spring cream in January

     So this weekend I managed to not be working, got a cabin at Hatcher Pass, the sun was out and there was enough snow to ski out there.  Despite the grim and depressing snow conditions around Anchorage, Girdwood and Turnagain, the Hatcher Pass area had some decent snow on low-angle terrain that caught my attention. 
    We struck out for Hatcher pass and rented a cabin for the evening.  I arrived early Friday for some turns and found that the late afternoon sun and warmer temps yielded some creamy turns reminiscent of spring: awefully odd considering it is JANUARY.  It was straight up balmy and I was sweating like it was April or May.  I couldn't complain about the sun, but I have been complaining about the almost absent snow on the front range. 



The Hatcher cabins offer prime location and views for the winter mountain recreationist.

     A good evening dinner at the Noisy Goose, some much needed chill-time at the cabin and we hit the hay.  We woke to sunny skies and again, warm temps, although it had reached freezing temps overnight so the XC ski trails were a bit crusty.....not for long.  A relaxed start to the morning and we XC skied up the Archangel road.  I witnessed my first naturally occurring avalanche which I was pretty excited to see from a safe distance.   The road was only groomed out 3.5k so it was short lived but the views were amazing and the weather was perfect.

 

     We packed it up and headed over to the mine for some more XC skiing and then called it a day......nope, just kidding  With a few hours of daylight I headed up the low-angle slopes of Microdot.  Surprisingly they were untracked, basking in the sun, calling out to be smeared with the sexy lines of backcountry skiers/boarders.  I made my marks and by then the legs had enough and the stomach reminded me I skipped lunch.  I felt guilty not putting in one more line in such good conditions, but I would have bonked and caught the frozen crust that was soon to appear as the sun sank below the mountains and cast a cold shadow on the slope. 
     For being so low on my list of places to ski last year, Hatcher Pass is certainly redeeming itself this year.  We are lucky to have so many microclimates within day-trip distance of Anchorage.  On another note, the clouds have been spectacular the past few days. 


All the brown in the right 2/3 of the photo is a large slide the broke to the ground

note all the lines, called runnels, from surface snow melting to water and running beneath the surface of the snow

first solo to hatchers

     So I heard hatchers was the best bet for sun today and with the front range looking as blown as it did I figured I would head out there.  I wanted sunny skiing, it was today's priority.  I also had a gift certificate to the Wasilla Sportsman's Warehouse that was burning a hole in my pocket. 
     I had only been to hatcher's once and we had gone up marmot.  I drove around looking for something but had no ideas so I just repeated that, only I did a ridgline-skin beyond the weather station a ways just to see what kind of lines were out there.  I gathered some ideas for next time as it was clear, thus affording great views.  I also saw some pretty sweet lines skied around the area.  The Rae-Wallace chutes "the uptrack" mentioned were well-skied out but I could see the fresh-and-deepness of them.  I wasn't interested in shaded runs either.
     Snow was good, nothing deep but enough of the freshness to make is soft and swishy.  There was a mild breeze at the top, mostly sunny skies, upper 20s I'm guessing.  I skied Marmot twice, the second time some snowboarders snowshoed up my skin-track, making it less than smooth.  Didn't they get the etiquette memo?

     I definately have ideas for next time.  Those mountains are amazing as seen by my panoramic shot.  More exposed rock it seems than Turnagain which makes for good pictures.  I feel like it is sunny there more too.  I stocked up on beef jerky and soda at the warehouse.  I couldn't think of anything to buy that I needed so I went impulsive.

just to humor me, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