Late Summer 2011:
I was hiking up the Jewel
Glacier in late September and asked a backcountry skier: "Is
this your first ski of the season?" His response was: "I'm
doing the 12 month thing, so this is my last ski of the season.
And probably my first ski of next ski season." The Jewel
Glacier is a familiar snow-seeking pilgrimage for many
Southcentral Alaska backcountry skiers and snowboarders. Late summer and early
fall snowfalls here bridge seasons for folks that like to ski or
snowboard
all year.
The Jewel Glacier on
the northwest slopes of Summit and Jewel Mountain.
On top of the Jewel
Glacier, looking down at Crystal Lake, Crow Pass and ski tracks.
September shredder.
"I can see you.
But you can't see me!"
The Crow Pass Trail.
Old mine site steam
engine.
Map showing the
location of Jewel Glacier, east of Crow Pass. It should
probably be called the Jewel Glaciers (plural) now, as recession
of the ice has split the glacier in two.
Some Summer Hiking
Photos
Deep Water Bay,
Prince William Sound
Deep Water Bay
offers something that is rather rare to Southcentral Alaskan
hikers - lots of granite.
A black bear teaches
her two cubs how to rock climb. "Hey mom! Wait up!"
A
bent rod ... a good sign.
Ling cod ... good tasting fish.
The State of Alaska
"Chenega" ferry, a huge catamaran that goes around 35 knots.
Eaglek Bay, Prince
William Sound
She's climbed the
peak across the bay too.
A bear den.
A plant fight, a
water cress gets stabbed.
PWS can be hard core
bushwhacking and route finding. I bring along a GPS, but
arrows in mud never lose GPS signals or run low on batteries.
Hiking the Bird to
Girdwood ridge route on a nice day.
Down below us a
C-130 flew by while refueling a Blackhawk helicopter.
The bore tide (white
line) moves past the Girdwood turn-off.
Talkeetna Mountains
Prince William
Sound's Best Athletes
Summer 2011:
The spring and summer xc skiing
season in Prince William Sound was very short-lived due to the low
snowfall of the past winter. So it's on to peak bagging.
On the topic of Prince William Sound ... whether traveling in the Sound for skiing or other activities
you often encounter Dall's Porpoises. These guys are smart,
playful, entertaining, cool looking and probably the best athletes in
Prince William Sound. Judge for yourself ...