Finally some new snow

 

A week ago we returned from Juneau to practically no snow on Kodiak (click here for post). For a few days I had to scrape by on epically bad conditions.  I did the ice thing with dogs on XC skis over at the flats on Anton Larsen Bay. But then mid week it started to lightly snow every day.  Little snow squalls with graupel (click here to learn about graupel). At my house it built up to about an inch.  But I found on my XC ski excursions that out by the pass much more snow was accumulating.  So much that I went XC skiing on the upper Buskin and found that 2-3 inches was falling every day.  The XC skiing got pretty good!

So yesterday I was open to the idea when Nora suggested we try downhill skiing on Pyramid. I knew there was a lot more snow on Pyramid than there is on the ground in town.  But even I was surprised at all the new snow on the mountain.  There is a foot of new snow from just the last 3 days!  And it is weirdly heavy and dry snow.  The graupel mixed in makes it very dense and your skis do not sink down into it.  Yet it is dry and powder like.  Very interesting snow, and very much appreciated.

Patrick