Jack & Jaspers Grandparents Visit

My parents flew up for their first winter in Alaska visit. We were blessed with warmer temperatures in the 30's.

Cross Country skiing at Sheep Mountain Lodge, two hours north of Eagle River in the Matanuska Glacier/River Valley.
Snowshoeing above our house in Eagle River, at the South Fork Access to the Chugach Mountains State Park.
Yes, this is an avalanche zone.
Jasper in midflight.
Gretchen, Jack, and I posing on "lookout rock" along the Crow Pass Trail near the Eagle River Nature Center

Posing just below Baldy Peak in Eagle River, with Denali looming in the background over 135 miles away.

Masters Swim League Meet

On February 19th, Gretchen swam in the Anchorage Swim League Masters Meet. The two day event featured racers from the college age all the way up to the seniors. The photo's below are from the 100m Backstroke, and 1650m Freestyle.
Her 1650m finishing time placed her in the state top 10 record books.

Tour of Anchorage; Alaska's Premiere Nordic Ski Marathon

Gretchen participated in this year's Tour of Anchorage on March 2nd. Racers can choose from a 25km, 40km, or 50km race; using either classic or skate nordic cross country ski's.

Sometimes the Glass is Half Emtpy; or Early Break Up Blues

IDITAROD 08 - The Fans

People come from all over for the ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage. The official start is tomorrow in Willow, AK.

The temperature today was a nice 20 degrees F, with a 10-15mph breeze pushing the windchill just above 0.




Thousands of people pack 4th street to watch the dogs run. 98 mushers, times 16 dogs per team, equals over 1550 dogs on the streets of Anchorage.

IDITAROD 08 - The Mushers

A total of 98 mushers, from 6 different countries make up this years field, the largest ever.

Lance Mackey, winner of this years Yukon Quest just two weeks ago, and last years winner of the Iditarod and Yukon Quest. Like the cyclist, this Lance is also a cancer survivor, and my personal favorite musher



Dee Dee Jonrowe, has twelve top-10 Iditarod finishes in her career. Jonrowe and her dogs all sport pink harness and hear in support of breast cancer, she is also a cancer survivor.

Rohn Buser, son of one of mushings greatest, Martin Buser, is mushing in his first Iditarod, he is 18 years old, still a 12th grader in high school.

IDITAROD 08 - The Dogs

The real all-star of this racing event is the dogs. What human athlete can run 1048 miles in less than 10 days?????