Two clouds floated through our streak of blue sky days

A varied thrush hopped around on the ground collecting small bits of gravel. I do not usually seen them on the ground, near people, much less in the parking lot of a busy hangar. The robins, yes, and most common the little redpolls and finches taking dirt baths. The thrush normally stays in the brush. 

Glacier Creek is rushing with run-off from snow and ice melt. I can easily hear it 100 yards away. Yet the small drainages and puddles are drying up. Our “creek” has dried up behind the house in Girdwood. We live near the foot of Penguin Ridge. Penguin is 99% clear of snow. Are the little birds looking for bits of water when they stalk? I think tiny bits of gravel for their crops and insects mostly.

Who would ever think to say they were hot in Girdwood? For the past four weeks, there have been maybe two days of rain, and not even full days. Not the normal weather pattern for the northern tip of a rain forest. I have concern for the trees. The trees are not adapted to this dry air for such an extended period. Their offspring may adapt in the coming decades. Or, adapted species will move north overtaking the present species. 

Here are two clouds seen in over Glacier Valley today. Beautiful blue skies really show off the green mountain sides and the few spots of snow remaining. With more than 14 days of temperatures in the 70’s, it is hard to imagine bits of snow still on the ground. The cool nights of the north help them remain. Homeowners with large picture windows are surely grateful for the cool nights here in the valley. I look forward to an early crop of strawberries.

High pressure clears skies and keeps the snow around

The April snow storm that thoroughly covered Glacier Valley and Western Prince William Sound has left some perfect snow for all types of outdoor activities. The helicopters were non-stop Thursday, Friday and I expect today too, ferrying skiers to pristine mountain tops in the southern Chugach Range. Groomed trails are perfect at Alyeska for skiing and riding. 

Moose Meadows was soft and pillowy, very nice for off trail classic skiing. Come layered, it is 10° at the T in Girdwood this Saturday morning. With the sun out all day, we expect it to warm up, maybe to 30!

There was a huge solar flare on April 11 which made it to our atmosphere Friday. There are great forecasts for auroras tonight 4/13 and Sunday 4/14. Check the Geophysical Institute's web site for the summary. A link is on this page. Get a good workout today, have a big dinner, nap and then head outside after midnight for an evening show! 

Late winter storm a bonus for skiers and riders

April continues to fool the senses. April 7th, winter weather advisory? Spring planting time (though inside in our community, its confounding)? Migrating birds, any uncovered wetlands in south central? I have seen gulls at Potter’s Marsh, sitting determinedly on the snow covered grass. It will melt, eventually. At least Turnagain Arm has extremely low ice coverage this year. Our winged friends can hunt for bi-valves in the mudflats. 

I am sure skiing and riding has been at premium conditions since this winter storm began on Saturday. A few rounds of howitzer let Girdwood know the snow safety team is making sure the conditions are optimal for the last few weeks of human powered snow fun at Alyeska Resort. If you can ditch work this week, I highly recommend the effort!

Fresh snow a nice treat in early April

In case you were wondering, yes, its is a great week to come to Girdwood to ski. The snow is soft, new and fresh. An April storm blessed us with a gentle storm. After last weeks beautiful, blasting sun, the snow curface had become quite crusty and hard. Glacier Valley has probably had about 6 inches of fresh stuff making a nice surface for skiing. 

The week has been full of weather phenomena. Sun, rivers through melting ice, sun dogs, gulls at Potter's Marsh, and the snow geese are now in Fairbanks! 

The weather forecast calls for more snow over the next three days. Get out and enjoy the spring fluff, the mountain closes to skiing on April 28! 

What is it like in the morning, before the crowds of skiers?

