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. 

Sun today and red squirrels on the move

We are entering our third winter of this winter after passing through the second spring break-up. I wonder if that is what global warming will be, just random weather, no set season lengths. The snow continued to melt off the roof overnight, but by 9am this morning it was 27°. I’ll expect the roads and walkways to become ice again. The skies are blue in Glacier Valley today, should be a nice view from the top of Alyeska for those planning on riding chair 6. 

The forecast looks like we have a couple of clear days in south central, maybe a little snow tomorrow, but for the most part very cold. Most of us are just observers, not experts, however I can’t help but think with so many making the same observation, there must be some accuracy to the comments. I spoke to another Girdwood resident a few days ago who has lived here over 20 years. They made the same comment that this has been a strange weather year. The late snow, the deep cold spells cycling with warm spells, and the low amount of snow. Cars have been getting stuck in the slush in parking lots and driveways. Conditions I would expect at a lower latitude. 

This little fellow brightened the day, I am so glad most of the utility poles and lines are insulated. He was circling the top of this power pole making me quite nervous. It is a little red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). The red squirrel is a small tree squirrel, smaller than the plump grey squirrel that inhabits most of north America. The red variety lives mostly in the northern areas where it tends to be cooler although they are found in the Appalachians (my guess is higher up the mountian!) They like the higher elevations and cooler climates because their favorite food is the seed of cones from conifers. When you are hiking in the woods in summer and come upon a conifer with a pile of shredded cone pieces at the bottom, that is an indication a red squirrel has been there dining. The piles are called middens. The squirrel does have other tastes, fungi, berries and unfortunately it likes to poach bird eggs. Squirrels do serve a purpose in the environment, spreading seeds, breaking down wood matter and eating some insects. And they are just plain entertaining. Unless you have outdoor potted plants. How can you protect your outdoor plantings from squirrels? They love to dig in soft soil and are usually on the lookout for tasty roots or grubs. If you do not want them digging in your pots or garden, cover the open spaces with hardware cloth or chicken wire. I did this successfully with large outdoor containers and it stopped the squirrels from destroying my arrangements. Save your hardware cloth each winter to re-use the next planting season. By the way, this also works to keep cats out of your garden.