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.

......Well, .........

     So having signed up for the Tour of Anchorage, a fun local XC-ski race, I've felt obligated to train for it just in case, and therefore turned potential backcountry days to in-town XC ski days.  It looks like the Tour won't be happening, or at least nothing like the 50k I planned for due to lack of snow.  So I decided to scale back XC skiing and re-vamp BC skiing.  

     I'll just say it once: this ski season sucks, and it looks like late May here now, at best, without the corn.  That comment is for context only, mostly for non-locals.

     So I've gotten out a day here and there to find the expected thin and variable conditions.  I've been staying local because the snow farther away isn't really that much better for the time and effort.  A mid-storm Eddies investigation day was pleasant aside from high winds and avy danger.  South Fork Eagle River offered a chalky run off Harp which was the best one out of there, then a highly variable bowl run that left me frustrated with whatever I feel like pointing the finger at.  A peak three outing was hike-to on ice, but surprisingly ski-able up high with good enough visibility.  Despite the relatively poor conditions I find that still I would rather be out there enjoying the mountains, the skiing, the company, the quiet, whatever, than being in town and working or running errands or anything related to urban life and busyness. 

     Today I wasn't working but had in-town urban obligations necessary to keep the ski-life alive on other days off.  I was eyeing the front-range all day and noticed precipitation that looked like snow, then rain, then maybe snow again?  I got home near 4pm and decided that I would hurry to check it out up high near Arctic Valley, opting for potential disappointment(or reward? (hope is not gone)) over wallowing in boredom/regret/annoyance the rest of the evening.  

     I found a slushy and melting road all the way up until the parking lot where 4"+ of fresh moist snow greeted me.  I could work with that.  With no signs of anyone else today I skinned up and chose the most favorable looking slope, knowing sunset would be soon, and raced my butt to the top in hopes of catching that one incredible unset lap on the fresh and un-tracked West-facing slope.  

     My mind was blown.  Here I was grumbling on the inside, then somewhat excited about the 4", then, ironically, I saw the most incredible sunset during my time in AK.  I had just skied that coveted sunset lap mentioned above and was transitioning to do another if light allowed and bam, it hit my eyeballs/mind/soul like a slap in the face.  The purest and most intense sunset colors highlighted the silhouette of purple mountains across the arm, large flakes of the scarce commodity I had sought all winter hazily blended those same colors without hindering the brightness of the sun or losing the crispness of each individual flake falling.  The clouds were coming and going around the mountainsides below and the ghostly shadow of precipitation on the periphery of the skyline made the whole vista all-encompassing.  I stopped skinning for that next lap, it was too good.  My phone died so I couldn't take pics and for the better because they wouldn't have done it any justice.  

     I skied a partial lap down and out, totally satisfied with less than enough vertical, less than deep powder, less than a full day, and Lucy less than exercised, but more than I needed.  

the stuff dreams are made of

 

     So a break from work finally aligned with snow falling throughout the region.  Day 1 I headed to Turnagain Pass.  After trying it a few days earlier and finding heavy, wet snow and avy conditions too uncomfortable for slopes steep enough for speed I was skeptical about outcomes.   We passed the Tincan lot and continued to Fresno.  The lower slopes have a relatively safe angle and with alders still poking through they made for good visibility.  It was also a few degrees cooler yielding consistent snow that was more dry than wet.  Ascending immediately from the road is a perk of this slope.  The snow was still on the moist side but not wet.  It was drier as we ascended and we were pleasantly rewarded with fun conditions for a few laps. Skepticism denied. Fresno is now on my radar.


 

      Day 2 was the morning after a spring dumping for Anchorage.  27" on the south Atown hillside is what I heard. I love it when the forecasters become hindcasters in the favor of lots of snow.  First it was 2-5", then when it reached 6" it was 6-10" and finally 6-11". They must have given up then because I saw no changes after that and we got consistently more all over.  Needless to say, my thirst for Front Range Deep had grown so strong I did the unconventional attempt of a pre-dawn start, which would have worked if I didn't get stuck behind 4 snowplows.  Either way, Canyon Road had been plowed and I made to the TH stoked for first tracks.

     Stoke was quickly muted by the work of trailbreaking in 27": too deep to get my tips up and out of which means I was lifting snow on top of my skis.  I made it a few meters shy of the Peak 3 cliff band, too tired to finish it off and too eager just to get some downhill powder in.  I figured whoever showed up next could top it out, and two insanely fluffly laps later some Anchorage Avalanche Center folks did just that.  

     The rest is history.  The snow was deep and blower, the sky cleared and the wind was calm.  I went until I couldn't do it justice, and it was so worth it.  I now know why people have spray skirts and skis wider than 115mm.  It was great seeing all the people out and having enough powder to go around.  Peak 3 was tracked by the end of the day with nice, distinguished, sexy lines. 

     A short visit to Peak 2 later in the day also revealed a member of Team Corndog getting fabulous first tracks, even as late as 2pm......only in Alaska.

    

the classic peak 3 view, never gets old

yeah, it was that deep.  Don't worry, no skin tracks were damaged in the taking of this photo or the riding of this slope other than my dog taking a leak on it.

 

      Day 3: Despite my legs being good for nothing, my cold at it's 2nd day of havoc to my body, my left forearm developing a knot from sliding my pole through the snow rather than over I managed to get a "one-and-done" on Peak 4.  The winds had increased a little up high and an additional 3-4" fell.  Not enough to register on the avy radar, but noticeable.  The sun was trying to burn the clouds off but by mid-day had lost the battle.  I traversed from Peak 3 back to Peak 4 and skied the 'tweeners down and out.  It was a peaceful, zen-like outing and a great way to start the day.  The sun produced a encompassing glow, the snow dusted the alders enough to make it feel like winter again, the valley floor was dream-like in its silence and solitude.    