Everyone who lives in Girdwood knows it exists for a reason–skiing (present day). Those who work at the Resort are here to serve that purpose. Sometimes there are wonderful days when all the guests are nice, happy to be here, and loving the outdoors. Sometimes, unfortunately many times, the guests are whiney, ask for more than their share, rude, dangerous, and demanding. Because of those guests, I  myself enjoy this moment, the quiet before the storm. This morning the sun bursts between Mount Alyeska and Max’s Mountain as if it was shot forth by a giant slingshot between the two mountains. The billions of groomed crystals on the ground sparkle under the bright sun, fresh, un-carved terrain. All that riotous color belies the quiet in the air. The calm snow, the trees still, the sun warm, I could just lie down and take a nap. 

That is not to be, as its a great day for everyone to drive into Glacier Valley to hit the slopes. The afternoon will be filled with bull wheels being turned by closet-sized motors, skis and snowboards slipping over the firm snow pack, kids laughing and having a good time, and lots of requests for lift tickets accompanied by beeping computers and printers grinding out the tickets. Throw in three, four, or five dogs romping around the base, parents pulling little ones in plastic sleighs, boots and binding clamping down and clicking off, and the random mix of music in the daylodge and you have a wild mix of audible waves. The evening will be closed out with hundreds of cars crunching in the gravel on the way down Alyeska Highway back to the Seward Highway. By 9 pm, the town settles back down to one or two cars humming up or down the road, being a Friday, maybe they just returned from a night out in the big city. 

Spring Break up no fools for April 1!

No kidding, it is spring, again! I have lost track of how many springs there have been in Girdwood this winter. However, considering it is April now, this could be the real spring. Where do you think the above photo was taken? The Yukon? Tanana? Nenana? Campbell Creek? No, none of the above, its a road!

Though the day began cool and overcast. break-up was happening on all the roads. This side street in Girdwood could have been mistaken for a small river when viewed up close. As I was walking home, I could see the gravel on top of the ice thinking “wow, thats the road surface already.” Not so fast, once I turned the corner and saw this vast crevasse, I was stunned at how thick the ice had built up over the months. 

There is plowing all winter, not on a regular schedule, but enough. And as referenced many times, spring has come upon Glacier Valley enough to melt the ice on the creeks, but this ice road would not let us forget our valley is the snowiest in the state. 

Some other ice and snow features I find fascinating are the waves that roll off roofs in this community. Just looking at it, my monkey brain processes that as snow on the roof, and my simple brain thinks I could just go up there are knock that wave off. Fat chance, that snow is packed to a mini-glacier state. And it flows of the roof at a glacial pace. Very cool looking, and, very dangerous, never stand under one of these. 

Here is another cool snow phenomenon, the ripple snow blanket sliding down the roof. This snow blanket has a large pile of snow already built up below the roof line so the snow does not have space to form a wave. The snow at the base of the roof stops moving and the rest of the snow ripples up against the pile. I find it fascinating how it looks like fabric. 

Ah, the perfect winter day... in March!

Here I present the perfect winter day. Although, by some standards (re: the calendar our whole country clocks dates with) we are several days into spring. Ok, then this is the result of a country-wide phenomenon - the spring storm, Alaska version. 

Girdwood is the beneficiary of perfect geographical location for winter sports by way of abundant snow accumulation. Merely 20 miles west of Prince William Sound as the raven flies, Glacier Valley and Girdwood, Alaska is the repository of hundreds of inches of snow that falls from storms that swirl in the Sound with a westerly flow. Due to the locations of crevices and cracks between the vast spread of Chugach Mountains, the weather systems sneak through the mountains and rest on our valley and the Turnagain Arm. Snowboarders, resort skiers, back country skiers, and nordic skiers all are endeared to Glacier Valley for its diverse opportunities to ride the snow. 

Here once again, my favorite snow gauge in town, the picnic table in front of Girdwood Fire and Rescue. Today it is nearly invisible, in fact it took me a few passings by to be sure that was the table. And how gorgeous is the sky today? Of course it indicates the temperatures will be extremely cold tonight. I for one and happy to endure the cold for the beauty of retaining the white-white snow. The snow is so blindingly white and clean at this temperature and just after the fall. Once the temperature warms up, the snow dulls, grays, and becomes slick and icy. Not the prettiest landscape. 

