Our Spring Break was pretty unpredictable. We wanted to go to Valdez but it was supposed to snow 8-12 inches for 8 days straight. So we decided to do a backpacking trip up Arch Angel Valley in Hatchers Pass.
Blue sky!
Lucy wearing her new Doggles. She's not a big fan of them but at least she isn't going snow blind.
Digging a pit for the tent.
I think we're ready for Denali! jk
Once the sun dropped below the mountains it got cold real quick.
We ate a hot dinner and jumped in our tent.
Frozen smiles the next morning.
Trying to thaw our frozen boots with hot coffee to the insides.
Mountains across the valley.
Lucy loves the tent. She was chilly and squeezed into Kristen's sleeping bag for most of the night.
Snowboarding the spine.
Diva.
The boys attempting to ski. haha
So graceful, and so handsome at the same time.
We decided to take the teardrop down to Turnagain Pass. Lucy requires a blanket and chair. Quite a princess.
Snow fire!
Curled up in Grandma's sweater in the Teardrop.
Crossing a bridge up to Manitoba Mountain.
Manitoba is further south on the kenai and gets much different, usually drier snow than the turnagain arm.
We decided to ski the low angle wide open country for a day while the 5 feet of new snow in turnagain pass settled.
Skinning up corn-biscuit the day after the storm.
After assessing the snowpack, the storm had come in with 3 feet of cold snow, warmed up and left a 6 inch warm compactable layer on that, then left cold with 8 or so inches of soft dry powder on top. So that if you step off your skis you sink to your hip. Perfect for surfing snow but dangerous at steeper inclines. We love the backcountry so much we want to live another day doing it! We've had only one or two degrees of separation from multiple people who have died this year in avalanches and it's always on our mind. So we cut our ascent short and enjoyed the snow.
Kristen is tall!
This captures the argument for snowboarding over skiing. It's snow surfing!
Okay skiing looks fun too.
The sun is surging back north, 12 hours and gaining.
More of Alaska's endless remote wilderness.
Back home in the backyard at Hatcher's pass. We've been to hatcher's probably 70-100 times since we moved here…and there are still bowls and valleys we have not explored right off the road. We've met many people who have spent a lifetime exploring this place and never see it all.
Kristen and Jay wandering through our recent discovery, pinnacle bowl.
Spring makes the winter worth it!
of course Jay hit that
Until next time :)
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