managed to venture into the backcountry on skis....I'll keep you posted



summit lake view from manitoba

so cold, so close (but not enough)

     So clear skies are predicted and I finally have some time off work again.  We just got 12+inches throughout the area.  12+" of  really light-and-fluffy on top of nothing.  It has been so warm that I forgot what cold was until I went out the past two days.  Yesterday was chilly and today was cold, subzero, luckily with no wind.  This makes for nice skinning temps if you can keep the face and hands warm but other than that it gets unpleasant.  Not too cold to keep me from seeking the goods that were not to be found in the front range.
     I went out to Arctic Valley yesterday with modest results.  As previously mentioned it was cold.  Half the time we were in a fog cloud which made for some really nasty vertigo while at the same time we were nicking rocks and tundra.  The other half the time there was a protective base from the previous snowfall, and the lighting was fair.  Summary: we need more snow folks.  Or if I could remember the routes that had consistent snow left on them before this snowfall.
     Then today I figured I would hit up what I thought was the tundra-covered slopes on the powerline side if peak 2-3.  I skinned out Powerline and ascended near the saddle between the two. Things were looking good until about 3/4 of the way up so I skied from there after peeking over to the Canyon road side(looked super thin).  I found out that the Powerline side was just as thin until 75% of the way down.  Yup, 2 core shots.  So not worth it in the skiing sense but not a total loss as the scenery was amazing, I can check off a ski down the Powerline side, exercised Lucy-dog, saw some ptarmigan/moose and put myself that much closer to legitimately needing new skis.  Probably skins too.

Notch(yet)

     So out of desperation, lack of time and the need for sun I headed to Girdwood where webcams showed clear skies up high. I needed to get some vertical under my belt so when the snow flies I can enjoy. After all it is already December. I mindlessly decided to tour up to the CPG hut to assess snow conditions: the cat track is not yet skiable but is skin-able. Up high seems to have enough but I turned it at the hut rather than the peak because I was running out of daylight before I could really ski anything. I think up high would ski well it is just etting there. The view was worth it though, rugged snow-streaked peaks popping out of a cloud-blanketed valley, the Gwood glaciers still visible, the alpenglow and sunset over the arm, ahhhh(like the ahhh after sipping a cold one on a hot day). Refreshing. Near the top I could tell I hadn't been skinning much. We will see what the next few days hold.

 

 

Ress v Res

     So given the minimal snowpack and long period without snow we thought it would be a good idea to snowbike the popular Resurrection Pass trail.  The plan was to bike into Devil's Pass from the North Trailhead and then out the other side in 2 nights/3 days.  I don't have a snowbike so I rented one from APU.  It turns out they rent a great assortment of gear to the public, including snowbikes, at an affordable rate.  We headed down Friday late afternoon and were on the trail by 6pm-ish.
     We found warm temps getting warmer and a trail that was decreasingly traveled the farther we went in.  The goal was Devil's Pass(15mi?) assuming smooth travel.  We made it about 4 miles in and started to push the bikes given the unpacked and increasingly soft snow.  It was here I decided I am not a night-travel person.  All that could be seen was the few feet my headlight could illuminate which takes away the great panoramas.  After sweating and slogging in soft snow we decided to just stash the bikes at a campsite and hike to the nearest cabin.
     Upon arrival to the Caribou Creek cabin we checked maps to confirm our location and re-evaluate our plan for the weekend.  We would indeed turn back given our lack of optimism on the ease-of-travel.  We attempted to start a fire about five times, each time smoke filling the cabin and no fire.  It had to have been the stove and leaky chimney.  Of the few outdoor things I'm good at, fire starting is one, and this thing would not go.  So now I was cold, no fire, no primary objective met, I carried 1 gallon of stove fuel for nothing and weather is bunk on my long stretch off work again........... 
     Sleep helps a lot, so does food and a good sleeping bag.  I felt renewed the next morning with the sun mostly out and a new day.    Temps cooled off during the clear night and it was refreshing to have watched the stars.  The trail was relatively harder packed so when we returned to our bikes we were able to bike most of the way back to the TH.  It was here I discovered how bad my rear felt from the pack and the hard seat.  It was a miserable ride in that sense, but easy as it was mostly downhill and beautiful because we could see the incredible landscape in the daylight.  I will definitely return, maybe this winter but no doubt next summer.

