Sunny overnight ski to the cabin

My friends Travis, Adam and Will joined me for an overnight ski trip to our cabin north of Talkeetna.  It was a beautifully sunny weekend with excellent snow conditions.  We got to Talkeetna Saturday morning with enough time to watch the start of the 50K Oosik cross-country ski race.  At the race, we ran into friends from Fairbanks and my old ski coach from high school.  After the race we headed up the tracks where we ran into more friends from Anchorage.  I'm continually reminded that Alaska is a lot smaller than Seattle terms of population.

At the cabin with ate heartily, relaxed and went out on the lake in the late evening to watch a good show of northern lights!  The morning temperature was a surprising minus six degrees Fahrenheit but warmed to twenty by the time we started skiing in the early afternoon.  The ski back to town was a quick two hours and twenty minuets, leaving plenty of time for a slice of pizza at Mountain High Pizza Pie.  What a great way to end an already excellent weekend.

Skiers getting warmed up for the start of the Oosik race on the Talkeetna River

Competitive skiers pushing hard to get in the lead at the start of the race

Travis and Will enjoying the view from the Talkeetna River bridge

Mt. Foraker, Mt. Hunter, and Denali

The Cross Cabin from the lake