Winter is Still Here...

Thank you Mother Nature for the Front Range refresh!  Two minor storms dumped about 6 inches of spring powder and reset the brutally wind hammered western Chugach.  Spring really hasn't sprung yet, and places south of Anchorage are currently on the receiving end of the fire hose.

The deteriorating snow conditions allowed me to make good use of my Level II skills and geeked out in some snow pits on Harp and Tincan before having to go back to work.  109 days off - but now I don't have to shave everyday and I get to pick out what I wear each morning.

B-real and I refilled the stoke tank with an apres-work ski outing to Hiland Road.  There was a small wind event that gave us just enough trouble on the uptrack to be spooked.  Some fat and bulbous pockets of soft slab were noted, with whumping above slope, underfoot, and down slope.  It took some careful and conservative route finding. 

But we finally found what we were looking for.

 Straight line distance to Anchortown - 14.37 miles!

 Me and LB enjoying April cold smoke.

We caught the perfect soft light weather window.  There is a "mega-storm" wreaking havoc in Alaska right now.  This monster will hopefully prolong our ski season.

And finally, a ski guide was caught in an avalanche which resulted in a full burial yesterday afternoon while conducting snow assessment.  Good job on the rescue!  Read the report in today's advisory.

Hometown Skiing

The Chugach Front Range certainly did not get the amount of wind that Turnagain Pass had over the weekend.  I expected the normal boilerplate, but was rewarded with some nice wind-buffed powder.  The ridge tops were pretty scoured, but gullies and lower elevation runs held good skiable snow.

Tyler snagging first tracks.

Disclaimer: There was no trespassing conducted during the making of these powder turns.

After Work Commute

Tis the season for after work skiing.  Newlyweds Matt and Agnes Hage headed up to Peak 3 for a quick ski.  Conditions didn't look like spring skiing from our point of view.  We saw other usuals headed up to get the goods, like Billy Finley.

The Anchorage Ants making the nightly commute.  It looks like Peak 3 is erupting.  Not another Mount Reroute, I mean Redoubt.

The weather was calling for high winds.  Spindrifts and plumes coming off of Peak 2 and Flattop.

Conditions were better than expected.  We found decent wind buffed powder on the top 1/3, and breakable styrofoam wind slab on the lower reaches of the valley.  Not bad for an afternoon jaunt.

"The Misses" (AKA Agnes) ripping it up.

"The Mister" (AKA Matt, #1, The Shralpster) dropping the knee.

Quotes I heard during the tour:
"Lets go find some windslab!!"
"If you want summer, go to Fairbanks"
"It doesn't look like spring up here."

Happy April 20th you hippies!

AVSA

I just downloaded pics from our excursion to Arctic Valley Ski Area, or formerly known as Alpenglow.  I prefer Alpenglow, as this jives with their bar....Afterglow.  I had mentioned in previous posts that we had a spell of warm weather and less than ideal snow conditions.  We skied about a half dozen runs on a styrofoam crust.


Overlooking the origin of this ski area - Arctic Valley.  The flat peak over Meg's head is my local favorite powder stash, North Bowl.  NO friends on powder days.

Meg in perfect form: knees bent, shoulders perpendicular to the fall line, weight forward...  Tequila Bowl and Center Bowl in the background.

Wassup with the poles?

Meg with Anchortown in the backdrop.

Before we left, I talked to my Dad on the phone and he said, "keep your tips up!!"  This one's for you LJ!

Meg ready to hit the Afterglow...or maybe bloody mary's at Orso...or maybe schooner's at Pizza Man - so many choices!