I know, I know, but it's easier in winter

     So it is easier in winter with colder temps and less daylight to blog.  That being said, since the last post we have been up to more of the same: weekend over-nighters, trying new trails, mountain biking local single-track, trail running, and just now ramping up the packrafting.  Nothing extravagant or super-huge, but it is Alaska so it's still pretty dang scenic.

     I've been making it a point to do new things, even if simple or nearby.  For example, there are a number of excellent trails to run around lower Girdwood including the Beaver Pond trail and the historic Iditarod trail that parallels crow creek mine road: super quiet, soft trail, flow-ey, with trickling waterfalls and streams throughout.  

     I also discovered instagram and have a feed: andy.ress.  This allows me to post my favorite pic of the day without having to write about it because pics are better than words, although seeing in person is even better yet.  

Johnson Pass mountain biking: encountered cowparsnip and it could have been better, but could have been worse.  Wildflowers and views were excellent.  Some hardcore Minnesotan bit it on a slippery downhill, likely separating his shoulder/fracturing ribs but walked out 5+ miles: hard and crusty old guy.  We safely made the whole trip and even found a ride back to the trailhead/car albeit some bumps/bruises/scrapes(ask Sarah what her legs look like).  

Bird Ridge Hill Climb: it's been on the list for awhile, now done.  Close enough to goal for satisfaction but could be improved.  I was ahead of an Olympian for ~35 minutes, obviously that didn't last.

Sarah got a new mountain bike(nicer than mine) so we've been hitting up the single-tracks at Kinkaid and Hillside.

We booked the Crow Pass Cabin(six months ago) for a weekend in July.  It's hard to reserve and had been on the list for some time.  The weather sucked(strong winds/rain/poor visibility) so we bailed after 2 days/1 night.  I was bitter about the lost opportunity to base out of there and bag local peaks, show Sarah the Jewel and Milk glaciers, the money out the window for the last 2 nights, but the rest of the weekend farther west had better weather so we redeemed the weekend.

Redemption: Sarah climbed her 2nd 5000ft peak without planning on it(+some peer pressure), which involved scrambling and exposure, but a great view of the Chugach.  We also Packrafted a creek on my list for some time, and I'd call it a success.

Ran/explored several sections of the national historic iditarod trail which was better than expected with the exception of the Johnson Pass to Eddies turnout due to the lack of bridges.  I saw a bear on the Beaver Pond Trail, a mother/baby moose combo on the Girdwood section of the NHIT.

Climbed Mt Williwaw, the highest in the Front Range and my 2nd attempt due to poor weather on the first.  Only a few more to go, maybe even this summer/fall?  Camped out at Walrus Lakes that night: I highly recommend it.  

Watched the notorious Mt Marathon race (after seeing the film 3220), which involved Killian Jornet and his GF shattering previous records with apparent ease.  

Summer has been great so far and has more to come.  But I still like skiing and winter best.

