tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184146352011-06-07T22:24:09.374-08:00"the willingness to put up with a little bit of hell to get the occassional piece of heaven" - John FalkinerAaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.comBlogger1131100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-89151921217075102992007-12-25T16:44:00.000-09:002007-12-25T17:07:18.219-09:00

We are finally getting consistent snow in the Cascades and it feels great. Although stability in the backcountry has not been great, what with freeze/thaw cycles creating buried surface hoar, and high winds causing leeward slopes to slab up. So instead I have been sampling the finest Crystal and Alpy have to offer, heading to Crystal last Saturday and Monday and skiing Alpental on Christmas day.

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-33967300891624745872007-12-02T17:11:00.000-09:002007-12-02T17:15:27.875-09:00

We were planning on heading up to Stevens today to tour around the area prior to opening and get some fresh turns. But when the weather conditions at the Summit this morning were listed as "Blizzard", well, who can pass that up? A few pre-opening turns at Alpental would be just what the doctor ordered to start up the season right.Expecting a massive blockade at the mandatory chain-up checkpoint

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-37269382821601212692007-11-03T17:09:00.000-08:002007-11-03T17:27:50.946-08:00

It's that time of year again - the season pass dilemma. In this area, the best deal going has always been the Snoqualmie (read Alpental) pass - when I was an undergrad it was something like $199 unlimited. These days, without the undergrad schedule, and with backcountry taking up my weekend skiing, I have been opting for the mid-week pass. It costs under 300 bucks and it gets me up a few

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-22644599502030530052007-05-19T15:51:00.001-08:002007-05-19T16:05:02.417-08:00

The rumors were flying that as Alpental closed and Steven's manked up, the goods were just being revealed up north. So last Saturday we got up slightly better than work-early and headed up to Washington Pass in the North Cascades to get see what Ullr had been sending to those northern giants all winter. Apparently what Ullr had been up to all winter was planting rows of corn because we spent all

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-60461292933607600162007-04-29T15:53:00.000-08:002007-04-29T16:02:14.538-08:00

I have been laid up with a three week cough that has turned into black lung death after a three-hour run last Sunday over South and Middle Tiger. I was feeling pretty ok on the run (no equivocating there!) but by that night, my compromised immune system gave up the ghost in the steely hands of the black lung death and skipped five days of running. So that sucked, but the health is returning and

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-76757218985643387672007-04-01T19:04:00.000-08:002007-04-01T19:14:19.669-08:00

Andrea, Jen, and I (and Emerson of course) headed up to Chair Peak today to attempt the traverse of the North Face, finishing with a ski across Snow Lake.On the way up, light snow was falling on a crust that has been sitting in the Cascades for the past week or so. It was strange snow. At about 4000', I stuck a pole deep into it as is my habit on the skin up to get a sense of what kind of layers

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-37861823148851744412007-03-29T18:54:00.000-08:002007-03-29T19:15:13.964-08:00

Ok, so it's been over two months since the last post. Call it negligent blogging but the truth is, we have been working. Of course, we were always working but now we are, like, really working. So if the choice is between getting out into the hills and working, or blogging about working, we skipped the blogging. Naturally.Although February served us up an early helping of crapola, it got

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-36354525085160103402007-01-29T20:22:00.000-09:002007-01-29T20:31:03.711-09:00

Ullr has been giving Washington the big F-off for the last week or so but it's as if Mother Nature said "OK, no snow...but how about some SUN?" Wow, sun is awesome. Crappy, gnarly, crusty snow is NOT awesome - but with sun it actually gets a little awesome.We headed up to the Alpental valley early to get some turns underneath Chair Peak before our normal day in Seattle began. We were greeted

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-76037576036446815342007-01-23T19:53:00.000-09:002007-01-23T20:17:20.064-09:00

Mmmm...another great weekend skiing Heather Ridge. Again, we were blessed with deep light snow and clearish weather. BUT, things were looking bad in Monroe when Andrea realized that she had forgotten her jacket. No worries, she would ski in the puffy jacket she always keeps at the bottom of her pack. All loaded up with coffee, things were looking to go swimmingly. But upon arrival at the

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-5061363481100776972007-01-15T17:52:00.000-09:002007-01-15T18:06:43.838-09:00

Today Andrea, I, Jeremy, Sarah, and Tom headed up to Snoqualmie Pass to do a tour around the Gold Creek area on our waxless touring skis. This was Sarah's maiden voyage on her new skis and Andrea and I hadn't brought out the waxless touring skis probably since skiing the Resurrection Trail last winter.The cold snap that has been lingering over Seattle and the surrounding area made for a crisp,