Today, I enjoy the tremendous piles of snow resembling our nearby beloved glacier filled mountains, both sparklingly white. 

Blue bird day over the softest snow ever

The most beautiful day of the season. The lightest snow of the season. The softest snow of the season. 

The perfect day for a dog mushing adventure. Local dog musher takes guests for a ride in the soft, quiet snow under a blue bird sky.

Alyeska's upper tram seen from Moose Meadows.

Heavy spring blizzard lays it down on Girdwood

Well, how about a little spring blizzard to shake up the town! Wow! When we went to bed Sunday night it was quiet, cold and a little snow falling, enough but quiet. When we woke up Monday morning, BAM 10 inches of fresh powder! This is how the weather prediction goes for Girdwood. When there is snow predicted for an accumulation of 3-4 inches, that usually means 4-6 to 8 inches for Girdwood. When there is a blizzard warning with accumulations predicted of 4-6 inches, there is no limit for Girdwood. This early spring blizzard is a classic example of how difficult it is to predict weather when mountains collide with oceans and jet streams. 

At 9 am there was 10 inches of fresh snow at the T in Girdwood as seen in the photo of my foot on my driveway. Visibility in Glacier valley was low, I could see a quarter mile down the road but good visibility was only one eighth of a mile. Above is a photo of a car turning onto a road that is literally one house-lot away from my driveway. Usually I can see all the way to Crow Creek Road. This morning I cannot even see the bridge over Glacier Creek. Below is a photo taken from the front of the Daylodge toward Alyeska’s live christmas tree near the wooden sign. We are talking white out conditions. 

As for the skiers and riders, those who loved powder were in for a treat. By the time they made it back up to the top on the lift, the snow had already filled in tracks from the previous run, instant refills they call it! Cute. The fat skis were out en masse today!

Looking down Arlberg Avenue at 9 am, the Jade Shop is on the right past the green sign.  Below you can see the snow stacking up on snow.

The large solid wood sign marking your arrival to Alyeska Resort (this is the back) is my favorite part of the resort. It is heavy, strong, does not change and will not let you down.

Here is one of our few front end loaders clearing a back road. It is about 4 pm in this photo, still near white out conditions. Alyeska ski patrol had to close the upper bowl for fear of avalanche danger. I can’t wait to hear the counts of snow feet on the upper mountain! As for my house, by time I returned home after 4 pm, another 10 inches of snow had fallen. Thankfully, our driveway was cleared for a second time. Below is the afternoon view down the Alyeska Highway, very close to the same location of the first photo in this post, just from the other side of the road. Glacier Valley and probably all of the Turnagain Arm was experiencing this white out view.

The snowfall was relentless, heavier at times than others but never letting up until nightfall. The flakes were small too, not big fat ones. Usually when flakes are small they are wet but these were just falling so quick they did not have time to build up extra rings of crystals. Never-the-less, they were powder-riffic indeed! the piles of snow were soo sooo soft and fluffy. Below is one last view looking back toward Max''s Mountain, its there somewhere, really!

Snow! Perfect snow, powder day

Snow! Light, fluffy, white, and slow moving, real snow. Not wet, not sloshy, nice soft snow. When the snow piles up on the boughs like seen above, we know its quality. As we all have known since we were children, snowflakes have six points on them. This gives them "loft". Loft means the flakes stack up on each other at different points leaving space between flakes. When the air temperature is colder, 32° or below, the snow in Girdwood is drier with lower water content. This is what makes our snow so powdery, fluffy, and lofty. 

Its a beautiful day in Girdwood, all the skiers and riders have got to be loving it! The temperatures in Glacier Valley are just at freezing and they are expected to fall this evening and tomorrow. 

