Saturday, January 5, 2013

Sloppy roads in Girdwood, some indoor plants benefit from steam in the bath

So much for the blue sky dots yesterday, today was grey with drizzle all day. The temperature remains at 34° in Girdwood. The roads are nothing but slush, dirty, messy slushies. The walking path is mush, and forget Moose Meadows. The weather is warming up the surface making it fairly un-skiable. Check the Girdwood Nordic Ski Club site for current grooming information. They have groomed the new 5K trail, however, the ground is too soft to groom in Moose Meadows.

My inquisitions of locals that have lived here a long time tell me there has been one or two times when opening of chair 6 at Alyeska Resort happened as late as January or February (it opened today for the first time this season). Ski Patrol has posted a very informative notice on the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information site regarding the snow conditions at the Resort. This notice will be helpful to those who are avid top-of-the-mountain skiers to understand why North Face and so many outer areas are not open. It delivers some great information regarding avalanche occurrences and includes a good video.

For the plant lovers out there, you may be tempted to start your seeds now or be eyeing that newly exposed ground in your yard. Don't fall for the warm temperatures yet. February will be a better time to start seed. And we all know it will freeze again either this month or next. If you have indoor bromeliads or orchids a good way to keep them happy this time of year, when it is dry inside, is to hang them or place them in your bathroom. This way they can take advantage of the humidity from your shower or baths.  These types of plants take in moisture through their exposed parts, orchids especially. Just remember to keep them near a window or return them to a brightly lit area after their steam.

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