Myrtle Creek Ski

After the majority of the snow melted in the valley this week due to temperatures in the 40's, we decided to head to the mountains and test the snow for skiing. Myrtle Creek road is one of our favorite destinations because the open hillsides allow for views and wildlife sightings. Wildlife was plentiful today, as we spotted 14 moose--with at least four bulls--and several mule deer.

In this burn we spotted seven moose and several deer. 

The moose have been frequenting the road and creating a significant trail in the process. However, their tracks are too uneven to ski in. We still had plenty of room to make our own tracks.

Waxing the skis the first time. 

Quick snack break

We skied 3.25 miles up the road from the truck, which we parked at the road leading to the Snow-Tel station. A nice fire keep us warm at lunch and while we waxed our skis the second time. The descent was fast, just 38 minutes to reach the truck.

How could we have forgot the smokies and marshmallows? 

Total skiing time: 1 hour 37 minutes. Distance 6.5 miles. A great trip to start the skiing season.

Fisher Peak without the view

We awoke to sunny skies and decided to hike/hunt the Fisher Peak trail. The weather decided to change and slowly socked in the mountains as we were hiking.

Snow covered trail on the way to Fisher Peak

There was no snow at the beginning of the trail and the larch were golden in the sunlight. As we climbed higher the clouds rolled in while the snow became more substantial. At the peak there probably was six to eight inches of snow and the wind was cold. 

Even though the peak was socked in, we decided to summit it anyway. The view was limited to a few hundred feet. We unfortunately couldn't glass for any animals. The concrete remnants of the fire lookout poked out of the snow. The man who manned the lookout had quite a hike to reach it. 

Lookout remnants on top of Fisher Peak

Wildlife was abundant but not visible, except for one grouse and a few pine grosbeaks. We crossed several deer tracks and there was even of set of deer tracks in our tracks on the way down. We also crossed one set of moose tracks and a set of bear tracks. 

Pine grosbeaks eating seeds from cones

The whole trip of 10.5 miles took six hours--four hours up and two hours down. We arrived at the pickup before dark thankfully, even though we were carrying headlamps. Another great day to be in the mountains. 

Roman Nose Traverse

Sunshine and fall color enticed us to tackle Roman Nose before the snow came. I’ve been wanting to hike up Roman Nose for awhile, especially since we can see it from the house, so when Ryan suggested we tackle it, I eagerly agreed. 

Ryan overlooking upper Roman Nose Lake

Starting on the road, we ascended the east ridge leading up to Roman Nose. Within ten minutes we crossed a set of black bear tracks, most likely from the day before since they had a bit of melted snow in them. 

Black bear tracks

If we would have attempted this a month sooner, we would have been in huckleberry heaven. Unfortunately, all the huckleberries are now fermented. There were several decent patches of huckleberries left for the animals to enjoy. 

Funny-shaped fungus--almost like a starfish

Fall color was in full swing at higher elevations with the subalpine larch shedding their golden needles and the huckleberry brush shedding their crimson leaves. 

Nelson enjoying the hike through the old burn

Snag from Sundance fire 

Evidence of the Sundance Fire of 1967 is still readily visible. The majority of the snags are still standing and some are quite intriguing in their shapes. Ryan found two snags with blazes on them from before the fire. He guessed they were blazed ten to twenty years before the fire, maybe for a trail up to the lookout (no longer standing). 

Old blazes on trees burnt in the Sundance fire of '67

Ryan found two other odd finds--a marble and a travel clock. What are the odds of finding a marble on a mountainside?

Within reach of the peak

The wind made the summit chilly, but the view was amazing. The Selkirk Crest loomed to the north and the Kootenai Valley to the east. 

On the top

After a quick lunch in the lee of an alpine fir next to the lookout remains, we decided to descend the ridge to the northwest and cut down to the north end of the upper lake. Then we would take the trail and the road back to the truck. Frosty talus made the first part slow going for us, but Nelson has a knack for navigating the talus. 

Nelson trying to find what Ryan is looking at 

Amazingly, there was still a significant amount of snow in the basin below Roman Nose.  The north-facing basin doesn’t receive much sunlight and with the cooler summer, the snow probably didn’t melt quick enough before the cooler fall temperatures moved in. How many cool summers will it take for the Roman Nose glacier to form? The basin is of glacial-origin from the last ice-age, so it isn’t out of the question. 

Beginning of the Roman Nose glacier 

Before we dropped down to the upper lake, we hiked over to the ridge to look at Snow Lake--already half covered with ice. There were still a few patches of last winter’s snow in the dark corners of that basin too. 