Wind effects on mountain top snow

All day Thursday there were ferocious winds through Glacier Valley, Portage Valley , and the Turnagain Arm. Gusts were as high as 70 miles per hour, the bulk of the wind blowing continuously. When the wind blows for extended periods of time with little precipitation falling, the snow is being blown around. Not only is the snow blowing around, its moving very fast. These high winds, and wind in general, happen frequently in the Chugach and Kenai mountains. After the storm dies down, if there is not further precipitation, we can see crusts that have formed on the mountain tops. 

Above is a photo of Mt. Alpenglow and nearby mountains. There is a light spot visible on the ridge of the mountain coming toward us in the photo. Below is a photo that points out the area I want you to see. This is a snow crust. Although it does not look like it in this representation, when I saw it originally, the snow crust was very bright due to the sunshine. The clouds were moving enough to change the effect of sunlight as I watched. Some clouds were moving east, some west. There is still a big disturbance over the Gulf of Alaska today. 

Basically, the snow has polished itself. I found this to be the case in Moose Meadows today as well. A late afternoon attempt at cross country skiing left me thinking I almost needed ice skates. The surface of the loop was extremely glassy making a good deal of scratchy noise against the skis. Yikes! I wanted toothed grippers on my poles too! The afternoon was lovely never-the-less due to some blue sky in the west past the Glacier Creek valley. I have added a new resource site in the list below. The National Snow and Ice Data Center, very informative for us in snowy climates. 

Snow rollers, rare phenomenon when wind, precipitation, and temperature are just right

We drove to Portage from Girdwood today to visit a friend and see her place. It was snowing, yes, and there was a winter weather advisory, yes, but it was not windy in Girdwood. We thought we could get over there, it is only 10 miles away, and back before the storm became too strong. We all should know better, there is no second guessing the weather when mountains are involved. 

As we neared Portage, we could tell the wind was stronger. It was so fierce in Portage (Bear Valley) that this amazing snow phenomenon was being formed. Driving down the Portage Glacier road felt like semi-controlled hydro-planing and the water was making a more dull sound against the under carriage of the car than what I am used to hearing from rain. 

After our visit in Portage, we realized we needed to drive back to Glacier Valley before sunset as the visibility was decreasing in Portage. As the car made its way back to paved road, I noticed the road surface was textured, not just wet and not just snow. You might even think it looks like a choppy lake surface. These photos reveal what the car experienced on the way out of Portage Valley: snow rollers! 

Of course I did not identify this cold weather phenomenon until I returned home and did some research. I believe these are miniature versions of larger snow rollers that occur on mountain sides or in fields. Wind blows snow that may be sitting on a layer of ice or frost that the snow does not stick to thus ‘rolling’ up like a carpet or a cinnamon roll. There are loads of photos of large dry snow rollers on the internet. I believe the phenomenon I saw in Portage Valley could also be classified as snow rollers.

The conditions in Portage Valley the day these snow rollers were captured: snow mixed with rain, temperature ranging from 29° to 34°, wind blowing with gusts to 60 mph. There was a layer of ice and water on the roadway when the snow began. The rare combination of the wind at just the right speed as snow hit the ice or water on the level road enabled the snow to collect and move in little cylindrical shapes across the surface. 

You can see tire tracks in the surface of the precipitation for scale. I literally had to hold on to the car to capture these photos. Gusts of wind were so strong I could have been blown over. Although I did not measure these little cylinders, I estimate them to have been 15 - 25 mm in diameter. If you look closely, you can see little caps on some rollers, like little waves, where the wind is moving the snow forward to roll again. 

After seeing these little slush rolls, I could understand why the sound on the under carriage of the car was deeper than rain would have been. What a cool learning experience and a testament to the effects of mountains on weather. The wind was channeled in just the right way through Portage yet not the same in Glacier Valley. Cool.

