An inch or two of new.. . .

 

The terrible Kodiak winter continues - too warm and too little snow. But I take heart that at least it is not as bad (yet) as the winter of 2014-2015. That year I had blooming crocuses, and sprouting daffodils in February (click here for some February 2015 posts).  That's also when the 'The Blob' developed in the North Pacific and soon after all the whales and birds started to die.  So we do not have it that bad - and we did have a good November.

And we do have skiing.  There is no ice skating or snow down low, but if you climb 600 feet from the parking lot at the pass you do reach skiable snow.  Albeit not very much snow and it has been icy.  But it is not anywhere near as bad as it was in 2015.

And on Tuesday we got a little brief snowstorm where it even snowed in town.  All the town snow melted but on high when we went skiing yesterday we found 1-2 inches of new, dry snow.  It had blown down to ice in places, and there was still a lot of boilerplate, but it is was a welcome relief to earlier in the week when it was ALL boilerplate.

Now let's just hope that the next storm is not as warm as they are predicting. .. ..

Patrick

Before the new snow it was scary boilerplate conditions

Surf and Ski

 

On Saturday Stuey convinced me to go surfing.  I've long wanted to try surfing with my inflatable stand up paddles boards (SUPs).  So when Stuey asked if he could borrow them to go surfing with a friend and asked if I wanted to try it too - it was an easy sell.

So I joined them at Buskin Beach, and I took the dogs for a walk while they inflated the SUPs.  As I walked I looked at the waves and got a little scared.  They were far bigger than I had expected. And the water looked so cold.  But I was there and already had the wetsuit on - and so I helped finish pumping up the boards, put the dogs in the jeep, grabbed a board and away I went. 

It was far too rough for me to stand on the board.  So I kneeled and paddled out through the waves - I headed straight into them and they broke over me and the board.  This was going to be interesting.  I quickly turned the board around and started to paddle as hard as I could as a big wave approached.  Then when it was under me I leaned forward, and away I went down the front of the wave.  I keep on paddling to control the board, but was pretty much totally out of control.  Water flew up over the bow and sprayed past me - I was flying. Totally exhilarating! I was carried over a hundred yards and then when the wave broke on the beach I got dumped.

Getting the board back out through the breaking waves was a challenge and a lot of work.  Then I turned, paddled up to top speed and caught another wave and went even further than on the first ride, but this time I broke out of the wave before I got to the beach.  After that I was exhausted!  I took the board over to Stuey and his friend who were sharing the other SUP, and swam/walked back to shore.

I got back to the jeep and changed into dry clothes, and it was time to take the dogs skiing! We drove straight up to the pass and climbed up the mountain. I've always heard surfers talking about 'surf and turf' where they surf in the morning on water and ski in the afternoon on snow.  And now I was going to do it!

Only the skiing was terrible.  The mountain was a sheet of ice - truly 'hard' water. But I climbed up to the top and got in my ski.  The sky turned orange as sunset approached and I watched the moon rising on the opposite side of the sky to where the sun was setting.

Patrick

Lipstick Sunset

 

Yesterday's ski/walk sunset was particularly dramatic.  It rained in the morning but cleared off late in the afternoon - just in time for our ski. The sun had actually already set by the time we got on the snow, but the sky in the east away from the setting sun was all lit up with alpine glow.  And best of all a waxing moon was rising up behind the mountain.  It was pretty spectacular and even though we were in a hurry to get up and get down before it got dark - I could not stop taking pictures!  

Now I can't decide which ones I like the best!

Patrick

After School Skis

 

Christmas break is over and now school is in session.  That means if Stuey and I go skiing we can't just pick our time.  It means we have to go after school lets out at 3:30.  At this time of the year the sun sets at around 4:50 - so we got to hurry to catch the daylight.  To save daylight I've been picking him up at school with all his gear and something to eat, and we have been driving directly to the mountain.

The ski conditions are better than they were back in December, but still pretty dismal.  But the sunsets in the alpine are often spectacular, and climbing the mountain is good exercise and the best dog walk ever!

Patrick

Doggies that have gone for a ski are tired contented doggies

We skied to the road!

 

'combat' conditions near the road

So far it has been a pretty dismal winter for snow on Kodiak.  It started well in November, but since then it has mostly been warm rain and high winds.  But this past week we finally gained some snow on high.  It has still been warm rain and high winds in town, and even on the mountain it has been switching back and forth between rain and snow, but it has been building up.  Finally!

The good part about it falling as half rain, half snow is that it is really heavy stuff.  Perfect snow for covering up the rocks and ground.  

Yesterday Stuey and I drove up to the pass and there was 3 inches or so of slush at the parking lot.  So we skinned up from the parking lot, and then skied all the way back to the car.  The bottom 500 feet vertical was combat skiing, but we did it.  This is the first time this winter I have skied to the parking lot!

Patrick

Skiing in the New Year

 

Yesterday I went skiing with Stuey - well sort of - he went skiing with his friend and I was up there too.  At times we intersected and at times we skied together. We also ran into Uncle Dicky.

Earlier in the week while it poured rain in town it snowed high up on the mountain.  We have a lot of new snow since I went skiing with Nora over the weekend.  Like more than a foot of heavy, dense corned up snow above 1500 feet and even more above that.  The mountain has been transformed.  It is back to what it was like in early December and you can now ski down to the bottom of the jibber bowl.

But down below it is still all brown.  The brown down below contrasts sharply with the white, white snow. All the mountain tops are white islands in a sea of brown.  It certainly is nice to have some decent snow again.

Patrick