Steep descent

On the way down to the lake, we crossed a large open swath of granite. Normal for the Selkirks, but this area had veins of darker rock running through it. Ryan even found the end of one veins, where the hot fluid could no longer penetrate the granite. 

End of vein in granite

The trip was just over five miles with 1500 feet of elevation gain (and loss). A wonderful way to spend a fall day in the Selkirks. 

Coyote tracks on a log

Leaving Bettles

Today we left Bettles--almost not wanting to leave. The summer went well and we enjoyed it. We are already looking forward to returning in March for great skiing and northern lights viewing.

Aerial view of the ramp (our big red hangar on left)

A rare year that we leave Bettles without snow on the ground. 

This is all there is to Bettles/Evansville.

Bettles/Evansville population just decreased by five people as the last of our crew departed this week. Around 20-30 people live here year-round.

On the way back to the big city of Fairbanks

 After spending a summer in Bettles, any city seems huge. Back to civilization with stop signs, traffic lights, gas stations, cell phones and lots of people.

Yukon River Bridge

Our flight roughly followed the Dalton Highway and the pipeline back to Fairbanks. We will be trucking up that road later this winter.

North to Alaska in March! 

Northern Lights

Last night, the aurora danced across the sky on one of the few clear nights this fall. The green bands rippled across the sky and faded in and out for awhile. They supposedly become white and green with a tinge of red later in the night--long after I'd gone to sleep.

First Snow in Bettles

I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I looked out the window and saw snow on the tree branches. I quickly looked out the other window and saw snow on our steps. The first snow in Bettles! The snow lasted until about noon.

Over the past week, the temperature has been dropping. Our first freezing temperature came two nights ago--which seems later than normal. 

Most of the leaves are gone from the trees, except for a few tenacious clusters. I'm enjoying this because I can see the birds chirping away in the trees. I've been noticing a flock of pine grosbeaks eating the buds on the trees. I've seen them in several spots around town so I'm not sure if there is more than one flock.

Two days ago, I witnessed two gray jays mobbing a northern hawk owl. At first I saw the gray jays dive bombing a bird flying, then I realized that bird wasn't a gray jay or raven. Luckily, the bird landed on a spruce tree close to the road and I realized it was an owl. The gray jays kept diving at it until it moved two more times. The last time must have been far enough away since the gray jays didn't follow it.

Interestingly, it was late afternoon/early evening and the owl was out in the daylight. I'm not sure if it was hunting or the gray jays awoke it from its slumber. Either way I was excited to see the owl, my first northern hawk owl.

Winter is around the corner

Technically it is still summer until September 23, the autumn equinox. But above the Arctic Circle, autumn is well under way with winter weather close behind.

Fall color started around a month ago and just passed its peak. First the small brush and grasses started turning yellow and red. Then the willows began turning yellow and then the aspen. Most of the smaller shrubs and willows have lost their leaves, but a few of the aspen are just beginning to turn.

Termination dust (the first snow) blanketed the tops of the peaks in the southern Brooks Range yesterday. The northern part of the range was buried in a several inches of snow last week.

Another sign that winter is coming is the snowshoe hare. Yesterday one darted across the road in front of me and I couldn't miss its snow white feet--already changing into its winter wardrobe. Before long we will have snow in Bettles and the hare will blend right in. Winter is just around the corner.

Northern Lights

Ryan woke me up this morning to look at the northern lights--I didn't even mind it was 3:30 a.m. I've been looking forward to seeing the northern lights again. A look out the north window revealed a band of white moving across the sky. To get a better look, I bundled up, headed outside and up the ladder on to our trailer's roof. At tree top level, I had an excellent view of the northern lights moving across the night sky. The lights went from a band to a wavy curtain across the sky several times. When the lights faded in one part of the sky, they began in another. The whitish-green lights almost look like a cloud bank at times.

I only stayed out for a half hour, since it was windy. I enjoyed the time on the roof immensely. I haven't seen the northern lights for a few years. And I hadn't seen the stars for months and enjoyed finding the constellations again. I think I even saw Venus and Mars.

The sky wasn't completely dark at 4 a.m.. A faint amount of twilight silhouetted the trees and mountains to the north.  We are losing seven and a half minutes of daylight a day, so the nights are quickly becoming longer. With the shorter days, I am enjoying the sunrises and sunsets again without having to lose any sleep--except for watching the northern lights.