Been pretty quite around here. Where is everyone?

 

We're suffering the late winter blues. The snow is disappearing fast, so there's less areas to snow machine at and the lakes still have 2-3 feet of ice so we can't get our boats wet!!

I for one am spending time respooling all my reels with fresh fishing line. Waiting for a "warm" day and I'll repack my wheel bearings too. I see where Trailer Craft has a sale on tire/wheel combos in 14" and 15" sizes. Might get a new set for the boat as well.

Oh yea and getting ready for the Billy Dean concert tonight too

 

Yep, know what you mean. Once I get off the boat I hope to ge a few miles put on my sled before spring. I'll miss the winter King Tournament in Homer next weekend but plan to be in the water soon after my arrival home. Already got all the rods and reels rebuilt and ready to fish, did this while the bride and kids were sick this winter. Spring kings should start running off the beach by early May. How about any hard water fishing? I didn't get to punch any holes in the ice this year.

I envy you on the Billy Dean concert, we may make the Heartland concert coming up. Boy that would be fun. We'll see..perhaps leave the kids at my sisters in Anchorage.

I have the 2" lift to put on my truck, a used motor oil heater to install in my shop, need to order and install a banks turbo kit (if I get enough of a tax return), and the list of honey dos has built up over the last 6+ weeks.

 

The heck with that I spend what free time I have snowmaching. Will be until May, maybe June if lucky.

 

I head home next week. I hear the snow is going fast. Kinda wish i had my sled over here for a days, after 8 weeks my bride would kill me if I took a few days to play. One of these days I want to ride across hogback to Eurika.

We should have plenty of snow to ride through April in Caribou Hills and into may if we boat the sleds across to Seldovia.

 

Either Valdez glacier, over the wall, down the valley, up the Stevens Glacier, across the ice field and down the to Eureka or:

Up the Tsaina Valley, up the Tsaina Glacier, down on to the Tonsian, down the Don #2, down the Klutinal Lake headwater valley, left turn towards the Stevens then up the Stevens Glacier, across the ice field and down to Eureka.

The second trip route is what we are doing tomorrow. We are going to stop at the top of the Stevens glacier. Last weekend we broke out trail to the point of turning left towards the Stevens so tomorrow well break out the remainder of the trail.

The first trip is the shortest yet the 1st and 2nd bench of the Valdez Glacier has been near impossible to navigate in the past few years. We did that route 3 years ago and you were litteraly riding into mutiple cravesas just to get 50 feet. Crazy and not much fun.

I guess you could make it over hogsback, go over to corbin/snowslide but that route is longer and just not to great of a route.

 

OMG!! You actually have sometime off to go riding?? How much did that cost you??

 

Well lets see. One day off from work, fuel for machine, fuel for truck. $400

Well worth it though. I love this time, plenty of sunlight and a good base up at 6000+ feet.

 

wish i was still on the kenia a trip to valdez would be the hot ticket in my book. yet i still dont miss the glommy days of late winter earky spring.

 

Yesterday's ride was amazing. We go out on the top of the Chugiach. 12 miles across the ice field, sunny, 25 degrees. Man cant ask for a better day. Then spent the rest of the day exploring 6000' glaciers. What a ride. 110 miles total for that trip. Could of gone further but we were all watching our fuel.

 

either North POle or working at Clear AFS

 

Driving from Valdez to Ninilchik today. Look forward into getting some late season sledding in and start looking for antlers on my B/C Skis.

Just not looking forward to the drive.

 

ohhhh........that is gonna be one horribly long drive. Makes you wish the ferry was running. Take it from Valdez to Homer, the just a short drive after that. Gosh about 5 hours to Palmer, another 45 minutes to Anchorage then about 4 more hours to Ninilchick.
Only one road into Valdez and one road into Ninilchick......Gotta drive north to just go south.

 

sounds like a pretty drive to me

 

It was a great drive. Road were dry. Made good time. Shopped for my wife in Anchorage and grabbed a bite to eat. Total trip 12 hours, not bad. Good to be home with the bride and kids. Need to go grab my sled maybe this morning.