Like most places, spring skiing in Alaska is the best skiing. There is still new snow, the days are long, and the temperatures are mild. To take advantage of the conditions I headed up to Hatcher Pass Friday evening for some after work cross-country skiing. There was almost too much new snow. The trails had only been run over once with a groomer so I found myself sinking in the soft snow while trying to skate along narrow trails. I had the entire mountain valley almost to myself. The lighting was flat with a thick overcast a but still very bright.
On Saturday I drove to Arctic Valley for downhill skiing hoping to take advantage of the new snow that had fallen earlier in the week. The lifts are only open on the weekend so I was optimistic about the conditions. It was fairly good skiing but not surprisingly a breakable crust had developed from the wind later in the week. I had not skied at Arctic Valley in probably 13 or 14 years so the experience was new and strangely familiar at the same time.
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| Very white and bright cross country skiing in Hatcher Pass |
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| My boot's perspective of skiing |
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| High on the mountain in Arctic Valley |
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| Great views of Anchorage and upper Cook Inlet from Arctic Valley |
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