The Girl...

Meg and I in a recent trip to Hawaii.  She's the better looking one...

Yep, the two most important girls in my life....Meg and Lobita.  But recently, it seems that La Nina (or The Girl in spanish) has been at the forefront of conversations in South Central Alaska.  The forecast for the next week is clear, sun and cold.  Not very favorable if you're planning a ski trip to Prince William Sound.

I checked out the anti-tracks with locals Matt and Agnes from Hagephoto.  We headed up Tincan for a "one run and done" - and to see what the wind left us with.  Not much...

 Matt and Agnes survey the landscape and try to find a place to ski.  It actually wasn't that bad, we found some decent carveable turns in the protected trees.  Define Powder?  As Rick Vance (February 2011, Backcountry) states, "skiing today was like pornography: great to look at, but a poor substitute for the real thing."

 Me and one of my favorite girls.

Matt Hage took this photo.  It's pretty sweet, and you can find it on his Facebook page.  I heart Utica Club.  Fun facts about "UC" (or Uncle Charlie's as we call it):

1. First beer sold in the United States after prohibition.

2. Only sold and distributed within 90 miles of Utica, New York.

You know you're an Alaskan powder enthusiast when... a Backcountry Ski Magazine is on your dashboard at the trailhead, and your windshield is splattered with State Parks passes.

Lots of Blue and White!

The weather has cooperated.....but Father Wind has not.  On Saturday I skied with Anchorage-based professional photographers Matt and Agnes Hage from Hage Photo.  Our powder mission took us to the heart of the Kenai Mountains - Turnagain Pass.  We traveled off the beaten path a bit, as all of the usual turnouts were packed.  However, Lipps was not different with groups of 2 or 4 scattering the ridgetops.  Crowded or not, we found some spectacular snow.  Although we did some work for some of Matt's clients, I was obliged to lend a hand by making multiple laps in the riches that Mother Nature had dropped the previous day...8 inches to be exact.

Matt gets to reap the benefits of his own hard work.

Agnes (AKA "The Talent") is all smiles.

Yours truly enjoying my day's work.

Today I headed out to Hatcher Pass to see what the recent storm total of 16" had done to the snowpack.  TTips, CNFAIC, and the State Troopers all reported of a large natural avalanche closing the road.  Sure enough, the main south facing Marmot ribs had slid.

I toured up past the Indy Mine towards Friendship Pass and Gold Cord.  Although the pass was my destination to scope out some new lines, I didn't go past the base of Gold Cord.  Elevations above 4000 feet were pretty wind hammered.  I enjoyed my breakable crust and low angle powder turns with LB back to the truck.  Yup, she's off the injured reserve after pulling a hammy.

The Uptrack...

 I did manage to scope this nice couloir.  Maybe a springtime endeavour?

Almost every steep wind loaded gully had slid during or after this most recent storm.  I talked to a guy in the parking lot that triggered a slide and was carried for a bit in one of the chutes on the north side of Marmot.  His partner was apparently partially buried.  Crown face measured 2-2.5'.  Be careful out there, its touchy.