Crust Cruising up Rivers

Big Creek

Last week I got to do some pretty serious cross country skate ski tours up some of Kodiak's big creeks.  Last Wednesday and Thursday while I was in Old Harbor I explored Big Creek while on Friday back in town I skied up into the Salonie Creek canyon.  The crust cruising conditions have been perfect!

In Old Harbor I left town and skied through meadows and across beaver ponds until I got to Big Creek. I then followed the creek where it went behind the big mountain you see from town.  I followed it for miles and miles until I was at the headwaters of the creek below Koniag Glacier (see photo below that I took back in 2004 from Koniag Glacier).  It was an epic ski!

Salonie Creek is just as good and is pretty much the same distance - except I know it too well!  It really is not exploring so much as ripping along in the sunshine on skate skis.

Now the weather is supposed to warm up - I hope it does not melt out all our amazing cross country skiing!  Patrick

That's Old Harbor in the distance on the right, and I followed the creek to about the center of the photo where the view of the creek gets blocked by mountain in foreground

Koniag Peak and Glacier from the headwaters of Big Creek

Salonie Creek Canyon

Salonie Creek Canyon - Perfect skate conditions!

Big Creek Valley from where we were staying in Old Harbor

I skied behind the Rocky Mountain in the foreground in this picture

You can see where I took the picture from in 2004 - the vee on the skyline near the center of the picture!