just some random winter/spring videos

Today's timelapses: just for fun from chugach ress on Vimeo.

tincan day from chugach ress on Vimeo.

SPRING!

     So April rolls around and bam, normal spring precipitation starts to occur.  Just when I thought it was over and had began shifting my mind's eye to things not snow-dependent.  Just after a winter-long drought of snow with arguably meager snowfall and character-developing ski conditions.  The renewable spirit has been centered around Turnagain Pass and quite localized, but I only need one mountain.  Snow to the road, ski to the car, sunshine days, precisely-timed sucker-holes, it's all working out now.  I hope my fellow/local backcountry enthusiasts(human-powered) find this spring as refreshing as I have.

We hit 2 primo days of Tincan sucker-holes up high.  This is just right when the snow down low is heavy mashed potatoes but up high is dry.

part 2




     So after an amazing day out in Turnagain pass "Loving to Ski" and another day off, I had to go back.  I took the dogs and showed up at work for an early morning meeting I thought I had, but didn't, then headed to the pass on another perfect day.  Winds were more calm than the previous day and there was just a hint of occasional clouds blowing through.
     This time I started from the Center Ridge parking lot with the intention of gaining Center Ridge and dropping into the Lyon Creek drainage and then skinning up toward the south-east slopes.  Given that it was a solo exploration day I rock a little more loosely when I am by myself: more time, more flexibility and potential for finding what's good but also what's bad without any pressure.  Off the bat, I found the bad(ish) by getting on the xc ski trail that parallels the highway and skinning for about a mile before deciding it was not taking me where I need to go and a creek crossing to correct it was not going to be on my agenda.  I turned around and got on the correct trail.

     Being on the correct trail, that follows the ridge splitting Lyon and Tincan creeks, I was anticipating a long slog on squirrely Nordy-made trails paved partially by snowshoes and sleds.  This was partially the case, but it was redeemed by the amazing views and winter wonderland-like scenery of trees, rolling terrain, and untracked snow with plenty of knolls for stop-and-gawk moments.



     Center Ridge is a tour I would recommend even to AT folks despite the lack of vertical, it's just gorgeous.  Then I dropped down into Lyon creek for a brief bit before heading up the south-east slopes.  It was a low-angle ascent, but were the snow a little better it would be a fun and mellow ski  filled with rollers, small ski-able drainages, and impressive views.  The upper slopes below  the col had sweet light powder, this turned into irregularly patterned windboard and powder until the lower slopes that were unaffected by wind which were all powder again.  By then it was afternoon and I was in for a perceivably hot skin up and out of the Lyon creek and back down Center Ridge to a point skiable to the road.  I noticed one party climbing Kickstep only because their voices carried so well despite being a whole mountain and valley away.  It's crazy-big out here. 

 



     While down there in Lyon creek I ran into a guy, I'll call him Redbob, who seemed to be in his 50s.  He was non-chalantly practicing his goofy-stance for snowboarding.  Given the time of morning it was apparent he had spent the evening out there so I quizzed him on conditions and what-not.  He is retired, lives in Anchortown but spends much of his winter at one of his 4-5 snow-caves throughout good riding terrain, including the past 3 days.  I liked how he was doing his own thing out there and loving every minute of it.  He had custom-made mittens, a fleece that looked like it was older than I, all the appropriate sunny mountain weather protection I should have had on, and other gear that looked as seasoned as he.  If I had more time I would have loved to stick around and see what he was about.  He didn't bust out a resume of wicked trips or summits or tell me what awesome stuff he had been up to or his latest gadget/gear purchase that was too expensive.  He was just loving to be in the mountains and that was good enough.  He was still lapping the lower slopes, putting lines down almost every gully when I descended through.  He pointed me toward his shelter so I could check it out for my own shelter-building reference and went back to riding.  Maybe I will be that lucky some day. Way to go Redbob, living the dream.



 

 The footage from the past 2 days: https://vimeo.com/89770469

 

 





It's been too long

views from a Tincan tree-run

     So I after seeing some pics on a local webpage of something rarely seen as of recent, I headed down to Turnagain Pass to investigate and take my share of the wealth.  I was not disappointed.  The snow in Turnagain pass had all been obliterated by the unseasonably warm temps and rain, then after the cold returned we were left with an ice base.  Friday(?) yielded a localized and concentrated dumping of light and creamy powder that was relatively unexpected but much appreciated. 


