Dragging my Feet

Good Morning!  

I am dragging my feet here a bit this morning.  I usually or used to get up at 5:00 and now am getting up at 6:00.  Coffee is on a timer so it is ready when I get up which is always such a nice treat.  I know I use a percolator pot and hard to believe anyone still uses one but I like my coffee to stay hot.  Plus, I was fed up with all the plastics in other options.  It works and the caffeine is in my blood with no hassle at all.

Yesterday we got out for a ski on the BC (backcountry gear).  It was ICY, rutted, with some overflow on the two sloughs we have to across to get out across the tundra.  It was a bit windy and cold too but nothing more than normal just not typical April spring skiing.  Out at the Hide Away trails there is a good amount of drifting.  This is great as it will groom out really nice today and make for some more great skiing.  I love this little section of ski trail as it is through the trees, protected from most of the winds, and you feel like you are at a ski touring center.  

We use pallets as snow fences that help to collect the blowing snows when we have winds which are more often than not out here on the edge of Norton Sound.  Little tricks of the trade for ski grooming in rural Alaska.  Photo on the left is us practice ski social distancing! You have to joke and make the best of things out here for sure!

My other favorite thing is conifers with snow on them against a rich blue sky.  I remember when I discovered this great combo in my college accounting class at Paul Smith’s College.  I remember sitting there in class trying to pay attention but always drifting off to gaze out the window at the combo of blue sky and fresh snow on the branches of green needles.  I would be dying to get out of class to head out for a ski.   

Here is why I am dragging my feet a bit this a.m. 0ºF and a wind chill of -9ºF.  UGH!  I just need to walk over to what I call “The Refugio” the skiroom/waxroom.  I work out over there 5 days a week using ERG and the extra-room space for my knee PT, sit-ups, push-ups, and yoga space as our housing has limited floor space.  I am so grateful to have The Refugio and to consistently be able to use that space it is just a great thing for me!

SIDE NOTE! I really wish that blogger would allow me to use all the functions on my ipad but it doesn’t dang it all!  Anyone have any suggestions?  It seems to work far better on Firefox than Chrome interesting.  

Enough time to get out the door!  Like the Norwegian saying says “The longest mile is to the door!”

Counting Days

Day 116 on skis!

I always know how many days a year I ski.  I don't know how many days a year I hike, bike, paddle, swim, walk, knit, read or anything else, but for a few reasons, I count my days on skis.  My father in law and avid skier and outdoorsman always smirks at my days on skis and wonders why would I count them just ski!  Which I totally get----why count?  There has always been something about getting in 100 days on skis . . . in the ski bum world. A ski coaching friend got me turned on to counting my days during my time here in Alaska.  For years now I count my days on skis.

The main reasons is not a competition with others. It is just a way of getting one out the door. I know all kinds of people who say "I ski" or do some activity and then they might only do this activity a few times during the given season.  I guess I might be a bit harsh, but that doesn't seem like getting out the door often enough in my books.  Keeping track of days on skis gives me a goal, gets me out the door, promotes a healthier me, and is just right for us all no matter what!

My goal this year as for many years has been to hit 125 days a year on skis.  I am closer than ever, but I doubt I will arrive at that number this year.  I am presently at 116 days and should be able to ski a few more days before I travel south and east for a family visit. Now if the weather holds like this week, I might be able to ski more once I get back to Alaska.  It has been in the teens and twenties at night and hasn't gotten above +32ºF this week.  This certainly helps keep the ski trails covered in snow.

The most important things about counting ski days are the fact that it keeps me moving, and gets me out the door.  I know outside activity is really a great thing for overall health both mentally and physically!

Like the Norwegian saying I came across a few years ago, "The longest mile is to the door!"

Just for fun Photos from the Edge!

The blog has a way with getting out of control i.e. behind the times! I let it go far too long and then I just need to get myself up to date.  Below are photos to get me up to date here in blogger-land!  The ol'photo essay time!

Miss Sadie and I out on the ski trail in Jan.  Skiing on the backcountry touring gear which is really my favorite gear to be on 99% of the time.