the spring transition

     Late spring is a great time of year in Alaska and one can really get burnt out if not careful.  With bountiful daylight, residual snow up high/in shaded areas, dry(ish) land down low/on most southern exposures, there are so many things to do.  Think two seasons-worth of activities in the same day.
     Warm temps, long days, and sunshine melt the snow and dry out the trails.  This week I headed out Turnagain Arm-way for some trail running.  The trails along the arm are known for drying out first and with an already dry season throughout AK, this spring was no exception.  The trails were great: not muddy, wildflowers blooming already, greenery increasing and people getting out there.  My ankles and their surrounding muscles got a wake-up call from being in boots all winter, I was a bit sore after the first few runs and surprisingly AT skiing and running work different quadriceps muscles, or at least my style does.
     The road and mountain bikes also made an appearance, though mostly road as the single-tracks are still too soft and muddy.  The first ride of the season was a fail due to my eagerness to ride without proper prep: 3 flat tires and inadequate equipment resulted in the "can you come pick me up?" phone call. After proper prepping the subsequent rides went much better.  I am dabbling in some local organized road rides/races this year which has made it more enjoyable.  My bike seat-zone needed more conditioning than my legs/heart/lungs.
     Skiing is not done, well, maybe after today it is for me with an exception or two.  I have done some spring skiing with moderate success.  The snow is retreating fast and timing is everything, not just the week but the hour.  Today the S-couloir skied variably in the truest sense: sticky/crusty/heavy/moist/chalky /firm/almost dry/punchy.  It was skied for the sake of tradition, for exercising the mind more than the body, and for the uniqueness that it offers.  Good company helps.  Also skied this week was the Rabbit Creek side(north) of McHuch ridgeline.  This area has been on my list for awhile, preferably during winter conditions but I did what I could.  Timing on this was down to the hour: 8am the run was crusty/chattery but 10am it was too mushy to boot but prime skiing.  The long gully back in there was fun but I hit it too early as well, I had a late-morning obligation so I took what I could get.
     This recent stretch of great weather has allowed for all these activities and more: throw in bonus material like frisbee golf, yard work, and daily responsibilities and things can get tight.  Grilling out and cold beer make staying around the house easier.  Now I'm tired (in a good way) but have to work, then it's back out there the next day off.  Summer is sweeeeeeeeet.
     Lucy-dog is callousing her paws on the concrete and rocks after a pampered winter on snow and barely tolerating the warmer temps so I gave her a haircut.  Also, don't forget the bear spray, we came uncomfortably close to a pair of brown bears while alder-bashing down the slopes of McHugh: both parties were surprised.

Dude it is so summer

     So I had 3 days off and the weather was fab: time to get after it.  The first day wifey, tenant, neighbor and myself shuttled a car to McHugh TH then headed to upper canyon road for a through hike past Rabbit Lake.  Probably one of the most picturesque lakes with a backdrop of the suicides.  The flat descent from there down to McHugh TH was also great and I plan to do a trail run back there this season.  The flowers were blooming, river was gushing, view was amazing, just a good mellow hike.  I saw some eagles, some grouse, sheep and what apparently were three black bears.
     The next day I tried to do a local bike race as I had been itching to hop on the road bike and let loose.  Then I got a flat tire at the farthest out point of the loop, 1.5 laps in, and was unable to repair it due to having wrong valve stem length on my spare combined with incredibly ravenous mosquitoes.  FAIL. Having lost the pack with no hope of recovery and the threat of mosquito-induced anemia knocking at my bloodstream I called it, walked back to the car.  Redemption for the day?
     Having failed in the AM, redemption came from a different bike.  I headed down to the Kenai to bike Johnson pass.  The Hardcore Family was heading back from Seward which allowed us to drop a vehicle at the south TH.  We started at the North.  Weather was great, vegetation green but not overgrown, temps and winds just right.  There were a lot of small flying bugs around the lake at the pass but overall it was great.  The trail has a good balance of what I would call blue-square terrain, but mostly green circle.  We made better time than expected, my legs were on the tired side.  The scenery was awesome.  By the end I appreciated the need for full-suspension and would recommend it.  This bike also had a ride-able malfunction on the ride.....maybe I should have tuned both my bikes this spring? 
     The next morning I woke up and had another great summertime event.  Salmonslayer and I were going to run out the Williwa Lake trail, but after seeing a sow and cub in our way we shot over the ballfield down by Black Lake to Williwa Lakes and took the Lake Trail back without incident.  The weather was perfect, again, with a slight up-valley breeze to cool the run back.  Running in the backcountry is so free, fuel for the tired legs.  Dogs in line, we passed a bull moose uneventfully and dodged a few swampy parts.  I need to run more.
     Then we headed to Campbell Creek for a packraft float with a stop for burgers mid-way.  Having never packrafted I didn't know what to expect but it was great.  Those things can spin on a dime.  We witnessed the carnage of 8+ blow-up rafts in log jams along the way.  Burgers hit the spot.  Sunburned neck/arms and a dip in the stream to cap it off.
     That's not all.  Then I went down just past Bird Point to watch one of the largest boretides of the year.  Some surfers caught it, several did not: you get one shot, make it or break it.  I almost feel bad for those who didn't but not really. 
     Super busy 3 days in terms of energy expenditure, but totally worth it.  The way summer up here should be.  I push responsibility aside and procrastinate because it might rain tomorrow or for the next 3 weeks.  Every time I go out I get new ideas or see new places to go.  I'm not overwhelmed, just fired-up and eager to get after it. 
There is a Johnson Pass mountain bike video on my video page.  see link on the left.


one of the bridge crossings on the way up to Johnson Pass

 

A unique grove of trees overlooking the arm from McHugh



Black Lake, Williwa drainage

cell phone video of the boretide.  





