Tincan Trees

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years family, friends and fellow skiers!  With it being December, our snowpack is pretty darn shallow.  Seff and I ventured south for his first taste of the Kenai Mountains and Turnagain Pass.  The forecast said 3-5" fresh, but it was more like 1-3".  We met local packrafter and ski mountaineer Luc in the parking lot and got to catch up on the uptrack.

We peeled off at tree line, as the alpine has been quite touchy lately.  Lots of tender windslab that's been the cause of some recent skier triggered avy's in Superbowl and Magnum.

Seff drops to find a lack of windslab, and plenty of soft snow.  Turnagain Arm and Blueberry Hill are in the background.

We stopped to watch the sea ice and snap a couple of sunset pics.  A lot of people hate December in Alaska.  I think it gives way to fantastic lighting and alpenglow on the mountains.  This is taken from a pullout along the Seward Highway, looking towards Hope.

Hope you are all able to find soft snow!  Enjoy a safe New Years Eve, ski fast and take chances!