. . . and a Happy New Year. On Christmas Eve, I had my annual ski at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood. When you dress like Santa, your ticket is free, so Gus and I found our red and joined the rest of the Santas on the mountain for the day. Our truck thermometer had a 30 degree temperature swing in 75 miles. The coldest reading was -18 right down by the Knik River and on Turnagain Arm south of Anchorage it read 12 degrees. Most of the day at Alyeska was around 8 degrees. Since it wasn't windy, it was tolerable. This was however, the least amount of snow I have ever seen on the mountain for this time of year. There were trees, bushes and rock cliffs in places I have never seen in any other Santa Ski I participated in or when I worked there eons ago. We had an unusual dry and warm October, and then even though it has been cold through November and December there really hasn't been a whole lot of snow or rain, so surprisingly the mountain that regularly receives over 750" of snowfall yearly is at a meager 146" this year so far. The snowpack itself is at 43", which isn't much for Alyeska, but obviously enough to get us crazies out skiing for the day.
On Christmas morning, we enjoyed beautiful blue skis, amazing mountain views, and the not so nice temperature of -15. Today when I woke up the thermometer read 4 degrees and my first thought was "it's finally getting warm again." Yeah, my perception is a little warped right now.
3 comments:
Hi Jill,
I just spent a happy little time reading your blog. My gosh you "Aho girls" are a talented bunch! Love the photos and you have a book in the making with this blog!
Ingrid arrives in Minneapolis on Monday from Fairbanks. She has been in Fairbanks since March 2012 when we drove the ALCAN (late Feb) to get her to her first real job in Fairbanks. She works for Shanon and Wilson. Did not make it home for Christmas this year because of the Slope job. She's been working in the oil fields on THE SLOPE since Dec. 9---her first assignment up there.
Gus is in St. Paul working as a musician and teaching private lessons (he never got a teaching certificate) and feels he couldn't keep a whole classroom under control if his life depended on it--he's more suited to one on one....
So wonderful seeing your life and seeing that there is another Gus out there!!!!!!!
Torsten was our safety guide for planning the ALCAN trip. We've lost touch with him since then---I know he's still in Anchorage.
Enjoy, life, Jill. Your family is a special bunch of people. Ann Sandberg
Hi Jill,
I wrote a nice long comment---then, it wouldn't post. I love your blog!
Ann Sandberg
Good to hear from you! It's interesting that Ingrid made her way up here and I do think of your Gus. I was 32 when I went back for the teaching certificate. It took me awhile to settle into the idea of a classroom of kids for a whole day. We'll have to cross paths either up here or when I'm back down there sometime. Jill
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