Back to Crust Skiing

After bragging about overtaking Anchorage in the snow department Karma caught up with me. I just have to wonder, would it have rained for a week straight if I had not bragged on the blog? In any case, what's done is done and now we are back to a hard crust after a month of glorious powder.

Still, it is not all bad. Now I can go crust cruising on my skate skiis. These are some photos that I took today while cruising the flats above Buskin Lake. We still have 2 or 3 feet of snow up there (much more than in town). And it is so deep that I can even ski through alder thickets that are usually impassible. I had fun dodging through the alders at high speeds - I would have to react really quickly to each upcoming trunk, and there was really no planning ahead. It was hink and jink this way and that looking for holes, and I only wiped out twice! Patrick

Terror Lake, Labor Day 2001

A blast from the past - from the early days of digital cameras when I still used slide film. It was Labor Day weekend 2001, and a bunch of my friends took a floatplane across the Shelikof to climb Mount Douglas in Katmai National Park. I had a wedding to attend and could not go with them - hence I was feeling pangs of jealousy. I needed a cool trip to do locally - so that I could both assuage my jealousy and attend the wedding. Have my cake and eat it too.

So it was perfect when Paul Z invited John M and I to go on a boat ride to the head of Kizhuyak Bay and then bike to Terror Lake on the dam maintenance road. The dam was built back in the 1980's and supplies the City of Kodiak with power. The road winds 10 miles or so and climbs almost 2500 feet to Terror Lake.

2500 feet is A LOT of climbing, and we felt like we were in the Tour de France climbing the L'Alpe d'Huez. Lots of Lance Armstrong and Marcos Pantani jokes. I tried to do the climb in a low gear and not stop (very difficult without a regimen of HGH or EPO), and it was brutal. We climbed up on switchbacks by huge granite cliffs, and suddenly we topped out in the alpine. The rest of the bike ride was a jaunt in 'Sound of Music' land. Snow and wild flowers and green, green grass with a road winding down the middle. It felt very weird to be riding a mountain bike on Kodiak in such glorious scenery.

On the way home the descent back to the boat was much more terrifying than the climb up. I was convinced my brakes would burn out before I reached the bottom and that I would be left relying on 'Fred Flintstone' type brakes. All and all a great trip and I did not miss the wedding either.

Note that some of the photos are very poor quality - that's because Paul Z took them with a very early digital camera. Back then I was amazed by their quality, and it is funny realize that at one time a 1 mega pixel camera was state of the art! The other pictures are slides that I scanned. Patrick

Stuey on fire! Age Five.

Stuey's Birthday dinner request: Broccoli, rice, noodles
Wildest moment: parading in Noras dance tutu and birthday hat.
Cuddliest moment: on couch this evening telling me his favorite birthday party moments (blowing out candle, opening presents, eating cake).
Not-so-cuddliest moment: this morning when he wouldn't let Nora have the boxes that his birthday gifts came in. Ended up with both of them in time out for a few minutes.

Love my five year old!

Zoya

More Birds

Just a few more photos from yesterday. I took a bunch of photos really quickly while Zoya and the kids waited in the car. I am surprised so many 'worked'. I think I might go back to the Buskin sometime and take some more!

Right now it feels like everybody in the world but me is watching the Super Bowl. I'd forgotten that today was the big game and I was wondering why nobody was out and about while I was driving around town. And then I remembered - 'Oh yeah, everybody's watching the superbowl.' I only watch the game if a team I care about is playing in it. This has not happened in years. I think the last Super Bowl I watched was highlighted by Janet Jackson's 'wardrobe malfunction' - I actually caught that one.

In the meanwhile, every year on one Sunday afternoon in early February I enjoy weirdly deserted streets and trails. If there is something you don't usually do because of crowds - today's the day to do it! Patrick

Taking Flight

Today is a blustery, warmer day in kodiak. It was a perfect day for a new mom to take flight into motherhood and birds to take flight along the buskin.

The day started at 2AM for me when I was called to the hospital for my doula client in labor. By 11:30 this am, she gave birth to a baby girl with lots of dark hair. The delivery was with one of my favorite daytime nurses, Andi and our friend "Doctazee" was the attending Doctor (thats what he calls himself on our local snow report online forum). (...And Katelyn-you're my favorite night nurse.)