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-62625521325372501132007-01-14T20:29:00.000-09:002007-01-14T20:53:16.038-09:00

On Saturday, Andrea and I headed back to Heather (Skyline) Ridge. Seattle has been in the midst of a cold snap for the last five or six days - temperatures in the 20s and snow actually staying on the ground. Freaky, yes, but it also means that temperatures in the mountains have been even colder - most ski areas have been reporting low single digits every morning. With all the cold comes a more

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-74955474547994351372007-01-09T20:24:00.000-09:002007-01-09T20:46:49.098-09:00

Andrea and I spent the New Year's holiday at Mt. Baker in northern Washington with Chester and his brother Will. We were blessed with three days of excellent conditions and great weather. Well, ok, two days of great conditions, one day of rainy-snow/ snowy-rain that quickly turned to rain. But not before we schralped the mash potatoes all morning - and we were getting tired anyway so no love

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-44041791826968282592006-12-17T17:18:00.000-09:002006-12-17T17:25:38.047-09:00

Ok, so we can't skate ski right out of our back door anymore. BUT, what we CAN do in Washington is have a great day in the mountains skiing powder on Saturday and on Sunday go for an hour-and-half trail run through tall stands of cedar and Doug fir. Today, we headed out to Squak Mountain to see what kind of damage the storms of the previous week had done to the forests around Seattle. Oh, and

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-70755303827891181632006-12-17T16:22:00.000-09:002006-12-17T17:02:41.173-09:00

Hmmmm, I love a good storm. And the PNW was hit with another monster this week, brining in rain, wind, and snow; lots of snow. Crystal was hit with almost 3 feet in three days. The top of the mountain was on a wind hold for the second half of the week (they had winds of 100+ mph) so on Saturday, Andrea, my dad, and I headed up hoping for some super deep fluff. Did we get what we were looking

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-23211434250144681862006-12-11T20:03:00.000-09:002006-12-11T20:07:05.485-09:00

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1165779832087458242006-12-10T10:28:00.000-09:002006-12-10T20:18:51.980-09:00

With our touring legs under us from our pseudo-alpine-pseudo-Nordic debacle last weekend at Hyak, Andrea, and I and Andrea's co-clerk Jen headed up to Skyline (Heather) Ridge in Steven's Pass on Saturday to do a little recon mission for longer tours later in the season. One of the best parts about being new to the touring scene here is that there is so much to explore, one of the bummers is that

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1165193862242800392006-12-03T15:45:00.000-09:002006-12-03T17:43:11.750-09:00

With the swelling in the jaw subsiding, Andrea and I headed up the Snoqualmie Pass for a few laps on Hyak Mountain, which is labeled as a great place to "get to know your gear." Hyak is usually not running its lifts so its a good piste for relatively avalanche safe slopes to do some laps on. And the backside offers some great tree skiing. And in our case, a great opportunity to get lost.Since

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1165121922507691652006-12-02T19:48:00.000-09:002006-12-02T20:11:04.763-09:00

I think that today was the first time I've seen the sun in over a month. No joke. Between work and winter darkness, I've definitely been missing that sun-on-my-face awesome feeling. Well, today was my day. Jan and I had five+ glorious hours of sun and snow at Crystal. The snow was a bit skied out and cement-y but who cares? I could have spent the whole day on the chair lift and been content.

Andrea Delgadillo Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404124203678564987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1165073668353384872006-12-02T06:23:00.000-09:002006-12-02T06:34:28.370-09:00

One would think I could plan ahead to get my wisdom teeth removed on a weekend when the Cascades have not been pounded by one of the most epic November storm systems in recent history. No, even pre-wisdom tooth extraction, my level of wisdom was lacking.Andrea and my dad headed up to Crystal this morning for the season opening of Crystal's North Back Country, which should prove to be

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1164602366995936672006-11-26T19:10:00.000-09:002006-11-26T19:40:12.310-09:00

This Thanksgiving holiday started with some nice turns early Thursday morning at Snoqualmie Summit. Only Summit West was open but it was DUMPING snow so although Andrea and my dad and I were limited to getting rowdy on some quasi-blue-square terrain, it was great to stretch the legs and get into the snow. (Oh, and for posterity, this was the first time in over four years, and Andrea's first

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1163987752858566412006-11-19T16:43:00.000-09:002006-12-01T07:47:57.323-09:00

