Winter's Ending, Spring's Beginning!

Breakup is SO early this year . . . and we keep hiking!  Easter Weekend we went with Lance along Turnagain Arm, thinking it's south face would mean no snow and no mud!  And it was in pretty good shape, from McHugh toward Rabbit Lake.  We only had 4 hours so didn't make it to the end.  We saw 3 moose along the way, and it snowed part way through - it was a very windy day!

Judy and Lance at the top of Near Point 

We took a ride up to Wasilla for the Home Show because a tiny home that Brian worked on was on display.  Another one that he did a lot of work on was in Alaska Magazine this month with a big display about tiny homes.

And then went to Ptarmigan Peak on the way home - not enough time to climb to the top, but a really nice hike, nonetheless.  We needed Katoolahs here -- lots of stretches of snow and ice. This is the second time that we've gone partway with not enough time, so next time . . . going for the summit!!

Lots to do in the month of April, but the days are getting warmer and lighter all of the time.  Brian's getting the camper fixed up now so we'll be ready for our first trip of the year, and shrimping season starts in just a few days!

A little bit of winter in Fairbanks!

Mid-March we went to Fairbanks for the Arctic Science Summit Week - and for a little skiing!  Finally! It was gorgeous, in the mid to high teens, and sunny, with just a little bit of snow each day.  We never left the university trails, it was so good, and the best conditions over the last two years.

As we always do on these "spring break" trips to Fairbanks - this is our 3rd time - we went to the ice sculptures, first during the day and then back at night under the lights - they are more spectacular then!  This was the warmest year that we've gone - last year we took one picture, as neither of us wanted to take our hands out of gloves and mittens in the below zero weather!

It felt SO good to be cold again, like winter is supposed to be!  Before we left, we made a quick trip to REI, HooDoo Brewery for a "flight" tasting, hung out at Gulliver's Bookshop for a latte and leisure read while we waited for time to go to the airport. It's a quick flight home to Anchorage from Fairbanks.

Whoops! What happened to the last 4 months!

I had no idea that we hadn't added to our blog since the beginning of January!  Well, you know what we've been doing - hiking!  The weather here continued too mild through the winter to do anything else, and we were both busier than usual working.

Judy was one of judges for the Clark Middle School Junior Leader Fellows Public Speaking Contest 

Brian has been working on a tiny home for 2 1/2 months after completing work on 3 others, so he may just legitimately be a "tiny home expert" now!!

January - new Fat Tire Bike for Brian!  If there's not enough snow to ski, the snow bikes are having a heyday!  Many, many snow bikes here in Anchorage.

February - still no snow for skiing.  Winter hiking at South Fork Eagle River and Near Point trail.

And we could have been ice-skating - it looked like everyone else was mid-winter at Westchester Lagoon!

Still lamenting the lack of snow but doing the best we can under the circumstances!  :-)