Eagle Lake Skate

     So a day off and again no more snow, but a cold snap has allowed for clear and calm weather.  It also has allowed things to freeze quickly: perfect setup for another wilderness skating opportunity.  Yellowjacket and I headed out with the dogs to Eagle Lake at the back of the South Fork of the Eagle River for a chance to slice the ice. 
     This was the last day before some weather, hopefully lots of snow, was suppose to move in.  Yellowjacket got some spiffy new skates to try out.  We headed up the trail that was pleasantly packed until the bridge where we discovered a slushy ice-dam that was impassable.  Bummer.  We bushwhacked a few hundred feet upstream and crossed on more firm ice and continued on.  Once past the split to hanging valley we were breaking trail on a sugary 3 inches interspersed with frozen flowing water. 
     Upon reaching the lake we checked things out for skating: smooth enough, thick enough, it's a go.  Skating was a great way to get around.  That boulder field with a thin snow covering would have been miserable.  We skated all the way to the back of the lake, taking in the stillness, surrounded by the peaks that ascended into foggy snow and listening to the eerie bubbling that echoed underneath us.  This was the largest rink I had ever been on.  It was an excellently easy way to travel as well. 
     We skated around some more then headed back.  Not all things are frozen over yet, I stuck my foot ankle-deep in a mud hole being over-confident, and the river itself is still flowing over what ice is there.  The sloping valley walls also gave me more ideas for skiing this winter.  Also I should remind myself to crust ski this valley in the spring. 

Team Corndog crossing boulder infested, frozen streams teaming with hoarfrost.

 

 

Yellowjacket doing the Eagle Lake skate.

I'll take it.

     So I started working nights which does cramp my winter style a bit....it's hard to want to climb mountains and ski after working a shift, but this time of year with light and snow being so limited I'll take what I can get.  Yes, we have very limited snow.  Options include Hatcher or the typical rock skiing in the front range.  There is barely enough packed snow in select locations around town for cross-country skiing but still enough.
     I visited Hatcher one fine sunny Saturday recently and it was colder than I remember being in some time.  I hope my wussy-whiskers aren't growing too much.  The snow was the best this year despite the rain crust.  If I picked the right aspect I found it could be powered through and yield good turns, or at least relatively speaking.  I hope to get one more day.  Given the clear and cold stretch it should be do-able.  Maybe it will be full-on snow by my next stretch off. 


This is how cold it is, just beyond nose-running cold.

     It was also time to get after my list again, one item being a full-moon ski.  This was challenging given the snow conditions because we attempted it up at Arctic Valley.  The views of Anchorage on a winter night are amazing, especially when you can look the other way and see all the snowy moonlit slopes of the Chugach.  No headlamps needed, we skinned up and skied two evening laps on what decent snow we could find in low-light.  The first lap was respectable but we got greedy for steeper and higher, paying for it with less than pleasant conditions but still, check.  I will attempt this again this season if life allows.


phone-photo but, you get the idea. 

     Cross country skiing is just barely do-able, but at this point most trails are skate-able: coastal trail, hillside, northern bicentennial.  Just hints of small rocks if you are spacing out can snag a ski.  Bring your rock-poles if you are doing the coastal trail, but in my opinion it's a good chance to practice pole-less skating and dust off the cobwebs.  I'm still amazed by the incredible views from this trail right in the middle of town. 

One thing I love about Bicentennial is the picturesque
trail winding through the birch groves: nothing like it.

    





well, since nowhere else has snow......

