since it's been awhile....photoblogentry

     So since it's been awhile and the skiing (for me) stopped, here are a few pics from the transitional season:

Lucy-dog. The one and only.

View from the top. Hatcher Pass, Fairangel area

Same

When it's snow like the 1st 3 pics up high, it's like this down low.

Lucy-dog and a Turnagain Pass view.

The goods being got on a low-snow spring.

Girdwood is still pretty cool.

Portage Valley views

Williwaw Lakes trail run

Flattop-2-3-4-Flaketop traverse with (almost formerly) Ptarmigan Tarn in the background

Hidden Lake on a Summer day.

2nd Packraft of the season.

ER Nature center trail run

Far North Bicentennial trail run, STA Gorge Trail

Deep Lake on the Williwaw Lake trail run, end of May

Williwaw Lakes from Deep Lake

Gull Rock Trail views while mountain biking

That largest snowline is ~3000ft of skiable vert, FYI, and worth it.

Kinkaid singletrack mountain biking on my favorite trail(for obvious reasons)

NOT IN AK.  Hollywood Beach, FL, sunrise.

PWS! National Geographic!

Same.

from winter hours to summer hours

     So this winter continues to be a challenge.  We received some much-needed snow to the area recently.  It snowed various amounts throughout the region, but most notably in Hatcher Pass.  This was quickly followed by strong and sustained winds that loaded or scoured the mountains.
     We headed Hatcher way after hearing of the dump, only to be slightly premature as it was still storming up high: flat light, high winds, heavy snow accumulation.  Our stoke for snow was stomped out by this reality; that it was still storming and not ski-friendly.  Though snow and ski-starved, skiing in a white box of variably depth and density snow is not that fun.  We did a one-and-done after triggering a storm-slide of unknown size/origin: all we could see was the alders shaking and a fine-snow cloud in the adjacent gully.  We will ski another day.
      I went back with my partner-in-crime the next afternoon when skies cleared to see what's up.  Winds were still strong(see pic) and yesterdays' triggered slide was mostly erased by the remaining storm/winds.  There was a surprising paucity of natural slides.  We skied a lap in Wimp Bowl which provided the most sheltered snow but was still wind-affected powder.  I dared not venture steeper or deeper despite the urge to quench my thirst for it.
   

   
   
     I worked a day or two and managed to snag an on-call for day 2 which affords the possibility of an evening outing in the mountains.  Possibility obtained.  Since daylight savings, the evenings have become spectacular because the sun now sets much later, like closer to 8PM.  That means if you get off work at 5 you can blast up Peak 3 and get the coveted and well-worth-it sunset run.  I did that today as getting off-call is around 5pm.  I bee-lined for the front range to see how things fared(think wind-blasted): still thin all-around but the sunset and views did not disappoint.  Calm weather, clear skies and skiing with Lucy on a relatively empty Peak 3 was worth the trip despite the fair snow conditions.

trying to refocus

     In light of the conditions, the resilience of the backcountry snow community is starting to become evident.  Obviously stoke is relatively down, but positive perspectives are still out there and are keeping me going.  

     One that echoes true for me is the voice of former east-coasters and mid-westerners.  The stuff I'm skiing this season is still better than what I skied there.  Another positive is the pics that keep popping up: evidence that someone got the goods.  Every time I go out and the light improves I see lines in places one might assume were too bony or people would have forgotten about this season.  On the flip-side, all this could translate into a longer summer season with the ground drying out faster.  This could mean more rafting/running/biking/hiking/etc, so less of one means more of another.

     I have been trying to do more local stuff because driving to Hatcher is getting a little old but the fresh snow and good conditions there cannot be ignored (more sun, ski to car, good vert, good variety).  The front range has also been skiing well, perhaps after this next dose of snow it will be even better, local is always good for Andy and good for Alaska. 

SHADOW-SHOT!  Oh man, it's been awhile since I posted one of these.  What better place than the front range.  I still prefer the sun of the south face to the shadow of the north.

A little farther back, this dependably filled, low-angle, sunny run had remained untouched for 4 days after a light Anchorage-hills dusting.  Somebody had to do it.

This is my favorite view in Hatcher Pass so far, It is from Friendship Pass looking back toward the valley.  The panorama of surrounding rugged peaks is great, but this slice is my top pick.

I call this one, "Should have eaten breakfast".  We hadn't even done a run yet.  She had such a hard time with the snowballs on her body, I think it's time for a mercy-haircut.  It is warming up anyway.

Not snowbirding on the snowbird

     So this weekend was a long one for me and I wanted to hut it and ski untracked/fresh. Given the snow drought, this left few options so Snowbird it was.  I spent a weeknight out there with the goals of solitude, untracked snow and scenery.  There was enough snow to skin the whole way and I thought I made good time to the hut despite feeling that I worked super hard.  It was likely the heavier pack.  There were some old tracks of a small group skiing out, and a different snowshoe group on the glacier.  I had the hut to myself.
     I must have just missed the snowshoe group by a day.  I was quite disappointed in the condition they left the hut: water and ice all over every surface, a large pile of debris in the bottom of the stove that required a project-size effort to clean out, and a lantern left spewing gas into the hut.  Classy, folks.  I spent my night fixing the latter two, gave up and went to bed.

     The evening alpenglow was great, the almost-full moon illuminated the entire basin, and it even snowed 2 inches that night.  The morning brought clear and calm, with alpenglow again and a slight sleepy fog over the passes.  The upper glacier was untracked, so I had the privilege of breaking trail on tired legs but also that of the solitude and untracked snow I was seeking.  I skied a bit and marveled at the view from the top for awhile.  Totally worth it.