This was a weekend of low spirits - I was SO EXCITED to hit the mountains this weekend for some turns, anxiously counting the hours until Saturday morning and to not go dealt my morale a critical blow. I was in such absolute hold-all-my-calls mode that it never occurred to me that the conditions would totally suck.And they did as evidenced by a quote from a venerable TGR maggot Buster Highmen -

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1163828113905357172006-11-17T20:26:00.000-09:002006-11-17T20:35:13.920-09:00

It's already been more than two months since Chester, Andrea and I did our trip through the Wrangell-St. Elias range on the Goat Trail.The story is brief is the Goat Trail is a five day traverse through a pass near McCarthy - it's a fly in fly out deal so you are way in the wilderness for all of the trip. It's still a pretty well traveled route in the summer but the time of year we went, in

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1163388475076039062006-11-12T18:25:00.000-09:002006-11-14T16:21:06.136-09:00

Well, we are back. In Seattle, in a new house, with nothing but rain for the last three weeks. So we have been cleaning non-native plants out of the yard, cleaning, caulking, foam-insulating (this I think is a uniquely Alaskan thing) and, of course, tuning skis. With the rain comes snow in the mountains, and it is coming - just a matter of time. Crystal is scheduled to open this Wednesday and

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1158546079281185522006-09-17T18:11:00.000-08:002006-09-17T18:21:19.293-08:00

Andrea and I just arrived in Seattle after the long drive down the highway from Anchorage. We took the Cassiar through BC and the whole way down, the autumn colors painted the tundra and snow covered the highest peaks. It was tough leaving Alaska, both Andrea and I have really enjoyed our time up there and, being a native Alaskan, I always leave a part of my heart there whenever I leave. It

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1157077920932264332006-08-31T18:28:00.000-08:002006-08-31T18:32:00.943-08:00

From Connor Bog on Tuesday night

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1157052177650266202006-08-31T11:15:00.001-08:002006-08-31T21:30:49.303-08:00

Our time in Alaska is coming to a close. It's amazing how fast a year goes! We are not sure when we will be back to stay (or if) but we definitely have some plans in the works for visits (Ski Train 2007?). Our final trip on the Goat Trail in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park starts on Saturday. After a fly-in start, we will be packpacking for four days to our pick-up point, 20 miles away.

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1156803066019464572006-08-28T11:59:00.000-08:002006-08-28T14:11:06.123-08:00

Saturday was our final mountain race of the season, the Lost Lake race outside Seward. The whole course is 16 miles, starting with 5 miles of steady climbing up to Lost Lake, then a few miles of undulating trail around morraines and lake shores, finishing with 6 miles of glorious downhill that, if you have the legs, you can hit at break-neck speeds.We didn't really have a goal for this race

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1156526220895038112006-08-25T09:13:00.000-08:002006-08-25T09:17:00.906-08:00

Rain, rain, and more rain. Although we have had a few days of sun to break any record streak of rainy days, by my count, the month of August has had something like 16 days of rain. Is that a break in the clouds I see over the Gulf of Alaska? Maybe...please...maybe...

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1156474123788712162006-08-24T18:40:00.000-08:002006-08-24T18:48:43.806-08:00

Not the be confused with storm skiing (which is fun), storm hiking sort of blows, especially when the storm in question is dumping sideways rain on you that 15m higher up the mountains is snow. But that's what it was on Tuesday when Andrea and I took our friends Jen and Tasha, and Tasha's sister Kat (all visiting from Montana) up to Rabbit Lake. We didn't even make it to the lake before turning

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1156461973783777712006-08-24T15:11:00.000-08:002006-08-24T15:37:21.276-08:00

Finally, the ski industry has shed it's prudery and gotten back to it's dorm-room hijinx, sophmoric roots. Exhibit 1 - this Stockli ad from this month's Powder Buyer's Guide - although the model appears somewhat, uh, German, the intention was there.It harkens back to another time, when Lange ski boots ran a series of ads featuring "Lange girls" in various ski related poses and text with

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1156187245823363322006-08-21T11:04:00.000-08:002006-08-21T11:07:25.836-08:00

After 12 or so days of solid rain, leading to flooding in the Mat-Su valley, the clouds this morning broke and the sun shone down. It's supposed to start raining again tonight but the clearing sky has revealed the mountains around Hatcher Pass and outside Eagle River are covered with snow, much more than a dusting, indicating winter is around the corner!