     So a sunshiney day in November means I better be skiing.  Hatcher again.  This time I was on the road before sun-up, a miracle on a day off for me but I better get use to it given the shortening days.  I was to the parking lot in 1 hour, shorter than I thought.  It was evident last night was cool because the ice was starting its inevitable takeover of the river, and a quick/choppy river at that. 
     No one was there except the nordies, all scrambling around, too intense for me.  Initially I thought I might skin up that way and look around at some new terrain but that busy vibe and all the people would have killed it for me.  All their patches on their parkas reminds me of high school athletic jackets, the more patches the better? I'm pretty sure they were APU. 
     Anyway, I headed up the road again, not enjoying the repetition but decided to get a sunny lap in on the South face of skyscraper.  I love skiing sun and untracked snow.  The snow was alright: about 3-4 inches of super-light sitting on a mildly icy and really firm crust.  The wider boards weren't a fan and neither was I. 
     Then I headed out to April bowl thinking it might be reliable but noticed a line called Lake Run that looked promising for more vertical and had not been thrashed by anyone yet.  I could see from Skyscraper it would spit me out with negligible climbing back to the pass and offered about 1/3 more vert than April. 
     I had lunch at the top of Hatch peak, some delicious soup in a can, but in my haste I forgot how annoying empty cans are to deal with.  I had no bags and no place to lash it to the outside of my pack.  I thought the contents were frozen enough to stay in place but apparently I have a heater in my backpack so it leaked all over.  Lake Run was good for the day, slightly variable but still carve-able and on the softer side. 
     We need some snow here.  I'm not complaining because a sunny day two-planking in the hills is fabulous, but for the bears, they need a place to dig their dens and hibernate because I'm pretty sure salmon and berries are done. Then we can ski too.

Hatchers' half-hand-size hoar

Middle fork and Williwaw Lake

     So another sunny day with no snow left me wondering what to do.  With noticeably cooler temps I figured water in the mountains must be frozen enough to walk on by now.  I decided to give wilder-skating a try with a back-up plan of moose antler hunting if there was no ice given the mild fall so far.
     I went out of Glen Alps, cut up O'Malley Gully and over the ballfield, dropping down to Black Lake.  This was my goal skate destination but upon investigating the ice was uncomfortably thin for me being alone.  It was about a 1.5-2 inches thick and I was able to send out some cracks just by walking on it. On to Williwaw Lake which looked like it might be thicker, though lower in elevation.  Travel at this point is still most efficient on foot, I saw no need for gators or foot gripping devices.  Maybe so if you were attempting a peak but even then one could easily argue against it.


The martian-like landscape of the ballfield.

     Once I got to Williwaw Lake I strapped on the skates and checked the ice which was satisfactorily thick on the west 2/3 of it.  I skated around for awhile and got a kick out of Lucy-dog's lack of traction.  The weather couldn't have been better, neither could the backdrop of Mt Williwaw.  It looked like early fall back there with just a hint of ice on the fringes of the streams and most mud-holes frozen enough to not sink in but not all of them.
     On the way back I took the Middle Fork trail around.  I saw ~12 bull moose in the valley closer to Williwaw Lake but not a cow in sight.  The usual goats were hanging out on the south side of Rusty.  The lower slopes of Denali were glazed with a hint of pink alpenglow and the sun was popping out over south Anchorage and the arm. 
     I'm still waiting to ski, and I might be desperate enough to drive out to Hatcher Pass tomorrow again.  I tried to see this "lightning bolt" couloir mentioned on the Harder Blog but couldn't see it, maybe there isn't enough snow yet.  I still scoped out a few goals for the coming season.


My ice skating backdrop



Black Lake, one of my favorite views.