Spring temperatures bring rain to the base in Girdwood

The blue bird spring days of this week have faded into grey rainy days here in Girdwood. The temperature this morning at the T is 34° with rain. Snow if falling at the top of chair 6, some consolation for those top of the mountain riders who have been experience tracked out snow. It appears Glacier Valley and western Prince William Sound will continue to leap into spring with rain and snow mixing for the next couple of days. Backcountry excursions may be a nice side trip this weekend. 

This weekend, March 8 and 9 is the Alaska Botanical Garden Spring Conference. The opening meeting and dinner is Friday night at the Millennium Alaskan Hotel. Gary Paul Nabhan will be speaking, his topic "Traditional Foods at Risk in Salmon Nations: Threatened Wild and Cultivated Plants." I am sure he will probably have his book by the same name available for sale. Mr. Nabhan is a world-reknown author and food activist. His teachings should be welcomed as appropriate to a region such as Alaska that is poised for potential over harvest. Alaska and has also experienced and could experience future environmental catastrophes. However, by learning from other regions' experiences and understanding the interconnections of environmental processes, we can plan wisely for our future food sustainability in Alaska. I look forward to learning from Mr. Nabhan's experience. 

Sunday March 10 is spring forward day, remember to adjust your clocks before heading to sleep Saturday. 

If you are venturing to Girdwood today or tomorrow, wear your rain slicker!

Alaska Botanical Garden Spring Conference this Friday and Saturday

The atmosphere was quite strange in Glacier Valley today. It was not fully blue bird day although there was lots of blue sky to be seen. Yet it was not really cloudy either, as the image above displays. The high pressure to the north east is holding off the low that is approaching from the west. I feel like Girdwood is in the calm between the two extremes of weather. The temperature in Girdwood was very warm, nearly 40° today. Everyone who was skiing said they were hot when they came in for lunch. Wow! It really is spring, it really is  March! 

Alaska Botanical Garden Spring Conference this Friday and Saturday, March 8-9!

This coming weekend is the Alaska Botanical Garden’s Spring Conference. The keynote speaker is author and food activist and Gary Paul Nabhan. Mr. Nabhan will be speaking Friday night between 6:30 and 8:30 at the Alaska Botanical Garden’s Annual Spring Garden Conference at the Millennium Alaskan Hotel. Visit the Botanical Garden’s website for schedule and registration information. 

Mr. Nabhan has written and co-authored many influential books relating to food sustainability, local and native food use, pollination, and farming. These include: Where Our Food Comes From; Renewing Salmon Nation’s Food Traditions; The Forgotten Pollinators co-authored with Stephen Buchmann; and many more. If you are not familiar with his work, visit Gary Paul Nabhan’s website. 

Though Mr. Nabhan is from Arizona, his teachings are appropriate to many locations. This is especially true for us in Alaska, we are similar to Arizona because Alaska has limited terrains with the appropriate climate for common crop production. There are not a wide variety of pollinators in Alaska which also places challenges on food producers. Additionally, Alaska tends to place high demands on food from the marine environment, on animal life that is. Perhaps Mr. Nabhan will put a new bug in our ears such as broadening our palates to utilize marine plants to supplement our food needs. Any sustainable local resource we can take advantage of in Alaska will lessen our dependence on shipping. Shipping food products over long miles, wether by truck, plane or boat, uses fuel that we could be apply higher purposes.

I encourage anyone interested in changing the way you think about food production to attend. There are a variety of presenters covering not only native plants and gardening, but beekeeping and chicken roosting! We can all be a part of sustainability, in our own ways, even if just a little bit over time. 

Clear roads and light traffic on the ski runs too!

It was a regular middle of the road day in Girdwood, 34° at the T, tiny frozen precipitation this morning, spotty sun, and a brief rain around 4 pm. Not too exciting but not too bad either. Those who came to ski had crowd free slopes again today due to most outdoor enthusiasts watching the Iditarod. Yea dog teams, let’s wish them all safe travels across western Alaska. 