 

grim.......





 

     So I will try not to dwell on it, and get it all out right now.  WE NEED MORE SNOW! MY GOODNESS!

 

     So since my return from Maui I had been mostly XC skiing in prep for the Tour of Anchorage(TOA).  It is Anchorage's major XC ski race and draws well over 1000 people.  I signed up for the 50K and though not in as good of shape as last year, I was still excited because it is a fun race on mostly 'home trails'.  At bib-pickup they informed us due to low snow the race would be shortened.....to 26k.  It turned out to be fun but my heart was not in it, I had really wanted the challenge of the 50k.  In addition, I had an unusually low blood sugar episode lasting from end of the major hills for about 3 miles, initially mistaking it for nervousness of racing.  In addition I got creamed off one of the downhill corners by a Back-seat-Betty.



A beautiful day for a race with exceptional conditions despite the shorter course
 

 

     Sarah and I decided on such a nice day to head out Portage way for a scenic drive, check out the lake, and maybe even crust ski.  The lake was ice and skates would have been best but we spaced on that.  We headed out to the Placer area to see if crust skiing might work there.  We were pleasantly surprised that it did.  With calm and clear weather we skated around the drainage where we could.  It was enough to enjoy but we couldn't get too far up between thickening alders and thinning crust.  Alaska is just gorgeous.

 

 

     My next day off my determination to backcountry ski, my stubbornness, and my non-acceptance of the lack of snow drove me to what I hoped was a good run.  I could see it(KGK) had snow from town so I started at the Basher TH and was able to start skinning sooner than expected as the trail was packed.  After sliding over just as much grass, alder, roots, and rock as over snow I managed to escape to solid snowpack after booting only a few hundred feet.  Then I saw shadows of tracks in the upper bowl and down the middle.  Another blow to my already feeble winter soul. 

     I had come all this way for this line so I skied it anyway, the tracks having less effect than I thought.  Up high it was deeper and softer than expected, but that quickly ended with a crusty carve of a run to the bottom.  I need to get more downhill in, the legs burned.  The KGK is pleasantly over 1 mile long with ~1800ft vertical depending on where you decide to start/stop and even in the worst conditions it still seems to ski consistently.  The Other lines pictured I decided to save for more pleasant conditions, but briefly contemplated the Kanchee dog-leg.

 

 

     That night brought 4 inches of dust to the crust.  Not out by Eagle River though, as I regretfully headed out there to discover.  I needed all 4 of it so I headed to peak 3.  Being a weekday I new my chances were decent.  I also knew it would be thin.  The slopes had the snow I sought and were mostly void of people, so I skied mine with just 1 or 2 others single-lapping by.  It was flat light, but I felt satisfied getting some soft-ish snow under the skis and was greeted with the sunset seen below on my way down from the TH.  By the way, this pic was around 1830, longer days are here.

 

 

 

     Though I wasn't that impressed with the conditions yesterday and the cloudy skies I woke to, my bias toward backcountry led me to briefly check out Peak 2 and put XC on hold.  Frequently overlooked for the taller Peak 3 by many including myself, Peak 2 offers great snow and lines with a more mellow vibe.  If you can brave the dangerously thin and icy conditions of the approach and exit, the upper bowl was skiing quite nicely.  The crust beneath the dust was more tame than the well-used Peak 3.  Icing on the cake was the sunshine and great views of the Front Range while the majority of Anchortown was socked in.  

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.

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.

Peak 3........x3

     So today I woke up to a fresh and fluffy 4-6".  The XC ski trails were likely ungroomed at this point and it seemed like winds up high were minimal so of course I opted for an AT outing.  With no takers I was flying solo and wanted to do something near town, front range of course with short skin in and ideally a ski-out as my legs are gassed from yesterdays long XC ski.  Peak 2 or 3 it would be.
     I noticed plenty of fresh snow and surprisingly few tracks heading up to the TH.  Coincidentally I saw too ski buddies leaving as I was pulling up: they had gone out much earlier than I was willing to wak up on a day off.  Reports from them were good.  Weather: snowing hard/soft, mild winds, cloudy, fair visibility, high 20s.  Forecast was calling for partly cloudy in the afternoon so I was hoping for better lighting. 
     I skinned past their recommended Peak 2 and went for Peak 3.  One guy had single-lapped it so it was looking PRISTINE for riding.  I skinned up and skied it down to merge of back of peak 2 and absolutely had to repeat.  It was fresh and swishy, light, with a good carve-able base beneath, not wind affected.  No one was around, no one was coming up the skin track, the lighting was improving, I had no choice. 
     I knew my legs would pay the price but I had to do it again. They were already tired from yesterday but between the snow, weather, sky, good views, solitude, and the fact that I would have to work the next two days drove me to repeat and it was so worth it.  As I was skiing out I came across 3 others coming up.  Good timing, there was plenty of goodness left for them and the sun was popping out, lighting up the face.  Lucky bums, I hope they enjoy it.  Nothing beats skiing in the sun.

Above:  All those tracks are mine, except far faint right ones.

On a different note, I read a provocative article that I found myself resonating with after some introspection. Interesting. 
http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/The-Paradox-of-Going-Outside.html?page=9