Hatcher delivers again

    

photo courtesy of someone with fancy new phone

     So: day off + possibility of sunshine + possible snow in mountains = I'm going to try and ski.  With no word of decent snow in Turnagain Pass or Girdwood way I set my eyes on Hatcher Pass.  I got two others to place their bets with mine on getting in some turns out there.  The weather was shaping up to be perfect as we left: mostly clear skies and calm. 
     I started to get worried as we approached the parking lot because I was seeing less snow than last week and it was higher up with evidence of both wind and melting.  The slopes were not looking ski-friendly.  I was on the verge of severe irritation because we had just driven over an hour on our good-weather day off and I was thinking I might have to accept the outcome of an Andy-plan gone bad.
     Less than optimistic, we headed up to the pass to see what we could see.   We ascended on crusty rime, no sign of powder and thin conditions.....a nice hike with skis on?  We got to the top and looked for any signs of decent snow and found some on the east aspects of April bowl.  We traversed the ridge over there and put in a few laps in some pleasant conditions.  We skied on a thin, light-weight, soft windblown snow layer that allowed for some cushy carving without that horrible noise of edges on ice. 
     We enjoyed pretty much perfect weather, great views of snow-capped Chugach peaks, cool clouds, a few fun runs, we got exercise, dogs got exercise and we managed a ski down almost to the car.  That'll certainly do.  When are we going to get a dumping? 

Season opener

     So work is finally easing up, back to 3 days a week, and just in time because Hatcher Pass has just enough snow to start playing in.  They got 18+ inches about 1.5 weeks ago and most of it has stuck around.  They groomed some XC trails which are ski-able and as I found out today, so are pockets for AT skiing. 
     Finally my day off aligns with weather that isn't raining or windy.  Lucy and I headed out to Hatcher Pass with the goal of getting some time on the XC skis and exercise.  I needed to do something other than hiking or biking.  The snow up in the front range is too thin to enjoy: it's just slick and covers up the ankle-twisting holes and most of the ground isn't frozen yet.  Hatcher Pass it is.  The drive is normally a deal-breaker for me but not this time.  The views of the mountains around Palmer were majestic.  A new(to me) route via Trunk Rd makes the commute a bit quicker.
     The snowline starts just below the main parking lot.  Skiing is do-able from the gate.  There was a film crew working up there with "kikkanimal", as seen on the side of the Subaru.  I don't know what they were shooting but they were taking up the easy loop route forcing me to work the uphill.  The trails were packed, not too-recently groomed, but good enough to show me that I am out of shape.  Not just the "I haven't skied since last winter" kind but the serious sad kind. 
     I did a lap or two and called it good.  I had also brought my AT setup with the intent of skinning up the road to the pass just to get some good pre-season callouses building and get my legs use to the extra weight on them.  The slope is just enough for an easy decent, it would be a good winter hike at the worst.  But, lo, as I neared the pass I noticed a skin track ascending to my left! The snow looked deep enough and there were no obvious rock gardens.  I would go for it, after all my original goal was just a road-ride down, so this would be a bonus. 
     I skinned up to the Hatch Peak on ~6" of powder supported by crust with occasional firm-and-crusty patches near wind-blown ridgelines.  Just as I approached the summit ridge, the sun popped out.  Perfect!  An unexpected break in the clouds AND an unexpected AT session.  The view from the top was great.  I don't frequent Hatcher so the terrain looks new and views of the Chugach were National Geographic.  I managed to link together two decent shots back down to the road and cruised back to the car.  Looking at the Hatcher avy topo I think it was April Bowl and $1000 Run.

     

Pa-tarmigan hunting

     So I have been doing some brief outings during rain-breaks.  Today's was another hunting attempt.  Just so you know, I have a 0% success rate for hunting in AK, so I figure maybe if I go for something almost as populous as salmon, something I see all the time and almost step on, something I can shoot with my own gun, I will be successful. 

     Partly sunny skies + no work = outing.  Despite bouncing off the walls with energy, Chugach Lucy is still recovering from surgery and I didn't think she would handle the gun well so she stayed home.  I headed out to 1 of 2 areas to hunt ptarmigan with a .22, Peters Creek.  After a relaxed hike up and in to Mt Eklutna I saw nothing.  Then I hiked back toward Bear mountain.  Nothing.  I didn't see any wildlife except for 1 magpie.  I did feel pretty BA hiking around with a gun though and I was really tempted just to unload a clip at something. 

