The "R" word

     So skiing conditions, I mean, what skiing conditions?  Things are grim folks, so grim that something I never thought would happen up here in AK has happened.  Someone, and I don't know who, but someone suggested that running might be the best option yesterday.  That's right, using the "R" word in January.  Something that is to be done during the several months not in the dead of winter. 
     We found that a run/hike was indeed the way to go.  We busted out the kahtoolas and met at Prospect for an AM outing up Wolverine.  The trail was icy and the kahtoolas were much needed.  The weather was beautifully warm, breezy, mostly clear and affording great views of the city.  Once at the top we were able to see the damage on the majority of the front range.  There was no obvious line of snow up either valley to ski on.  Backcountry lines consisted of partial-length corniced/drifted gullies. 

January running in the Chugach front range. from chugach ress on Vimeo.

good snow duo from last week

     So last week on one of those super-nice days after the front-range dumping I headed out with two buddies to do a tour.  We elected to go for the lookers'-left gully off the Wolverine shoulder.  The snow was deep and no winds had been through yet so we were banking on good pow and were not disappointed.
     We left from the Prospect Heights trailhead and it was a bit colder than expected.  We warmed up soon in the sunlight, which started to bake us once up to the lower Wolverine bowls.  We discovered someone had broken trail for us the night before to the same run we were going to do: no worries, they did one lap and given the depth of snow the broken trail was appreciated. 


evidence of the-night-before-solo-skier

     It was windy at the top so we didn't hang out much.  The north side down into the long lake(?) drainage looked awfully tempting and I knew there were some shots that way from previous scopings but wasn't sure.  The buddy with new skis wasn't about to risk his p-tex integrity either.  The snow was deep and angle was hardly steep enough.  A bit anti-climatic given lack of speed but the weather and fresh snow redeemed. 
     As we skied the skin track and trail out we stopped and the middle-fork loop.  There was a lack of opinion about my suggestion to shoot over to rusty point so I made the call after all, a day like this is worth taking advantage of.  We skinned over to the southwest aspect of rusty point I had done with difficulty awhile ago.  This time I was sure the getting would be good with the new deep snow and steeper slope.  We broke a trail through the alders, recalling the same path as last time, crossed the gully and headed up.  New-ski-buddy was keeping up but struggling, he hadn't been out in awhile. 
     We arrived at the looker's-right shoulder a bit tired but ready.  Fabulous views of Anchorage and the surrounding area from here.  I would recommend just hiking it when there is no snow.  The slope delivered: good angle, good snow, good views, good weather, good run.  The other two were pleasantly surprised by the quality of it. 
     As we skied out, coincidentally, the groomer had gone through the trail we skinned up on which gave us a literal backcountry groomer down to the bridge.  There were we slapped on our skins and mosied to the cars. 


Tikishla in the background



skin-rippin' with wolverine in the background.