The ski crew here!  Adults and dogs all out for a ski meeting up on Top of Picnic Hill. Skier to the far right grew up skiing out here with us and now has a family and the cutest little baby ever---time flies!

Ski practice on the Dragon's Belly side of the Dragon's Back.

Doing what we do skiing!  Cold temps as dogs are in jackets and booties in Jan. On skate gear heading in from ski practice across the tundra.

Skiers on the south end of the Dragon's Back after one of our many storms this year. Looking south across the tundra.

Miss Tally bring it home from a ski out to Picnic Hill.

Ski practice on Picnic Hill after skiing Worm's Wild Ride.

Back in Jan. we did a ski tour on a rather brutal cold day with winds.  We skied up Picnic Hill and down to Picnic for hot drinks, snacks, and a fire!

Heading down to the fire and a well-earned break!

Just one of those wonderful moments that makes you stop for a second and be grateful for all you have in life.

Let's face it if we all did this the world would be a better place!

Miss Sadie: I dropped this photo into an App that makes it into a watercolor painting how cool!

One of our grown-up skiers here during Christmas skiing with us on a typical cold day!  On our Picnic Hill Tour.

Cold, wind, and early setting Jan. sun!  Heading out on our Picnic tour.

Drifts save our lives out here!  We ski on them and we hide behind them!

A nice warm one -30ºF! As I write this we really need a nice cold one for the Iditarod!  

Shoveling snow on the ski trail!  Like normal sane people shovel snow on the tundra so we can ski!  My husband the stellar ski trail groomer!

Oh Frost day I love it when the world looks like this----a sure sign of no WIND!

Miss Tally who is waiting for me during the morning work out---"Are you done yet!?"

Studs on my FatTire Bike and I love them!

Winter sunset . . .

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.

Winter Coastal Storm & Weather

I awoke at some point in the early hours of today by the bashing winds howling by our place.  The storm was said to arrive this morning and low and behold it arrived!  I am a morning person as many of you know and I just love the peaceful start to a day.  Even if like today we have a lot of sound effects tossed our way thanks to Mother Nature.

Just like yesterday, we had a noon ski practice but it ended up being too cold for the elementary skiers.  Wind chill was -25ºF.

Our old skiers who are on the Race Team were able to ski at 2:00 P.M. as the breeze was gone.  We went out at -9ºF and skied up to Picnic Hill all on classic gear. Cold temperatures make for slooooow skiing and this is when we go for a tour on our classic gear.  We had a great group and off we went.

This is so typical for us the temperatures drop and a slight breeze picks up.  The warm temperatures drop to -18ºF and the wind picks up just a tad which throws us right into -34ºF wind chill!

Above was yesterday ski temperatures during our ski practice. The first column is air temp, next is dew point, relative humidity, the purple is wind chill, mph, and wind speed.

In the distance, you may notice the village and then the sea ice heading west.  This hill is traveled by snowmachines all winter.  People heading out to their cabins, trapline, or going ice fishing access the river on this trail.
 One of the things I love about the winter sky at this time of the year is the color.  It seems impossible to capture the light of the northern latitudes but it is stunningly blue, and cold, with various hues of pinks, purples, yellows, and reddy-oranges.

We were all covered in Mother Nature's collection of makeup know as frost!  Everything was painted in frosty shimmering white crystals. Beautifully done in fine detail!

Sun is starting to set about 3:00 now and it takes a long time to get below the horizon.  This is the time of loooong shadows! I never ever get tired of the light and shadows up here in the north.

Once home we realized how much the temps had dropped on us.  The breeze was at our backs so you didn't notice just how cold it had really gotten during our ski tour. I am a frosty skier. Warm as toast at home after always skiing within the "Rudy Principle" which was told to us years ago by one of the guys that helped our school district with skiing out here for years!  The Rudy Principle is "Never ever head out of the village with the wind at your back as you will never get home!"

Back to today's storm winds are now blowing solidly at 40 mph and visibility is down to .25 of a mile which I think is rather generous distance!

As I close this post winds are now gusting over +50 mph!