     Despite my hunting un-success, the hike was amazing.  On the way up a came across a high pass from which a spring sprung.  Had I been thirsty or low on H2O I would have enjoyed it even more.  The colors on the mountainsides were perfect and the caribou moss was as thick as snow on some of the peaks.  The smell of the start of fall was in the air and the cool blues/grays could be seen on the periphery of the horizon.  Termination dust on the high peaks could be seen out by Hatcher Pass and deeper in the Chugach.  There was also a hint of the still, peaceful cold that I associate with fall. 

     I think this is prime hiking season: colors are great, temperature cools so I don't burn up on the ascents, berries are ripe for the picking and my winter stoke is rising.  After walking around that whole area I sat down and ate some blueberries and cranberries, figuring I might as well be productive in another way.  This is a hot spot for blueberries: the largest and most ripe I have seen all season, particularly on the southern slopes.  They are dense like grape clusters.  I snacked on those for awhile then headed down.  I will try the other site next time but want to practice quickly field dressing so I can do some ski-hunting this winter/spring when more areas back in the valleys are more accessible. 

 

    

 

 

 

    

rain-break hike to ptarmigan pass

     So I am mostly anti-rain and haven't been out for anything long recently.  Yesterday I had the opportunity during the spontaneous multi-hour rain-break to get something in.  I had been wanting to get out to ptarmigan tarn or green lake for some time.  I elected to go for ptarmigan tarn and then ridgewalk peak 4/3/2/flattop back to Glen Alps to keep my legs in shape with some vertical and hopefully good views.  Chugach Lucy just had surgery due to a wad of grass causing a stomach obstruction so she was resting at home. 
     I decided to jog out powerline trail past the bridge to hidden lake, more of a fast-forward to solitude as it is a common turn-around for the masses.  Then I started up the gully to to tarn.  The colors are starting to change with the vibrant reds being most abundant.  The valley bottoms remain a lush green.  Though the pass is relatively low there isn't much climbing before one is afforded views of the valley and surrounding peaks.  Fortunately the clouds were higher and it wasn't raining.
     I noticed that this time the tarn was two-tone, a portion was the typical blue-green and a small somewhat isolated pocket was green which I thought was interesting given it was all connected and had similar depths.  After spending some time at the tarn I decided to take the ridgeline back rather than descend to a heavier-worn path.  On the ascent I stopped for a dense patch of blueberries and also noticed the cranberries were ripe.  A perfect mid-hike snack.  The views of the valley below were the perfect landscape and I found myself thinking of skiing already.
     The clouds were amazing to watch, see the video below to see what I mean.  They came and went on the south side of the ridge but it was clear on the north.  With them they brought a calm and moist mysteriousness like something out of a movie, completely disorienting, shrinking the world to the size of what was visible.  Then with a quick jump to the ridgeline or shift in winds everything would open up like it was a whole new place. 
     Though I didn't see any big game I did see 2 eagles fly rather close over me, walked with some ptarmigan for awhile and had a stare-down with a ground squirrel in the mist.  I would think that the ptarmigan would be more skiddish and the ground squirrel more bold, but they seem to be the opposite of that.  I have never been closer than about 15 yards to a ground squirrel but almost step on ptarmigan all the time.
     I hope the precipitation lets up or turns to snow.

tourist season.

     So the past few weeks we have had several visitors from out of town and Sarah has been playing tour-guide while I worked in my new job: it has less-than-convenient and variable hours until December or so.  I attended what I could, which was great, because I wouldn't normally do these "touristy" activities. 
     We headed out to Matanuska for a combo-activity day of glacier hiking on the glacier followed by rafting the river.  The glacier hike was mellow but gorgeous.  They provided boots/crampons/helmet and we walked around out there for a few hours.  Though I had spent plenty of time on glaciers this spring it was nice to do in another setting and its features were just as interesting.  After lunch we geared up and went for a 3-4 hour rafting down the Matanuska river.  The rapids were fun and our guide was decent.  This made me realize how quickly Alaska gets wild once you leave the pavement and how rafting would be an efficient way to backcountry travel here.