Being a doula at such a small facility is such a treat;knowing everyone and working with staff that is supportive of doulas. Witnessing and helping with birth is such a transcendental experience for women and for many ways, those with them. I am nearing 50 births as a doula and am continually awed by the process of labor and birth...and watching the strength of women in such a physically and emotionally tough time.

After the birth, I had an fabulous phone conversation with a close girl friend. New ideas and thoughts took flight for us in the 15 minutes we talked. I sat down by the harbor and watched dump trucks dump off loads of snow in the harbor. Truck after truck kept coming. When I was back in a "regular Zoya" mindset, I went home to the kids. I have to make sure I'm 100% "there" when I walk in the house after birth. I have to shift gears and be emotionally prepared for being needed by the kids; after just having given lots emotionally and physically at the hospital. Now that the kids are older, it is easier and less of a transition. Being at birth is an incredible, yet intense experience.

Patrick and I took the kids on a drive to the Buskin Beach, which was incredibly windy. Patrick raced out of the car, got some pictures. On the way out, the clouds parted and I told the kids the sun was like god coming down from the clouds.

Zoya

Snow Totals

I know it seems sort of petty, but Nora and I have been keeping track of snow totals in Anchorage vs Kodiak. Every morning when I check the weather Nora asks if Kodiak has more snow than Anchorage. Often she runs in and yells, 'how much snow does Anchorage have?''. And until today I always had to disappoint her with my answer - 'no, Anchorage still has more snow'. But Today we finally did surpass Anchorage in the snow total. According to the official airport tallies Kodiak stands at 97 inches of snow total for the season while Anchorage is at 94 inches.

Kodiak usually gets a lot of snow - a couple of years ago we got 150 inches of snow total for the winter. However, we also usually get a lot of rain and warmth too to knock back the snowpack depth in town. Up high this means we usually have obscene amounts of snow, but down low at sea level it is generally brown and snowless. But not this year! Right now we have 32 inches of snow on the ground at sea level (that's almost 3 feet of snow) - Anchorage is at 26 inches.

So yes, Nora, we do now have more snow than Anchorage.

Life is good, Patrick

"What The?"

The past week there was a funny moment when I volunteered in Nora's class.

I was helping a student with a math sheet and I told him an answer needed correcting. He responded to me, "What the?!", then paused and said, "Awkward!". It was a response which took me by surprise! Needless to say, I'm glad Nora hasn't responded with such words and I hope she never does. Especially at the young age of kindergarten.

On my recent trip to Anchorage, I got Nora Little House on the Prairie paper dolls, which she loves. Stuey proceeded to build himself a craft stick house at preschool and make paper dolls out of paper for his house. It was fun to watch him mimic Nora's toy.

Zoya

Great Blue

Kodiak continues to have GREAT snow and cross country skiing. Right now we have 28 inches on the ground at the airport, and it is supposed to snow again tonight. We are up to 85 inches of snow total for the season. That is a lot.

Snow on the ground makes Kodiak seem like a much brighter place. The snow reflects the light and even at night it seems lighter. Exercise helps the mood too - and when there is snow on the ground I get to ski. Some winters we have no snow and while usually warmer it is so much more depressing - grey brown and no light. YUCK! But not this year - this year we got it great. I feel like snow and cold and exercise is good for my mood - Patrick's mental medication. It must be said - I am in a very good mood this winter. Patrick

Photos: I took these photos today while on my daily afternoon ski. The bottom 2 were taken at the parking lot at the outlet to Buskin Lake. I did not need to go skiing to take those pictures. The top photo is of a great blue heron that I surprised on some open water on the creeks that feed into Buskin Lake.

Pia's Classic~Learning about Who Pia was

When in Anchorage for the Pia's Classic Ski race, Patrick and I learned about the legacy of the Pia's Classic race name.
AMH, a wonderful local ski supply store in Anchorage, sponsors the race every year. We are frequent customers of the store and learned that the owners daughter was named Pia and was killed in a climbing accident when she was 15. On the Pias Classic website, there is a link to "Learning about who Pia was". I cut and paste it below:

Pia-Margrethe Denkewalter was born April 9, 1981, and died in a climbing accident on Byron Glacier August 4, 1996 at age 15.
Pia was she was an avid outdoor sports enthusiast and a student at West High. She excelled in many sports, participating in cross country skiing and track at West High, and she participated in training groups and camps in those sports. She was also a soccer player with Team Alaska. She had just discovered mountain biking when she died. Pia was a fierce competitor who was always eager to try something new.

