Night Ski

I was such a good girl last weekend. At least on Saturday. I spent the whole day inside, cleaning and studying. So when Niwt called on his way back from skiing at the resort all afternoon I jumped at the chance to get out of the house and onto my skis. Partly because I got a new jacket when I won a contract a few weeks ago at work and partly because it had nothing to do with testing or training Tatonka which has been the focus of our days a lot recently.

So I changed clothes and threw my gear into the truck with the dogs when he pulled into the driveway. We got up to the Flattop parking lot just as darkness was really descending. We didn't even skin up, just boot packed up the trail, kicking the ball for the dogs along the way.

Unfortunately, even with headlamps we didn't go far. The snow was crunchy under a layer of ice and the moon was hidden by a thick cloud bank. So we stuck with a short run back down the trail. Sunday Tatonka and I hit the flat trails by the house for some skijoring. Followed on Monday by his second avalanche test in which he exceeded my wildest expectations. Of course it was an endurance test and he has no challenges there. We're looking forward to 5 days at the resort for an avalanche dog workshop starting tomorrow night. I guess he doesn't really know that yet, but the kennel appearing in the living room last night may have given him a clue.

Winter Biking in Anchor Town

I appreciate that some of you will think I'm crazy for riding my bike in the winter, but let me just point out that I'm not alone and it hasn't even come close to killing me. Today I went one step further and rode to school, swam, and then rode to the office. This is when I realized how much riding at 30 degrees sucks a lot more than at 20 degrees. Those of you who were here during our latest sub zero spell can appreciate that I stop riding at 0 degrees because I'm not completely insane. The problem that arises in the warmer temps is that trails, like next to the creek that I ride to school, are packed with layers of snow and are frequently groomed for skiers. During warmer periods this firm pack becomes soft and riding (and running) on them becomes akin to biking on the beach. Not a hard packed beach, I mean that dry sand up where you put your towel and sunscreen. It's a workout for sure.

Another fun challenge is riding on streets. At 30 all the vehicles are spinning tires and barely in control. Which makes me feel just a wee bit vulnerable when I'm waiting for a light to change and cars are spinning out in the turn lane. News flash people: slow down and put it in 4 wheel drive if you have it. If you are driving a Mini Cooper or a VW Bug, my heart does not bleed for you. You live in Alaska, park it for the winter or trade it in. Sorry, stepping off the soapbox now.

Some retailers are awesome and they shovel or plow their sidewalks. I love you. Waiting for the Muni to plow the sidewalks after it snows is fairly hit and miss. I'm torn here because I love snow and love to ski, but it can take quite a while to get my entire route to work plowed. Sometimes I get faked out by most of it being plowed and then I end up walking part of it. The other thing that happens when it snows is that holes get filled in just like the potholes in the road. Not a big deal when it's 10 degrees because everything is frozen solid. But at 30 degrees when you are booking down the sidewalk between lights, not getting hit by any vehicles and you hit a hole of soft snow.....let's just say the car occupants have a high chance of getting a fun show of you flying through the air at approximately 9.7 mph. I know that doesn't sound fast, but give it a try and you might change your mind.

Currently I'm sitting at work watching the snow start to fall outside. It's not dumping or anything, but just like my co-workers who live an hour outside of town, I'm keeping an eye on it. We're well overdue for a good dump or two here. I would rather it happen now than next week when I'm trying to work my dog at the avalanche workshop.

Girlfriend Surprise Extreme

Someone once told me that girlfriends are among the most important things in life. More important even than spouses. I think they were right. Sometimes adventures are really good things; this weekend was a prime example of that. We have been suffering through another super chilled snow free run of weather here and KAES was on my calendar for a skiing weekend. She came north instead of me going south because I had another canine chairlift adventure scheduled. When I went to pick her up at the airport Friday night I had already had the adventure of not going to the Beer and Barley Wine Festival because I didn't know tickets would sell out days before the doors opened. I jumped in the truck as soon as she called to say she was on the ground and hoped the truck would be warm by the time I got to the airport. I need not have worried as instead of picking up one person I picked up three. I have no words to explain my excitement and delight. I was simply dumbfounded to see three of my favorite people in the same place at the same time.

KAES had been in cahoots (cahoots I say!!) with Niwt for days, possibly weeks I believe, about this little surprise. I had no idea. None. So I didn't feel bad when we took over his side and booted him out to live at my house for the weekend. Except to come cook meals and change the DVD because we all had our hands busy with yarn. All the girls came over (except Bear because I simply can't disturb her slumbering, she's too cute).

As forecasted, the weather remained cold, super cold if you hail from Seattle. They all gamefully came down to the resort Saturday for a half day of skiing in the frigid temps and survived. I didn't hear any complaints about spending Sunday knitting the day away with a jaunt to the local yarn shop when I discovered I might not have enough linen for my kitchen curtain. I was beat into submission on my use of ravelry and will never go back. KAES and I tried to go swimming Monday morning, but discovered that it was a holiday and the pool was closed for the holiday and also for maintenance. So we cross country skied instead. Brrrrr!! Very sad to put them all back on the plane yesterday, but hope this will be the start of a tradition. Next year I hope I won't be trying to certify a dog for avalanche, have thesis work hanging over my head, or such cold weather on offering. I might have thought it was all a dream if I didn't have some pictures to prove they were here.

