A Nice Dose

Mat getting his skimo on, Peak 4, Chugach Front Range, AKWinter in AK continued its reluctant trickle over the holiday. The weather is decidedly unsettled with very little local precipitation and slightly better returns in the Turnagain area. Lower elevations remain bare but the high mountains are getting fatter. A scary buried hoar layer seems to be stabilizing so the hazard is diminishing for now. But more weird weather approaches so who knows what we'll get after this incoming blast.

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A Good Tease

Not sure what to say about this winter except that it's starting to crack me. Each winter that I've been in AK the quality of the season has diminished with each passing year. Some say it's a normal cycle. Others point to profound climate change. Others talk about Biblical prophecy and the end times. Hmmm. Whatever the cause, the skiing has been sucking. I need to catch a break. So do my friends. And it seems it's just not Alaska. Even my favorite ski mountains on the planet, the Tetons, have been seeing their share of weirdness. At least there's snow there. 

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Kicking the Dragon

I've made no secret about our pathetic winter so far up here in Alaska. Mat (Anchorage Avalanche Center) and I've be making the best of things and skiing boiler plate and rare chalk where we can find it. But a odd little storm blew over the Kenai Mountains yesterday and left a lovely little gift of softness and sunshine that we enjoyed today. Oddly, most of the other mountains in South Central AK saw little to nothing. 

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Chugach Lemonade

Vista Peak, left of center and Mt. Magnificent, right of centerNope. Still not snowing up here in Alaska. The rain has stopped and the sun is shining. At least it's cold. What snow is left is staying put...for now. Most locals say they can't remember a skiers' winter this grim. Many have given up and have taken the mountain bikes out. The Nordic trail grooming crew is trying to work magic turning water ice into skiable snow. So far, it's working. For ski mountaineers, we're not going down without a fight. The coverage is there, if not the quality. You just have to be willing to walk to it. This past weekend, Mat (Anchorage Avalanche Center) and I did just that.

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Holiday Gifts - Powder and the Backcountry Bomb

I'm not sure what's up with the holiday weather this year but Thanksgiving and Christmas in South Central Alaska has been damn sweet. At least in the Talkeetnas, anyway. Some of the other ranges are still waiting for good conditions but Hatcher Pass and been the place to be over the last month. It hasn't been all perfect. We've had our share of wind and freezing rain in between but seem to come up with powder and clear skies when it matters. Best gifts, EVAR!

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