I certaintly push the boundary of the winter season as skiing seems to be on my mind most of the year whether it is appropriate or not. Snow brings me into a place which is purely fun, certaintly there are dangers involved with backcountry travel, however these hazards present a puzzle to solve which I find enjoyable as well. A couple days ago Rene, RC and I headed up towards Crow Pass in the Chugach Range to try and ski. As we left the cars it was warm with a light rain so we had low expectations for the day. There was a snow line high above us and we figured we might as well take the skiis for a ride and maybe they would return the favor later in the year.
After an hour of hiking we arrived at Crow Pass and found that there was still very little snow and no visibility. Conditions had certaintly not improved but in the spirit of adventure we decided to look for an isolated pocket of snow to make a few turns since we had our gear. Another twenty minutes up the trail we found what we were looking for- a small couloir with just enough snow to ski. After two runs down our hundred foot long couloir we decided that skiing might have to wait for a little more snow. Or maybe a lot more. 
On the drive back to Anchorage we continued with our early season spirit by looking for newly formed ice. We failed to find any- however we did find some PBR at home so the day proved to be a success anyway.I don't know about anyone else but the days spent hunting for those elusive winter conditions are the ones which I enjoy the most. For now I think I might go rock climbing because that will certaintly give winter a reason to show it's face.
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| I agree! The hunt for adventure can be rewarding in itself. You forgot to mention zero visibility and gusts however, and that was half the fun. |
| Written By: Rene Welty URL: http:// |