Northern Exposure

Sunburst Ridge, Turnagain Pass, AKIn spite of the grim, dry and warm weather around Anchorage so far this winter, the precipitation has been pumping through the Kenai Penninsula and dumping snow up high. The road is still mostly dry requiring some walking through the alders to get to the goods but at least there's skiing. However, the funky weather patterns have created some sketchy deep layers that shed some light on the realities of Alaska skiing that I think are worth discussing. Slick rain crusts and buried surface hoar are currently persistant worries for all who venture up 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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