President's Day is one of my favorite Holidays. No work and the kids are at School. I dropped them off at St Mary's at the beginning of the sunrise show, went home and packed up, and then enjoyed the sunrise as I drove to Sharatin Mountain. The low raking light turned all the mountains pink.
I parked at the trailhead and hiked up through the trees carrying all my gear. Once on snow I skinned in my downhill gear up to the big bowl. I was a little worried that I'd get there and it would be all ice, and not suitable for skate skiing. And, indeed, it did not look good as I skinned up the mountain. It was all ice. But when I did reach the big bowl I found that it was just soft enough on top for good skate skiing.
And then the light broke through and it was perfect. I ripped all around the bowl on my skate skis. It is an amazingly big place. The dark clouds stayed in place to the West over Afognak Island and provided a dramatic backdrop. I cross country skied for almost an hour and a half and then it was time to go home.
Going home was quick because I downhill skied to the bottom of the snow and just had a short hike through the trees to the car. And then the drive home to pick up the kids from St Mary's. Patrick
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