Lucky Girl

I started the week feeling like the luckiest girl in the world. Probably because I got to ride my bike to work, which meant that it was above 0 degrees and I had a job to ride to. I never get over being amused that I have studs on my bike but not on my truck. Not that the truck has left the driveway in a month. But I do have a place to tow her to, hopefully this weekend, where I can start the super fun repair/exploration process since I determined that the new truck I want does not exist in this state and I can't afford a payment anyways. So I intend to stay well aquainted with my blue beauty and to that end have procured supplies for and cut out handlebar toasties to sew up this weekend. They are blue. I know, I'm a dork. But I'm a happy, healthy, employed dork.

Stay tuned for adventures of dogs riding chairlifts, humans skiing down slopes and down trails, thesis research, ice worm counting, and whatever else KAES and I come up with this weekend. Probably knitting if the weather gets any colder.

More Snow Please

I know that looks like a beautiful peak to many of you. But it's missing some snow and I would like to have it here now please. Niwt and I hit the slopes on Sunday. It wasn't a ton of fun with no new snow in so long, but it was a good workout and I had a great time skiing without a dog between my legs.

Pardon my helmet head while I pause to ponder the beauty of the shinning orb in the sky. We haven't seen much sun around here lately. It's amazing what you don't realize this does to you until you actually see the sun again.

Niwt skies old style - without a helmet - because he thinks he is that good. Imagine how hard I'm going to laugh after he wrecks. After the doctors declare him okay of course.....

Not Today, Jim, Not Today

Last weekend I was on the tail end of a cold and was a little desperate to get out of the house. I had a brilliant plan to ride down to Girdwood with Niwt and go check on an ice worm site (maybe install a datalogger or two) while he skied the day away. What I remembered just as I pulled off the highway is that they don't plow the road out to the site in the winter. It was just a few degrees above freezing and I didn't have snowshoes. The dogs would have gotten a great workout, but I think I might have invited another week of illness into my life. Oh, and the wind was blowing so hard I was worried about trees blowing down across the road. So I checked out the gift shop instead. Never been in there. Turns out they make a great veggie sandwhich.

New Yearsing

After an evening of sitting on Niwt's couch annoying him with my constant coughing and equally constant refusal to consume his evil nyquill drugs while losing at Scrabble I awoke with a desire to skate more. Undaunted by the late night with fireworks starting not long after dark and continuing for many, many hours (several times making me check the clock) the rolling thunder subsided and Percy stopped trying to crawl under the covers with me.

We collected Fitz and part of her herd and tried skating with dogs on leash as we were clearly not the only ones who thought skating on New Year's day was a good idea. I would classify the results as 'sucessful' because there were no subsequent trips to the vet or hospital. For which we were are grateful if not a little bit surprised.

Mostly we established a pattern of hanging out at one end of the oval and throwing snowballs for the dogs until a large opening appeared in the stream of people. Then Niwt jetted off with the dogs and Fitz and I followed, trying not to fall down.

Except occasionally the dogs did a lap without us and we could only watch in wonder. Tatonka found two labs bigger than him whose humans thought he was gorgeous. They stopped and threw snowballs for him when they got to us. And I only took one hard fall, taken out by a small child playing with Tatonka. Not a bad way to start the year at all.

Christmoosing

Christmas tree? Check. Christmas lights? Check. Presents under the tree? Check. Decorations on the tree? Check. Super cold weather outside and no new snow in waaaaay too many days? Check.

Two bored dogs behaving well mostly? Got em.

Three foot long rawhide candy cane for Percy? Yes!!!!

And one for Tatonka to add to his collection of hoarded toys? Oh yeah, it's starting to look like Christmas alright.

30 seconds later Tatonka has increased his Christmas joy twofold by absconding with Percy's candy cane.

Don't feel too sorry for this turkey. She gets to wear a bow and barks non-stop until somebody gets her bone back for her. Mind you, this is the same dog who gleefully kicks Tatonka's butt in public for no reason at all. Also, this is only the beginning of Christmassing for these two. These were just distraction toys so stockings could be emptied and packages unwrapped. Later this day they were to attend dinner and unwrap a new universe ball and a squanking giant stuffed warthog. Followed two days later by a box from their grandogma they will be working through for many weeks yet to come. And earlier this week they got a couple three new toys from Fitz. Apparently it is good to be a dog in my house.

Lift Me Up, Snowplow Me Down

Tatonka and I finished out the year with a trip to the ski resort, our first one this season. Mostly this went without a hitch, despite the extensive avalanche control bombing which meant the group did an extended obedience session while we waited for the lifts to start up. Tatonka didn't mind the loud noises in the slightest, but he did have an attention issue with the plethora of roaming dogs Girdwood is known for. After stepping out of the lineup to regain his attention, he performed his appointed tasks well.

Our biggest challenge has been loading him onto the chairlift. He is happy to unload at the top and to ride along and eat cookies and check out the scenery and to ski along between my legs. It's just the getting on the bench he has struggled with. Lucky for him his human finally found something that just might work. But it's going to take a little off resort work with him to get it all lined out. I have to find a way to get him to do something he historically has gotten in trouble for: facing the wrong direction when at attention by my side. Then he can see the chair coming and jump his entire body onto it, not just the front half and have me pull the rest of his 100 pound body up onto me. It's just as fun as it sounds.

Then we will figure out how to side slip down really steep terrain. Sounds like fun, no? I've got just the hill for it and it's close to the house, so I suspect most nights you will find us there in the coming weeks for a short session of 'How not to die or hurt your dog while on skis on a steep slope'. Tickets available at the door.

Then, and only then, will the mountain be ours completely. Until then, we'll just keep riding that learning curve to the sky.