Spring arrives out here on the tundra whenever it wants just like the rest of the world. Seasons come and go on their time and never on human time. I traveled back east, and it was spring there: trees blooming, fresh flowers were up, green grass, mother nature is just showing off with lacy leaves spreading out under a warmer blue sky.
Here on the tundra, it is still the gritty season, dusty at times, or mucky at others. The tundra is brown, and the lichen is starting to turn greener. When I landed here on Sunday, there was a fire burning south of the village across the river. A person was out on their snow machine on the dry brown tundra most likely bird hunting and started a fire. The story goes something like this that the ski on the snowmachine hit a
rock made a spark and started a fire. Springtime in Alaska is fire season which always seems strange. It is dry here as Alaska waits for the rains. As the plane came in you could see the fire moving across the tundra. When we went out for a ski, the wind changed direction and caused a back burn which put the fire out. They did bring in a
crew of smokejumpers to work the fire.
We got in a few more days of skiing, and I think we are most likely done as the rain has been somewhat consistent and day and night temperatures are above +40ºF. If I lived up in Nome, I would be skiing with all my ski friends up there for some time! I might be able to get some skiing in once we get back to Montana . . . We will see on that one.
Look carefully to see the smoke from the fire across the river burning.
The ribbon of groomed snow was still perfect for skiing on Sunday afternoon. The drainages fill with windblown snow and this is what we groom to ski on through the winter. The ski trail snow lasts and lasts!
The tundra appears after its winter nap, brown, dry and crisp! Snow covered Nulato Hills in the background.
Christian and his buddy Tally---all loving a great ski under a vast blue northern latitude sky.
Miss Sadie cruising right along.
Blue sky selfie!
If you are interested I am over on Instagram (which I really am enjoying) I have signed off of WasteBook since the ski team season is over. I am off of Twitter----less social media is best!
The tundra is tossing off its winter coat and will soon be bursting with new green growth, lichen, and flowers!
I switch from skis to my
FatBack Rhino FLT bike which I am LOVING! The more I ride my Rhino, the more I realize this considerable investment in $$$ was well worth every penny!
The beach is still covered in the jumbled up sea ice mess from the February storms. The ice is now about 1-2 feet thick instead of the 6 to 8 feet after the storms.
Beach Walk View
Dirty Old Sea Ice Mess
Melting ice returning to the sea.
Endless miles of fabulous beach walking . . .
This Star was tossed back into the water.
Yesterday was your basic dreary tundra day: rain, low-clouds, cold, damp. One of least my favorite things in the spring and fall is 8 muddy gritty paws. The Dragon's Back is still holding snow across the slough. This is where our younger skiers mostly ski.
The cannery is the red building in the distance. The slough is almost ice-free.
