Ak State XC Ski Championships

     The high school xc ski championships are being held this weekend at Kincaid Park in Anchorage.  Bundling up all my old memories of high school ski racing and throwing them in a back pack, I headed to the park to watch and cheer on the racers in todays classic event.
     The boys went off first on a two loop, 5k course, packed with difficult climbs and screaming downhills.  Now, remember, I don't know any of these kids, but that didn't stop me from yelling my head off and racing around the course to see how it all unfolded.

     I enjoy "spectating" in this way as brings me closer to what the racers are feeling themselves.  My palms were sweaty and butterflies tied my stomach in knots as I watched the lead change several times before 1 skier surged off the front.

       In the end, all that was left at the finish line was carnage.  

     The girls race was a 7.5k, one loop course which skied the boys 5k and then added on some demanding sections of double poling.  I watched the start before heading out onto the trails.

The girls stayed together in a tight knit group for 5k before two of them went off the front.  

     In the end, I missed the battle between them at the finish in order to cheer every last skier up the final hard climb of the course.  XC skiing is to Anchorage what football is Gainesville.  The passion they put into their racing was impressive and I love to watch them suffer.    The whole community is behind them and I think they do it as much out of respect for the standard as personal drive.  It definitely got the juices flowing!  So, will I now return to interval training, obsessive ski waxing, and hill repeats.  No.  But, I will let them totally inspire me to rise to the height of my own potential.

Mardi Gras in Alaska

At our school in Vermont, we celebrated Mardi Gras thanks to our French language teacher being an outstanding musician, vocalist, and person.  Madame Reed had the entire school bursting at the seams with Mardi Gras energy.  Here in the Northland,  they aren't having a formal recognition of the celebration, but we are still making our own Mardi Gras masks and shining up our beads.  We will wear them to school tomorrow morning and make a complete spectacle of ourselves, but do so with big smiles and happy hearts.  As for Lent, we are giving up long, dark winter nights!

It's not every day ...

... that you see this kinda thing!  I love this place!

The Cabin

My folks bought property on Shirley Lake in Willow, Ak the year I was born.  My dad then went to the bank and asked "What's the biggest loan you can give me ?"   It was about $2500.  So he took it and bought cheap, second rate lumber to build a cabin which, with help from friends, was built in 1972.   It was the 2nd structure on the lake - no power and no running water, but endless space for running through the woods, exploring the swamps and creeks, and endless time for canoeing on the lake, fishing for rainbow trout, and watching the loons.  In winter, my brother and I learned how to ski on a track made around the lake by my parents.  Later, dad would pull us on our skis behind the snowmobile.  We would gather on the lake late at night, bundled in sleeping bags, and watch the northern lights.  I love this place to my core.  We had our first family winter trip up there this last weekend.

  

An early winter wind storm had blown many trees down on the property and one of these was deposited on the roof of the cabin.  The first half of Sat. was spent winching it off the roof and pulling it out of the way.  I did the sweaty work while Jess and the kids tended the fire and got the cabin up to temperature.  The newspaper pile for starting the fire is getting pretty low - which means these papers date back to quite a while ago.  Here is some of what Jess found in a paper dated to 1979.

After the work was over, the play began.  We made a sled run for the work sled from the cabin down onto the lake and then played wheel in the deep snow.  

After warming up with a cup of hot Tang, we went on a walk into the swamp.  The kids wanted to test the snow to see how deep it was and decided, of course, the best way to do this was to throw them into it.  

It was pretty deep!

As the daylight started to seep from the sky, we made our way back through the alpenglow of late afternoon.  The cabin was toasty warm and lanterns and oil lamps were lit.  This is the best part of day when (save for a few snowmobilers) the quiet settles in and we start to settle too.  Dry clothes, warm slippers, peanut M&M's, and a book at the end of a snowy day.  And this is the true essence of the cabin...

Alaska Ski for Women

     Superbowl morning and what are Alaskan women doing?  Up to their elbows in the kitchen preparing wings, filling bowls of Doritos, chilling six packs of beer?  No way!  The annual Alaska Ski for Women celebrates the fairer sex and raises money for local non-profits.  Over the past several years, the Alaska Ski for Women has donated close to $800,000 to local community, non-profit organizations helping to stop the cycle of domestic abuse against women and children.   And, it's a lot of fun!   Almost 1500 women participated in the 16th annual edition of the event.  Jess and Harriet dove into the costume box, and waxed up to ski with Aunt Shelly and cousin Hannah in the party wave - where women go over the top with extravagant costumes...

The girls - all warmed up and ready to go

Sumo and Geishas

Harriet - the Cheshire Cat!

A herd of giraffes

KISS!

Octopus

Breaching Humpbacks

Cousin Hannah - adorable

Jess and Shelly - on course

The swarm of women converging on the trails

...and the boys had some fun too!

Moosey Moose

On the way home tonight, saw a mom and baby moose.   Pulled over and watched from the protection of the car as they munched on buds on the tree branches.  So close we could hear them crunching...

Spit out!

     Finally, we have been spit out the other end of one heck of a cold snap.  About as close to record breaking as you really want to get.  "On the cool side" as the locals might say.  Luckily, during the worst of it, our household belongings arrived and we could make excuses of unpacking to avoid venturing out too often.  We did manage to attend several school functions including an all school skating party at the Westchester Lagoon near downtown.

     We got a great opportunity to get to know the grade 3/4 parents a bit better with the class retreat in Birchwood (north of Anchorage).  Some good socializing followed by a labyrinth walk follow by s'mores around the fire at 18 below!  These here are some hearty folks!

     There are animals frequenting the neighborhood.

     Actually, as I came downstairs to write tonight, I noticed this moose in the back yard!  Resident moose populations are way up due to such heavy snowfall this year.  With so many animals in town, it can become rather dangerous, so we are all on guard when skiing, walking trails, or just putting mail in the box!

     And Bohemian Waxwings.  These buggers roam in flocks and will descend on your trees to strip them clean in seconds flat!  Fun to watch!

     

     And, of course, with temperatures rising back into the teens, we are out and about.  Yesterday we had to break in the Mad River Rocket and so drove to Centennial Park.  This is a small hill we used to ski as kids.  A rope tow would pull us to the top and we would fly down hitting jump after jump.  the rope tow is now disabled, but the sledding is top notch!

     So, with warm fingers and toes, we are now looking forward to a great number of outside adventures.  The Northern Lights beckon us and we may have to drive North for a viewing.  A fresh load of firewood is going to the cabin in Willow this weekend.  Jess, Harriet, Aunt Shelly, and cousin Hannah are participating in an all women's ski race this Sunday!  And there's lots of winter left!  Bring it on!