SKIING!

Skiing is in full swing out here on the edge!  I am loving it!  We have 7 practices a week up and running.  This gives me Sunday as my only day I don't ski with kids in theory.  Saturday's practices were just rearranged to help lighten the load to one ski technique and to reduce the age group spread.

So far we have had great early season snow, howling winds, severe wind chills, wonderful afternoon light, and our beloved Dragon's Back is HUGE this season.

This post was started January 19th and not finished, updated or touched!  Skiing has a way of running away with us here!  Or is that skiing away or sliding away . . . the point is even though I am not working full time I am busy and just never got back to this post!

Update March 2nd, please keep in mind this is a quick update a bit tossed together but sometimes life is just tossed together!

1.  Skiing has been great, we have had a lot of overflow this year on the slough, weird storms or strange predictions of storms and that never arrive. We have a good amount of skiers around 50 kids I am guessing.  A strong race team of about 18 skiers.  The new snowmachine is a treat and my DH who grooms for us is loving this fancy new snowmachine.

Lots of stormy weather and overflow in Jan. and Feb. 

This storm caused the beach to be covered in huge chunks of jumbled up ice.

Then, of course, we have winds that cause other issues for us.  Lots of drifting which means a lot of trail work.  We tried to ski but all we did was walk to our starting point, winds were over +40mph. I put on my skis and we skied hope with the winds pushing us all the way.  Visibility was so low and winds were extremely high!

Overflow on one of our trail access points!  This is such a challenging place to ski!

2.  I am subbing enough. I do enjoy being in the classroom with no strings attached to collecting data and testing all small children all the time!  I enjoy walking in teaching and leaving! 

3.  I am very grateful that I am skiing a lot.  Some days I can get in 2 skis.  One early in the day with "The Girls" and then a ski practice as well.

4.  Yesterday, I finally printed out my rough. I mean ever so rough draft of a story/book I am working on!  This is a bit of a personal goal/challenge for myself.  I plan to self-publish at some point.  Right now I am a very long way from even thinking about publishing this story.  I am enjoying the process and learning something new.

5.  I am posting some photos below of winter and what not.  Then I am going to write another post for the Iknitarod which is a Ravelry group that follows the Iditarod Dog Sled Race which starts today!



Looking at the Iditarod checkpoint. 
 

Wonderful light and setting sun across the tundra.

The beach covered in jumbled up sea ice that should be frozen as far as the eye can see. 

Overflow--this is water that is pushed up the river into the slough under the ice.  It comes up through the cracks along the edges of the river and slough.  The ice is below this surface water.

Same location photo was taken the next day!  It still boggles my mind at how rapidly things can change here!  Below the storm and flood warning for the storm that arrived Feb.11th or so.

The happy groomer with the new Arctic BearCat a wonderful machine!







Yesterdays, Whale Back Mountains glowing in late afternoon light from the Dragon's Back ski Trails.