     I decided to take advantage of the good weather and make a push for the car.  I was able to ski from the pass to the Reed Lakes trail hitting only 1 rock near the pass.  The ski-outs from Bomber and Snowbird are over some fun terrain, that day was no exception.  The Reed Lakes trial to Archangel TH was slower going than I expected but the sun was out and I didn't see anyone until ~2 miles from the TH.  Though a short one-nighter, it was a good break from the norm.

This is a moulin.

The view from the pass toward the valley.  A good ski out.

Other random thoughts from the weekend: the vertical is squeezed out of a slope when it is earned. Not so much when accessed by lift as evidenced by the wasted vertical in these lines at Arctic Valley. I estimate 25% left to be skied?

it's good to be back

     After a trip to AZ sandwiched by work days it had been awhile since I had been out in AK.  I put skiing out of my mind while down south with the expectation that it would be different when I got back from how I left it: a one-and-done lap up Gordon Lyon in light rain on sticky/heavy/wet stuff.  I couldn't have asked for much more than my first two days back on the sticks.
     Day one wifey and I had what I would call our most successful ski day yet.  We did a pleasant tour up to Friendship Pass out at Hatcher.  Perfect weather, good enough snow, the solitude of a weekday, and the ever dramatic ruggedness of the Talkeetnas during a low-snow year.  Primo.  I noticed something I had not previously seen: how sparkly the snow was.  From the pass I could see single sparkles reflecting the sun all the way down at the prospect cabin below.  They were like bright stars in broad daylight.  I thought it was incredible.

      Day two was back at Hatchers for more perfect weather, better snow, and vistas.  This time with the dude-crew and mutts.  We flipped a coin to decide our course.  I saw Marmot the previous day and it looked worse than Arctic Valley on an open-weekend Sunday afternoon.  It was safe to assume everything within 1 mile of a road or TH would be tracked and that is not why I backcountry ski.  The coin told us to go farther, so we did, and it paid off.  We found several runs of the most respectable snow around and even managed a ski to the car.  Can't beat good ski days.

monday.....not back at the office

     So working a weekend leaves me in a unique place when it comes to backcountry skiing, especially after a perfect-weather weekend like this last one.  I knew the weekend warriors would have their way at Hatcher and I would have to get farther from the road to get fresh tracks.  This presented an excellent opportunity to try something new and have a look around.
     The great weather window continued today so I decided to base out of the Mint TH, something I've never done aside from the Bomber Traverse but had been eyeing this season for some reason.  There was one drainage I was scoping in particular for a solo-style day, the one just before the Lonesome mine.  Somehow I found myself up and driving before dawn, which is not all that impressive up here but for me it was a goal I regularly pass up for more sleep.

     The sunrises up here during the drive on a ski day are incredible, pics don't do justice, I'll leave it at that.  The tone was set for a good day.   The weekend warriors placed skin tracks for me, but being a Monday I enjoyed the solitude without having to break trail too much.  I headed up the previously mentioned drainage and poked around a few runs and soaked in the views.  I was impressed with how people really got out there this weekend.  It was nice just to be out. I was also impressed with the options for runs in this one drainage and it got me thinking about the drainages on either side.  The Talkeetnas continue to blow me away with their rugged and rockiness.

     The Little Susitna had hoar pockets galore and the water was crystal clear.  Ptarmigan tracks were abundant.  The low-angle winter sun provided amazing colors on the mountainsides and though my runs were mostly shaded the high-points were in the sun and provided excellent views.  Why don't I come here more?

Poor Lucy works so hard in the current conditions, I think she missed the "Dog travel in snow: 101" class, but she still loves it.

New year, new snow? I hope so.

     So the ski season has continued its lethargic coming and has still not gathered enough steam to be full-on yet.  Turnagain Pass continues to be wet and windy, same for Girdwood.  Last I checked most places were still hike-to, or a dicey ski out if you could tolerate wind/rain.  Alyeska is shipping people up the mountain on the tram so they can ride the upper portions because the lower mountain doesn't have enough snow.  The Chugach Front Range just picked up ~7" at upper elevations, enough to start something but will likely be decimated by wind before any more precip comes our way.  I could stay positive and say "maybe next year" or "with the new year", but it is next year and a new year.
     I've spent the past three days at Hatcher Pass since they picked up ~10" New Years' Eve day.  Notoriously rocky and mixed with a burst of wind only leaves it marginally better than Turnagain, that margin being sunshine and drier snow.  There are still plenty of rocks and tundra out there: my skis look like they had a rough season in the Front Range, though I haven't skied the FR more than once.
     Prior to a recent warm-and-wet spell in A-town the XC skiing was good enough to hold me over, but now I don't know, I don't dare find out.  I signed up for the Tour of Anchorage, the local urban XC ski race in the spring, so we'll see how training goes and if they have enough snow for the full length this year.  Right now Hatcher seems to be the only respectable option for AT and XC.
     Just so you all know I'm not a pessimist, but this is how "winter" in Michigan died: it started to disappear and people were head-scratching wondering where all the snow is.  That record snowfall not too long ago was natures' last push before winter in AK died.  I didn't invest in any ski equipment this year and would much welcome a reason to regret it.

Santa skis free Chistmas Eve.  Alyeska is still charging $50+ to ski half their vertical on a strip of ice.

Hello Hatcher.  H-bomb delivers the most sunshine around, making it a personal favorite.

Look at that mane.  I chopped it off because it's snowball-in-the-fur season.  She loves the snow and ski days.  When my winter gear rustles in the mornings she diligently eats her breakfast.

Trail breaking up for first tracks on Friendship pass.  Good powder was had.

     The video below is from an outing to Arctic Valley just to see what's up there.  BONEY, and what wasn't thin was prone to avalanches as seen by the slide triggered by skier #3 down the run.