My Alaska Ski Train Video

View from Hatcher's Pass

View from Hatcher's Pass, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

One of the mountains in Hatcher Pass

One of the mountains in Hatcher Pass, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Skiing with attitude!

Skiing with attitude!, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Craig Skinning Up

Craig Skinning Up, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Crust Skiing

Crust Skiing, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Hatcher Pass Mountain

Hatcher Pass Mountain, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

View from the skin up

View from the skin up, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Mountain We Skied This Morning

Mountain we skied this morning, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Ridgeline Where We Ski. The dots are people.

Ridgeline Where We Ski, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

View of Hatcher Pass Independence Mine area

View of Hatcher Pass Independence Mine area, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Clearing the creek

Clearing the creek, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Movin at the speed of light

Movin at the speed of light, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

A long way to go

A long way to go, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

The view when skiing down the first mountain

Snow 1, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

This picture is for Kevin

This picture is for Kevin, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Craig

Craig, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Drew and his free heels

Drew and his free heels, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Craig again

Craig again, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Eric

Eric, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Drew on run

Drew on run, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Eric and Craig

Eric and Craig, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Bull Moose

Bull Moose, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Michelle Sundara

Michelle, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Sundara's Japanese Restaraunt

Sundara's Japanese Restaraunt, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Yum!

My food, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Alaska Backcountry Skiing

First AT 8, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

So I finally got my backcountry set up. For backcountry you ski on equipment called AT, which is alpine touring. The set up is very similar to telemarking, but on the way down the mountain you are clipped in like alpine skiing. To start the day you throw some climbing skins on the bottom of your skis. The skins stick to the snow, so you travel similar to cross country skiing. The heels on your bindings release allowing you to step when climbing the mountains. When you hit the top of the mountain your bindings click down and are transformed into downhill bindings, meaning you have a clipped in heel. And then comes.....the powder!

Eric after the first climb, see the skiers in the far right corner.

at 4, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

In the background you can see the skiers climbing the second mountain.

Helmets, what have I got myself into?

first at 6, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Craig ready to go!

Snow in October!

at 3, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

The ski crew, minus Sarah.

first at 7, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

If you look at the ski you will notice a purple cloth on the base of the ski. The cloth is called a skin. You put it on your skis to climb up mountains. The backcountry skis release at the heel to climb up hills. The heel is then attached for the downhill portion, just like resort skiing.

Locked and Ready

First AT 1, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

A Town

Dad has been hounding me to send some pictures of Anchorage. Sorry I have none of my neighborhood yet, they will be coming. Mom, all these pictures are taken on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail that you and Larry will be using. It was a very fun day skating around and taking pictures! I hope this gives you a better feel of the area.
The picture above is from the Coastal Trail. The mountains are part of the Alaska Range, which are snow covered all summer. A few days a week you can see
Denali("Mt McKinley") towering over them. For some reason they are really hard to photograph.

Downtown Anchorage

Downtown Anchorage, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Picture taken from the Coastal Trail

Coastal Trail

Coastal Trail, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

The trail runs along Cook Inlet and periodically weaves through wetland areas

Westchester Lagoon

Westchester Lagoon, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

On the Coastal Trail

Westchester Park and Lagoon

Westchester Park and Lagoon, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

This is the west side of Anchorage near the inlet.

The famous Susitna Mountain or "Sleeping Lady"

The famous Susitna Mountain or "Sleeping Lady", originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

How I took all these photos

How I took all these photos, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Dork on wheels. Get out of the way!

Modern Architecture downton

Modern Architecture downton, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Downtown Anchorage

Downtown Anchorage, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

5th Ave. Mall

5th Ave. Mall, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Tourist Trap

Tourist Trap, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

The Park Strip

The Park Strip, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

For those of you who have been to Paris, the Park Strip is just like the strip at the Eiffel Tower. The strip in Anchorage is about 2 to 3 times larger than the one in Paris. There are 4 or 5 of these parks you see in the picture that are connected to form the Park Strip.

City Center

City Center, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Fall is so impressive

Fall is so impressive, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Urban Moose

Urban Moose, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

I love these Northern Exposure moments

Makes that vehicle look like a Matchbox Car

Makes that vehicle look like a Matchbox Car, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

This is Alaska

This is Alaska, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

Saddle Walkin

Saddle Walkin, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

I have seen some amazing saddles while hiking the valleys. I finally had the chance to walk one. Unreal!

False Summit

False Summit, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.

aaaaggghhhh!

aaaaggghhhh!, originally uploaded by theartofwandering.