Her family, Paul and Mary Kaye Denkewalter, and sisters, Ingrid and Grethe, remember this about her:

Pia loved reading, particularly history. Her flare for fashion was one of her trademarks. She also was a movie buff, memorizing lines, scenes and musical scores from dozens of movies – Monty Python was her favorite. A musician for many years, she played the violin.

Pia was a perfectionist who refused to do anything halfway - she was proud of being a 4.0 student at West High School. Always a lady, she had no qualms about speaking out for what she believed. Pia set goals for herself and worked tirelessly to achieve them.

Her friends, who treasured her enthusiasm and her sense of humor, will miss the way Pia could always make them laugh. Her wit and outlook on life frequently took center stage whenever friends and family were gathered. She was a loyal and steady friend. She will always be remembered by her family and many friends who loved her.

Her father, Paul, is a kind and familiar face at AMH when Patrick and I have gone there over the years. Patrick asks him questions about wax, trail conditions, gear, etc. During my 5K race, the course took us past Pia's overlook, where there is a bench overlooking Cook Inlet and a sign that reads, "Pias Overlook". This year there was a wreath hanging on the bench. As I skiied past it, I thought of Pia, and her family and a fear tears welled in my eyes.

As a mother, I was filled with thoughts of love for Pia's family, her sudden loss and reminded of how precious time with our kids are. Patrick said that before the start of the race, the announcers talked about Pia and how the race was named after her. AMH donated high quality Arteryx hats to all the participants as well as a lot of ski-gear door prizes after the race.

What a wonderful way of honoring the memory of Pia and giving those who never knew her a chance to celebrate her spirit.

Zoya

Pics:

Patrick shortly after the finish. Quite tired!
The start of the womens 15K. Julie is...#220. Third from the right in front.
Julie before the start of the race. Cool face mask! Lots of people were wearing air filter devices and face covers, as the temperature was -3. (I frost-nipped my ears!!).
A tree covered in Frost.

An Anchorage Ski Race Weekend

This weekend Patrick and I went to Anchorage for a ski race and to visit friends and family. We skiied in the Pias Classic Cross Country Ski race. I did the 5K and Patrick did the 30K. Our friend Julie did the 15K. The race was today-weather was a balmy -3 degrees...brrr. We all survived the cold and had fun racing. Patrick and Julie were much more serious about their races, than I was. My mom came and met us at the finish, which was fun as well! Its always fun to have someone cheering when you cross the finish line. She and I cheered Patrick on as he crossed the finish line.

Patrick did the 30K in 1:54 (he achieved his goal of doing it under 2 hours!). I did the 5K in 26 minutes and placed 29th out of 47 racers.

The night before the race we went out to dinner with Ray and Julie. We ended up being at the restaurant for 3 hours as we ate, talked and laughed. Today after the race we went to their house and took a hot tub outside, which felt SO good after being in the cold. Muscles needed it!

While we have said less-than-nice things about Anchorage in the past, it must be said there are lots of good things about Anchorage. Good friends, family, restaurants, ski races...and hot tubs after races!! What a fun weekend it was.

Zoya

Snow Candy & Pajama Day gone Bad

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE EXPERIMENT
Recently when reading Little House on the Prairie to the kids, there was a section on the Ingalls' girls making snow candy. Nora immediately asked if we could try it, and Patrick was enthusiastic about it, so they did it! We googled the recipe on-line and it ended up being quite simple and yummy. Mixed together maple syrup and butter till it boiled for several minutes then poured it over a tray of snow. It immediately hardended into a delicious Toffee like candy.

PAJAMA DAY GONE BAD
Earlier this week, I was under the impression it was Pajama Day at Nora's school. In the news letter it said, "Pajama Day" Tuesday, but didn't give the date. So I figured it was this week. I sent Nora to school in Purple Flannel Polka dot pajamas. Patrick returned with a crying Nora about 15 minutes later. Evidently it was NEXT Tuesday.