The grey clouds were moving in with the intent of settling early in the evening. There is a low pressure system over southwest Alaska over the Aleutians and another low system west over the Bering moving this way. They will kick up some moisture as the rotations develop counterclockwise. That moisture should grace Glacier Valley and the surrounding mountains with lots of fresh snow. 

Excellent skiing conditions, quiet with the crowd gone to Iditarod

How about this gorgeous blue bird day in Girdwood! With crisp temperatures and perfectly groomed trails, skiers had a delightful day and night skiing at Alyeska. Glacier Valley hovered just around 34° today under clear skies. The skies are clear tonight so the temperature should drop into the low 20’s. All the surface snow will firm up and form frost crystals tonight. 

Our weather benefactor has been the edge of a high pressure zone over western Prince William Sound. Clouds will ease in overnight and a bit of snow should fall over Girdwood late night or early morning. For those wanting some quiet skiing, tomorrow should be sweet as lots of regulars will be at the re-start of the Iditarod. Saturday was fairly quiet on the slopes as well during the ceremonial start in Anchorage. 

Birds were quite active around the valley today; magpies, redpolls, stellar jays; kind of the usual with lots of high energy. 

Get  ready to start your garden and flower seeds!

Its time to start thinking about getting your seed flats ready to get starts going inside. This type of sunny day makes a great light to feed your flats. There are still a few days to gather supplies, here is what you want to start collecting: small 4” pots or flats you saved from when you purchased annuals last year; or bio-degradable pots and trays to keep them on; select your seeds- remember we want plants adapted to our cooler climate; and starting soil. 

Seed starting mix, or soil, should be fresh and sterile. Most products you purchase ready mixed are sterile. Many products will be labeled as starting mix which makes it easy for us because the soil will be light enough for tender roots to form. If you purchase your starting mix already made, it is important that you buy fresh soil mix. In other words, do not purchase mix that has sat around in a store for over a year. 

It is possible to mix your own seed starting solution from raw materials. Starting soil needs to be very light weight. It is usually made with a high percentage or 100% vermiculite. As I mentioned above, seed starting mixes need to be light and airy so it is easy for new roots to move and grow. Contrary to what you might think, starting mixes for seeds do not need to be heavy in nutrients and fertilizers. In regards to sterility, this indicated the soil should be free of weed seeds, insects, molds, or any other disease mechanism. Another ingredient to avoid is your own garden soil, which of course you cannot dig up right now anyway. Soil straight from the outdoors may contain insects or diseases and it will be too heavy for young tender roots to grow through. 

Here is a sample mixture: 1/3 vermiculite or perlite, 1/3 sand, 1/3 sphagnum moss. The one case where you could use your own soil is if you cook it first to sterilize it. You want to spread the soil out on a cookie sheet and cook it around 200° for about an hour. Then mix it this way: 1/3 sterilized soil, 1/3 sand, 1/3 vermiculite. I would err on the side of more vermiculite or perlite than any other ingredient. 

Fill your vessel of choice: flats, 4 inch pots, pie pans with holes in the bottom, whatever you want it should be about 2 - 3 inches deep. Then you need to have a tray the soil containers can sit in. The reason for this is watering the seeds. Seeds and seedlings are so tender you will not water them directly on the soil. You will fill the tray the soil vessels are resting in with water so the plants absorb the water from the bottom. 

OK, get your plan together and start selecting seeds! 

Snow

Up to the 4th spring in Girdwood for the 2012-2013 Season

Yesterday brought the return of spring to Glacier Valley as temperatures crept up into the mid 30's. Today at noon it is 35° in Girdwood at the T. Last night there was a light snowfall at the T and I was so hoping the weather would cool off for the snow to stay put. However, this morning there are streams of water running down the roads.

The ski mountain did receive some fresh powder last night. I am sure the skiing and riding will be nice at the high elevations. Cross country skiing should be nice as the surface will be crisp and glazed.

Sun is shining intermittently in Girdwood today.