 

     One thing we did was a cruise out of Seward to the Holgate and Aialik glaciers.  The weather was not great and they almost cancelled it due to high seas.  For some reason we still went out, the only boat, and people were filling their barf-bags like pros.  Though it was cloudy and socked in the we saw plenty of wildlife including orcas, gray whales?, puffins, sea otters, sea lions, etc.  I had never seen wild whales and those were on my "things to see/do in Alaska" list.  We also were able to see the Holgate and Aialik glaciers, and the Aialik was especially cool as it was quite active and calving frequently.  The sounds and waves from that were amazing.

 

    
     After the guests had gone Sarah and I celebrated our anniversary by doing some packrafting.  We rented from a guy here in town (http://pacraftalaska.com/) for a day.  We started with Campbell creek in the evening and floated from Lake Otis to Taku lake Park.  The water was a touch on the low side but overall a relaxing evening on the water.  There were some massive salmon swimming around in there, I saw a beaver too, and afterwards realized I should have brought bear spray and questioned our decision to go while the salmon were running.  The next day we headed to Portage and floated the Lake to the highway.  I read 3-4 hours but it took us more like 2.5.  I don't think the water was unusually high or fast.  We lucked out and the skies cleared affording us spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers.  This float was less challenging and more relaxing as it was wide open with fewer obstacles. 

    

 

Temptation in the bag.

     So a beautiful-weather-Sunday in Anchorage left me no choice but to go out for a hike and check another to-do off the list.  Today I headed out with a buddy I ski with but have never hiked with.  We were heading out of the Stuckagain Heights Trailhead with an unformulated plan.  Ultimately we decided to go for Temptation as it was one of few on his to-do list and I had only done Knoya in this area of the Chugach Front Range, it was new for both of us.
       Weather was perfect: breezy but not windy, sunny skies spotted with big white-and-puffy clouds with a backdrop of pure blue and mare's tails.  Temps were perfect, maybe a little warm below the treeline or out of the breeze.  Our route was impromptu, we hiked up to the dome and over to the north side of Kanchee, over a higher saddle and down into the drainage with the Snowhawk cabin.

     We had heard of the Snowhawk and seen it (from other peaks) but never investigated.  It is a 2-bunk hexagon in the valley bottom near the creek.  It is in a good position for over-nighters back in that area to save the legs.  It also was well-supplied.  I see potential for winter and skiing here although it lacked a stove/heater.  We continued on up the valley, following the creek and then cut up to the summit.  It took us an estimated 5 hours.  It was great to see the Ship drainage  from the non-South Fork side.  The tarn below to the West was amazing blue.  We could see the Tanaina couloir which will be on next years' spring-ski list.  The Chugach was spotted with cloud shadows.  Fabulous.

     The wildflowers were also amazing as they were all in full-bloom.  Such a great concentration of them all over as well as a huge variety.  It was like the whole backcountry was a garden of them.  I admire the little ones that are high up especially.  They look dainty, frail, and considering what they are growing in they sure are durable.  They put up with some stiff winds and conditions yet they thrive. 

 

 

     As we headed down we enjoyed the weather, the views, the flowers, relief from uphill, the satisfaction of climbing another new peak and exploring a new area.  No hike would be complete without some sort of Chugach bush-whacking.  Though it wasn't alders it still was less than fun.  We popped over a pass to avoid excess elevation changes and blazed a trail to the dome through some swampy, squishy, twiggy stuff.  I should have brought the bottom portion of my zip-off hiking pants because my legs took a scratching. 
     No moose, no bear, just a few ptarmigan and ground squirrels.  I also noticed that crowberries should be not too bad to eat soon.  I munched on a few blueberries, which were tart but I like them that way.  I also noticed some eager cranberries that had just a bit of green on their undersides.