Tour of Anchorage

     So the Tour of Anchorage was today.  This meant no backcountry skiing yesterday to save the legs for today.  I signed up for the 50k freestyle.  AM weather check showed weather was looking good and I waxed for the warm temps they were predicting although it was about 10 degrees cooler at the start.  Up to this point, the farthest I had skied was 25k so I was sort of concerned that I would have to go so much more.  I was internally emphasizing the lack of pressure to perform and that it was just to see how I like XC ski races.  No expectations.

     At the start there was less hype than I expected, it was probably all at the 25k start.  Sarah and Lucy saw me off and we started Spencer Loop which is known for the hills.  It is the first 10-12k of the race and I would dare say the most technical due to curves, ups, downs, and crowds.  I tried to position myself with like-speed people or just a bit slower to control my own speed on the uphills, otherwise I would burn out.  This went well, and before I knew it I was in my "backyard" section of the course: homestead to viewpoint to the chester creek trail system. 
   This section I had skied the most and I knew it well.  I was able to get in my groove here, also, the snow warmed up to the temperature of my waxed and I noticed an obviously improved glide.  I made good time here, passed the lady giving me the stink-eye for skiing right behind her.  She wouldn't make room and I didn't want to burn energy to pass her.  I would have fallen for sure. 
     Once on the chester creek system the race continued to go well.  I got in a good stride, the crowd thinned and the trail widened.  This continued until westchester lagoon where the fatigue started to become apparent but not bad.  I kind of bonked around 40-45k, not from lack of food or water but just being tired physically and mentally.  My mind finally accepted this and I was able to finish the last 5k peacefully and without more than the expected level of struggle. 

     Overall I thought it was fun.  Good weather, good organization, my hydration and fueling worked out, and the technique tips from a buddy paid off for sure.  Now my legs are tired.  Next XC posting will likely be spring crust skiing.

The Alyeska Climbathon

     So the Alyeska Climbathon was two Saturdays ago but will serve as my first blog post.  The event is a competition lasting 10 hours during which one climbs "the north face" hiking trail as many times as possible.  The trail is about 2 miles long with approx. 2000ft of elevation gain.  It starts at the tram base and ends at the roundhouse.  At the top there is the tally board and aid station.  Competitors would then ride the tram down and begin their subsequent laps.
     The day started out cool and the rest of the day the weather was perfect: mostly sunny with mild temps.  The trail was in fairly good condition with just a bit of muddiness half way up.  I didn't see too many people I knew but the vibe was more relaxed than I anticipated. 
     My goal was to run most of the first 3-4 laps and see how it goes from there.  A few weeks earlier I had run 2 laps without issue and felt I could do more without going overboard.  Things went as planned.  I would run most of the lap but speed-hike the steep stuff above my threshold.  At the top I would grab some food and water and get on the next tram down.  My mental wall was much earlier than I expected, at lap 4, but after that the remaining 6 were much easier.  My overall goal was 10 laps which I managed to do in 9.25hrs or so.  There is no credit for partial laps and my lap times were in the low 50s at that point.  Tack on a tram ride and there was no way I could negative-split it for an 11th so I called it a day.  Maybe next year. 

    I would recommend this event to anyone up for a challenge.  Really you could do this any day the tram is operating, but the organized event provided much needed motivational fuel.  The event staff were great, very enthusiastic and encouraging, a good vibe.  Aid stations were well-stocked, patrol was on the hill, fellow competitors provided company and motivation. 

http://blog.alyeskaresort.com/mountain-news/2012-alyeska-climbathon/