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.

......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.  

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

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.