Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Moonlit Skiing in the Susitna Valley

High today (FAI): -10F
Low today (FAI): -21F
Blue-moon and starlit skies hung over me as Davya, Bad-Bob, Poops, Mocha, and I hit the trail to their cabin. I was en-route to Palmer for New Years but made a pit stop just south of Cantwell in easily the most beautiful section of the Parks Highway, just down the hill from Broad Pass. I can't say that I was able to take it all in since that 12 hour stint seems to be a distant dream, as I didn't get down there til just after 9pm and needed to get back on the road by 9am the next day. But what I do know, is that their family has a prime spot for a cabin.. a place that I gawked at while driving through nearly 4 years ago for the first time, not believing that those big towering things people call mountains existed as such. The trail followed the highway for a little ways until we shot into the woods, skiing through brush that could take your eye out easily. Ok, the brush wasn't that bad but the stuff that was sticking out caught me in a few ungraceful moments on my skis.. not to mention the open leed on the river. Davya knows what ungracefulness I'm talking about and we'll keep it at that... ha!! We took our skis off for a steep uphill.. and I do mean steep uphill, up a bluff, which Davya called the "stairway to heaven". I was struggling trying to walk up it let alone herringbone up it. At the top, you could see a wide view of the Alaska Range, completely moonlit. Unfortunately, not many photos came out because of the lighting. Below though is Davya and Poops on the way out, sliding down the stairway to heaven.Back at the car. Thanks Davya for the chauffer out so I didn't get lost on the way out and for sharing a little piece of heaven in the Susitna Valley.

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