Sharatin with People

On Saturday I skied up and down Sharatin alone while on Sunday I went with Dale.  It was a perfect day.  It seemed like there were always clouds and darkness on the horizon, but the sun kept its light on on us and the snow was perfectly soft.  The blue, blue ocean seemed like it was right there next to us.  Really spectacular.

And skiing with someone else along was a totally different experience.  We found a bowl on the way up and did some laps before continuing on to the summit.  Then of course there was the 3 mile long run to the bottom of the snow on the way home.

With someone else along I also had someone to put into my landscape pictures!  And I think they are dramatically better than the day before's as a result.  People in a landscape give it perspective and add an element of drama.  Much, much better.

Patrick

Sharatin

Yesterday I went skiing on a different mountain.  Rather than my usual quick up and down on Pyramid  - I went for a quick up and down on Sharatin Mountain.  Sharatin is the big mountain that is always looming in the distance when I am on Pyramid.  It is in almost all my photos.  And it is a BIG mountain.  It is 600 feet higher than Pyramid and WAY, WAY bigger in circumference.

It took me 2 hours to climb up to the top, but I also started from sea level where on Pyramid we start from the car at 500 feet.  And then for the ski down I got in a 3 mile descent.  Whooooo weeeee.  Going home was very quick and I was back at the car in less than an hour.

Today I am going back with a friend and I plan on taking my time on top.  Maybe doing a few runs.  It is beautiful up there!  And the skiing conditions and weather is perfect for today.

Patrick

Pyramid is the snow-covered mountain on the right before the lake - it looks puny compared to Sharatin

Arachnid on snow - he/she must be cold and all eight eyes on fire from the light

Snow Squall

Lately the weather on Kodiak has been very 'changeable'.  One moment it is sunny and the next pouring rain and high winds.  Yesterday on Pyramid I started up in the sunshine and was halfway up the mountain when it started to get dark.  The clouds rolled in and the wind picked up and suddenly it was a whiteout.  I skinned to the lee of some rocks and started to get the skins off the skis so I could ski on down back to the car.  No way I could go to the top in those conditions (see top photo).

Then suddenly I saw a patch of blue overhead, and thought, 'maybe it was just a passing squall'.  So I turned around and continued to climb up the mountain, and it totally cleared off in just a couple of minutes.  This entire sequence of photos was taken in about 5 minutes.
Patrick

At the top and ready to ski down - another squall off to the left

125 Consecutive Days on Skis

Earlier this week I complete my 125th straight day on skis.  It was my New Years resolution to ski every day this year, but I did not think I'd make it this far into the New Year.  After my 125th straight day on skis to keep it from getting too obsessive I had planned on intentionally breaking the streak the next day.  But then it dawned sunny and nice and I just had to go skiing (bottom 3 photos).  And the next day was the same.

So now I am up to 128 straight days on snow and I might as well continue on with the New Years resolution.  So on to 150 straight days I go!  Patrick

Annie from Anchorage joined me for my 125th straight day of skiing

That's like 800 vertical feet - pretty good skiing!

Osso Buco on Polenta

This is what we had for dinner the night before last.  Elk shank cooked bone-in as 'Osso Buco'.  I adapted a recipe that called for olives (click here for link).  But I also added mushrooms and rather than 'Gremolata' on top - I served my stew on top of polenta.  I fried the polenta in corn oil and served it a little crispy on each side in rounds.  The stew went with really well on the polenta.  Also rather than sawing up my shank and getting bone dust on the meat I just cooked up the whole darn shank entire.  I put it in my La Creuset pot and left it in the oven all day at 170 degrees.  When I got home after work I 'forked' the meat off of the bone. Then immediately prior to serving it I cut it up, put the pieces on the polenta, and spooned some of the juice and vegetables over the top.

It was very good.  Nora loved it, but I'll admit Stuey was a little skeptical.  And the dogs got the bone.  Patrick

Pillar Mountain

Last weekend for our Sunday drive we ate lunch at Java Flats and drove up Pillar Mountain.  We got out of the car and did some exploring. Stuey and I played 'chicken killer'.  Basically it is a game of tag with a one person the killer and the other the chicken.  Nora climbed down the cliff and explored the trees.  It is a beautiful spot with a great view out over town.  Patrick

Nora's bacon picture from a week or so ago 

Abercrombie with the Dogs

Everything is starting to turn green.  Last weekend I took a walk with the dogs in Abercrombie and noticed that more than just the salmonberries and blueberries are blooming.  I found some blooming forget me nots.  Also my backyard is so green and lush that I probably should have mowed it last week.  And the fiddleheads at Abercrombie are almost past!  Today I might go looking for some nettles - nettles for dinner?  Patrick