Spring is here..kinda

Springtime in Alaska! You usually have to look up to read this sign

My dog loves it though

Yes there is a building under there

Hatcher Pass

Hatcher Pass is a wonderful place to recreate in the summer and winter as well. Majestic mountains, flowing rivers and sweeping vistas dominate this area of Alaska. It's only a short drive from Palmer or Wasilla, but once you arrive here you can hike for a bit and feel totally alone in this vast wilderness. Here are a few pics of the area on a beautiful Winter day. :)

Hard Winter for the moose...

With the exceptionally large amount of snow we've had this winter, moose have been struggling to make it through. When the snow is as deep as it is now, moose find it hard to maneuver through and end up on the roads where the snow is less. This leads to many car-moose collisions which have killed over 440 moose so far this winter just in my area alone. Recently a cow moose and her yearling calf have taken residence in my back yard for the last couple of weeks. I have a wooded area behind my house which offers them food and a safe place to rest. Here are a few pictures of them..enjoy!

Winter is waning...

We are nearing the end of March here in Alaska, and thoughts are turning towards the upcoming Spring and especially Summer! Winter has been fun though, I got into snow machining and it has been a blast! Snow machining has opened up areas of Alaska that otherwise are pretty much inaccessible in the Summer months due to the numerous lakes, rivers, and swamps that block the average person from getting into the backcountry without a boat or a plane. Rivers become roads, lakes and swamps are easily crossed, and rocky valleys become smooth fields of white snow. The Great Alaskan Sportsman Show is in a couple of weeks and that seems to get everyone's mind geared for the upcoming Summer. All the charter outfits are there, you can buy boats, campers, fishing gear, almost anything having to do with the outdoors. I lived here 20 years ago and used to look forward every year to going. There are bunches of contests and drawings to enter at the show so this year I got smart and printed out over 100 labels with all my info filled out so all I have to do is stick and go instead of writing it all out for every booth.