Nora was quite distraught from the moment she got to school and looked around to see all the other kids in their uniforms. She was the only one in her pajamas. She was so embarrassed she wanted to exit the school through a side door to leave the building. Patrick took her home and got her changed into her uniform. Evidently 2 other kids in the school came in their pajamas that day, so that made Nora feel better.

Patrick made Nora feel better when he told her the story about how he went to school and forgot to put on his pants. He was wearing a really long shirt and somehow left the house without his pants on! That made her laugh lots.

Zoya

Slow Race?

This weekend Zoya and I are off to Anchorage to race in the Pia's Classic cross country ski race. It'll be fun to try our hand against the Anchoragua skiiers. We both see it as a tune up for the Tour of Anchorage ski race that occurs in early March. In the past the Tour of Anchorage has been our only race of the year. And once that race starts I have often felt panic - the first half of the race has always been about settling down. Wouldn't it be better to practice racing beforehand? And so with that in mind we decided to do 2 races this year - the Tour of Anchorage AND the Pia's Classic.

Since it is a practice race I have decided to try and have fun and go slow. The funny thing is that everyone I have talked to doubts that I will be able to do the race 'slow'. My reasoning is that in the past when I panic my ski technique has gone to hell. I actually believe that if I go 'slow' and keep my technique together I might actually go faster than if I go all out (and flail about). In any case, it would be good to find this out before the big race. So with that in mind I intend to do a 'slow' race. I still hope to finish in under 2 hours for the 30K race. That is my goal.

Patrick

Photo is from the 2008 Tour of Anchorage - my last 'classic' technique cross country ski race. I did 25K in around one hour and twenty five minutes. But I was younger then, and the Pia's Classic course is much more up and down. I'll be happy with any time under 2 hours. In 2001 I came in 9th with a time of 1:41 (I just looked it up), but that sort time 'aint going to happen again for me - EVER.

Twin Ski

Today my sister, E., and I took our first cross country ski together this winter. We went on Lake Gertrude in Ft. Abercrombie. The evening light was gorgeous, there was a set track and we had the lake to ourselves.

Felt so good to ski in the company of my sister and enjoy the outdoors. E. and I haven't done any winter outdoor activities together since her return to Kodiak last year. Skiing with her brought me back to the time when we did the Tour of Anchorage ski race together in 2001. E. was living in Anchorage, me in Kodiak. She was a much better skiier than me, as she would go on the groomed ski trails after work. Bless her heart, she stuck with me for the majority of the race, although I'm sure she wanted to leave me in the dust.

Today it was fun to just ski for the heck of it- for some good exercise and enjoy the outdoors together.

Can you tell who's who in the picture?

(and Kodiak just broke its January Snowfall record!)

Zoya

(and at her request, I have to call my sister E. She doesn't like her name on our blog....)

Pushin' the Furniture Aside

Last night was a fun impromptu dance party with girlfriends. Patrick and I had a few friends over for dinner and around 9 the kids all went to bed. Marie talked about wanting to dance, so I turned the music up in the living room, we pushed the furniture aside and had a blast dancing for more than 2 hours. It was just Marie, Dawn and myself and we had fun teaching each other new dance moves~so good for the soul! I've got to do that more often.

Patrick, Aaron and Hannah stayed in the kitchen and watched hunting and family videos. They were quite content to not have to dance! But they could hear the howls of fun coming from the living room! And the kids didn't wake up once to the music-yeah!

Zoya

Photos:
Dawn and I dancing
Marie, Dawn and myself

Group picture:
From Left, Aaron, Dawn, Tchabo, Hannah, Marie

A Gals Ski! (plus two trailblazer guys)

Today Lisa H., Adelia M. and myself enjoyed a ski in the upper buskin...(and joining us was 2 male trailblazers by the name of Patrick and Philip). Our group had fun trekking along and Lisa's little puppy, Lily, joined us.

I fell a lot in the snow today...partially because I was using skinny racing skis. Everyone else had much fatter skis. So I had to ski fast to warm back up!

The large amount of snow this year is unusual...and we are fully taking advantage of the chance to go on longer ski trips into the woods and up frozen rivers.

Zoya

Thanks to awesome trailblazer Philip T for sharing his photos!
The two group pictures are at the VERY END of the buskin river at a waterfall. Can't go up the river any farther than that!!