This is national geographic folks.

     Compadre and I headed down for an early start by AK standards and picked Tincan.  Bitter cold at the car we briskly made our way up the traditional route, our stoke growing with the elevation at the snow we were skinning in.  It looked skied out pretty bad until we realized no one had gone much higher than the upper SW bowl.  Our snow assessments said investigate further, and we did.


shadow-shot of the day, skinning, an obviously good sign

     Our investigation yielded incredible results: boot-top light-and-creamy powder on a crusty base, untracked slopes, nobody venturing near our lines despite stable snow findings.  The sun was out, the wind was calm, the day was young.  We did 2 laps on the lower angle upper portion then, feeling confident in the snowpack conditions, did a top-to-bottom of Tincan's south face opposite Todd's run.  It was a little under-filled lower down but ski-able. 
     We then skinned back up then next possible ridge with fewest alders, but not avoiding a bash-n-thrash session.  Concluding a great day with the traditional Tincan tree run, our tired legs carried us back to the road.
     The snowmachine side looked enticing, being closed to the noise-makers and all, but by the end of the day the backcountry folks made it look like Alyeska at noon on a powder day.  Congrats to all who got after it the past 2 days, enjoy it while it's here.  Powder for all.


mildest of milds

     So yesterday I was planning to rest, do a little XC skiing in preparation for the Tour of Anchorage, get some around-the-house stuff done and keep it mellow.  Then the invite for a mellow backcountry ski outing to turnagain came through so I figured it wouldn't hurt.  There had been a lot of snow (2-3 feet) during the work-week that needed tracking. To start the morning off right I locked the keys in the car but fortunately already had the other vehicle loaded up.....might as well ski.
     We elected to do Tincan trees to save the legs from vertical and to make up for the poor visibility.  We didn't go any higher than treeline due to the unbroken trail and lack of visibility.  The snow was on the damp side, super deep, calm weather, warm temps.  The snow was so deep we could have used more consistently steep terrain to maintain speed but that would have required clearer skies and more energy than I was willing to sacrifice.  Either way, it was a good time.

     The chugach-lucy was really struggling to make it through between snowballs in her fur, lightly packed skin track, and the super-deep with not enough steep.  I was sick of waiting for her, she was getting exhausted.  I tried to carry her a bit but then I couldn't ski, was working too hard, it was awkward.  I dumped her on the skin track and she figured it out from there.  This deep-snow that doesn't work with her is a lesson I should have learned already but whatever. 
     Then I went back to unlock the car (all the way across town) and realized I forgot the spare keys.  Yup that's life as a Resseguie.  The car is still there with the keys in it if you want to steal it.

Did you all get rick-rolled by that last video link?  did ya?  did ya? sweet dreams.

Newby on Tincan

     So finally my ski people are back in town, I am no longer ill and I have some time off work.  With the avy risk decreasing we headed out to Tincan as I had only been once and was looking to redeem that mediocre experience.  Afterall, it is pretty much the most popular Turnagain pass jumpoff point.  Surprisingly, we arrived to an empty parking lot.  What a good way to start the day because although Tincan is popular, we certainly don't hit up the backcountry to ski with the masses.  A friendly face here and there or some company is okay now and then but the solitude is a selling point for me.

     We took the main skintrack up, noticing a fresh 2-4" on some crusty stuff up to 1500' where it turned into the powder we sought.  Both our dogs had seen a lack in exercise so they were bouncing up and down the skin track, just as pleased to be out in the mountains as we were.  Weather: fair visibility, gentle winds above treeline, mostly cloudy with some sun to stave off the flat light.

     We didn't hit the top top but had 2 good runs down to the creek bed before skiing out to the car.  Untracked, mellow ~30degrees, sof and freshness of the right kind was what we were looking for and we found it.  We were planning on saving our legs for tomorrows' planned tour but did an addicts' lap.  We might pay for it tomorrow.  We skied the trees on the way out which was some of the better tree-skiing I have done here, and now I know why it is popular: very accessible and fun terrain.