Hawaii: Chapter 1 - Seattle Layover

Upon booking our tickets for Hawaii we realized a layover in Seattle was unavoidable. Thankfully our best friend from college days, Amelia, now living in Vancouver, came down and spent an awesome 10 hours with us hanging out in Seattle!

Arriving at 10pm, we grabbed a pizza and headed to this park in west Seattle with an awesome view of the city at night.

We then headed for a 24hr diner; grabbed some breakfast, shared stories, memories, and drank coffee.
The "gang" saying goodbye at the Airport. Amelia, Thanks for a great time!!!

(That's my happy face after being awake like 30 hours)

TURKEYPALOOZA 2008

Here are some photo's from Thanksgiving 2008 at Eagle River Base Camp. Just a bunch of friends far from family gathering to celebrate Gods grace over the past year.

Table for 12.Gretchen and Meg checking the Turkey! Meg making gravy with a little help from Jasper, he's the official sniffer, letting us know when its done.

Matt hungry from a full day of skiing, patiently waiting for dinner.
Jasper totally on guard, waiting for the first chance to kamikaze dive bomb some turkey and stuffing!

Jacks first Thanksgiving with the family, totally confused.

"Why is this big table in my living room? Why are all these People in my house? Why does this place smell soooo good, but you're not letting me try any?"

Kurt filling up his third helping.

Ginger, Gretchen, and Dexter (not yet pictured) going through the buffet line.
Friends eating dinner and fellowshiping with friends.
Snow in my backyard.

Blacktail Rocks Recon

A cold November saturday morning Kurt and I did a little recon hike of Blacktail Rocks and surrounding slopes for some fresh pow.This could be a nice shoot once it gets deep enough, slope, humm 45 degrees? Maybe more...

South Fork, Chugach State Park; Powder Day!!!

After a really long drive from the house (15 minutes), we were in the back country, skinning up for some turns in fresh powder.
After a 1.5 hour hike up to the summit of this unnamed peak at 3985ft, we spotted a nice run down the backside, into an area sometimes called "the North Pole".

Above photo looking south down Indian Creek Valley.

Above photo looking west out the Arctic Valley.

Gretchen getting pumped for some turns!

Temptation Peak.
Gretchen visualizing her run. Unfortunately, some one else got first turns today, I'd say we got thirds...

Gretchen ripping it up!

TELE TURN!!! Yeah!!! Drop the knee, free the heel!!!

About half the run.
Nearing the end of the run, and the day. Sunset in Alaska, around 4pm. Sunrise, around 9am; not saving very much time for skiing....

Jacks First Ski-Jouring Lesson

It was a gorgeous, crisp, clear day up at Hatchers Pass. A perfect day for Jack's first skijouring lesson. We discovered Jack can pull, and pull, and pull really hard. Jasper on the other hand, needs some re-training...
A round trip of 7 miles, approx. 3.5 miles out and back on the Gold Mint Trail. Snow conditions were quite decent, considering we havent seen any new accumulation in almost two weeks.

All Hallow's Eve

Prius

New Car.

Happy Birthday Christopher Columbus!!!!

Despite being responsible for the death of tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of "Native Americans", we still celebrate Christopher Columbus's discovery of the Americas, or is it his Birthday? Who cares, all I know is we get a federal holiday, so I went backcountry snowboarding!!!

Matt skinning in towards Hatcher Peak.
More skinning, Hatcher Peak face in the background. It was a "bluebird" day.
First signs of Avalanche #1 we saw, possible skier triggered within the last 48 hours.
Second Avalanche we saw on the face of Hatch Peak, certainly looks to be skier triggered within the last 24 hours.
Shot from half way up Hatch Peak
Jack and Labeda passed out on the drive home.

First Days of BC Downhill; tearing it up on the Lane Glacier

October 5th, the kids haven't even picked out their trick or treat costumes yet, in most parts of the country people haven't even begun to think about ole' man winter coming, or even pulled their wool sweaters off the top back shelf in the closet, but NOT IN ALASKA! We're barely even out of September, less then three weeks into Autumn, and we're ripping it up in the snow in Alaska. Maybe that's why I love this place...
So for our first tracks/first turns of the season, we set out with friends Matt and Jessica, plus four dogs, Hannah, Jack, Jasper, and Labeda, to play on the Lane Glacier, located at the end of the Archangel road in Hatchers Pass.

About a 3-4 mile hike from the car, the snow quickly moved in after pulling up to the parking lot, and continually dumped while we climbed towards the glacier.Summit shots before beginning the descent in knee deep fresh powder!
We peaked at about 6100ft, before heading down.
The gorgeous granite rock outcroppings are the norm in the Talkeetna Mountains.
Matt tears it up.

Self portrait, Gretchen in the background making final turns of the run.

All in all it was an amazing day, hopefully the start of a great ski/snowboard season.

When we left Eagle River it was in the 40's and sunny, but we returned to blowing snow and an accumulation on the ground, with a forecast of more to come!

October 4th, South Suicide Peak

October is a different time of year in Alaska. It's not quite full fledged winter, but fall is certainly over. Each day we slowly watch the snow levels creep down the Chugach Front Range, getting closer and closer to Anchorage.

Just another Saturday hike, this time we decided to tackle South Suicide Peak. A promoninent peak situated at the end of Rabbit Creek Valley, adjacent to North Suicide, Ptmargin, and McHugh Peaks. Coming in at 5005ft, South is about 500ft shorter then North Suicide Peak.

We chose to access this peak by way of the Falls Creek trail, along the Seward Highway.

Gretchen hiking with the 4000ft Indianhouse Mountain in the background.

"Postholing" up the slopes of South Suicide Peak.
Shot taken approximately 500ft below the summit, in the midst of a nice October "blizzard"...

Jasper enjoying the arrival of winter!