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1155949135787005822006-08-18T15:48:00.000-08:002006-08-18T16:58:55.870-08:00

Perhaps it is because our time in Alaska is coming to a close but I have been immersing myself in Alaskana for the last few months, hoping maybe to glean some extra meaning from the wonderful year we have spent here. As a native Alaskan, I am not sure reading a few books from Alaska will help put more meaning into a life than that which was infused through a childhood in Bear Valley but who knows

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1154985930672617892006-08-07T11:28:00.000-08:002006-08-07T13:25:30.856-08:00

Some finish line pictures from Crow Pass... Thanks to Penny and Kristen for these.

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1154977127733532532006-08-07T10:43:00.000-08:002006-08-07T10:58:47.750-08:00

Just after arriving back in Anchorage from fishing in Seward, Andrea and I took her family up to Crow Pass, outside of Girdwood, for a night's stay in a Forest Service cabin.The hike in is "only" 3.5 miles, but almost all of it is uphill, with the grade becoming progressively steeper as you reach the top of the pass. The cabin is seated at the top of the pass next to Crystal Lake, a deep green

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1154545403087418662006-08-02T10:34:00.000-08:002006-08-05T13:26:50.070-08:00

This weekend, Andrea and I headed to south to Seward with her parents, Joe and Vickie, and her brother Dan and his fiancee Megan. We chartered a boat to drive around Kenai Fjords National Park, take in some sight seeing and fish for silver salmon.The wildlife viewing was very successful; we saw puffins, sea otters, sea lions and got very close to a small local pod of orcas.Kenai Fjords National

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1154134325172288582006-07-28T16:41:00.000-08:002006-07-28T16:52:05.180-08:00

Last night Andrea and I hit Kincaid and did some running for the first time since Crow Pass. After a 1.5 hour mountain bike the previous night, my legs were sapped! I didn't realize how much that race had taken out of me but now I think my body is ready for a little more rest. We ran the Ridge Trail, which is a winding, technical, and fairly hilly trail - definitely not a first post-Crow Pass

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1153863396504469972006-07-25T13:34:00.000-08:002006-07-25T21:51:16.566-08:00

This year’s race was better for me for so many reasons. Chiefly, it was great to run the race with Andrea and experience it with her. It was great to feel as good as I did through the whole race - all the way until the end my body felt like it was well trained and fast. (This was a sharp contrast to the torture of 2001.) Having run this race before helped so much in knowing what to expect during

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1153689710940456512006-07-23T12:52:00.000-08:002006-07-25T06:01:29.153-08:00

We did it! Yesterday we successfully completed the 2006 Crow Pass Crossing! Here's my (Andrea's) account:The start: the weather was perfect for a race of this length -- cloudy and cool, but no rain. I was a lot less nervous at the start than I had anticipated. I had a great start -- with a combination of running and power-hiking, I made it to the checkpoint (4 miles) at the top of the pass in

Andrea Delgadillo Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404124203678564987noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1153442931532403292006-07-20T16:34:00.000-08:002006-07-20T16:48:51.546-08:00

I admit the posts on this blog have gotten a little too Crow Pass intensive the last few days but it is the only thing on my mind (I mean, besides the TDF). But with two days to go, we have officially stopped running for the final taper - the cherry on the 15 week sundae of run/rest/run that will hopefully culminate in a good race day (and time).So I'm anxious. I am thinking about water, I am

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1153244062192491202006-07-18T09:31:00.000-08:002006-07-18T09:34:22.203-08:00

Ok, so it turns out there is only one route up the pass in the race - the way we didn't go. It's steeper but shorter so hopefully our time will still be around 48 minutes - leaving us a good buffer just in case things don't work out according to plan in those first 4 miles. At least we won't have to be too concerned at the start about which route we are taking - that is already decided.

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1152812495648454782006-07-13T09:33:00.000-08:002006-07-13T09:41:55.736-08:00

Last Saturday, Andrea and I ran up to the top of Crow Pass - the first four miles of the 26 mile race that is quickly approaching. The race rules require you to reach the top of Crow Pass within an hour - the top being a mile past the forest service cabin, an often cloudy point at the apex of the pass with stunning views of the Raven Glacier on a clear day. Runners who don't make it to the check

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1152337767203573692006-07-07T21:39:00.000-08:002006-07-07T21:54:46.083-08:00

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1152169180894146562006-07-05T22:53:00.000-08:002006-07-05T23:21:54.750-08:00

We spent a sunny and warm 4th of July weekend with our friends Liza and Debbie in Kachemak Bay State Park. We accessed the park from Homer -- took a water taxi from Homer to the "Saddle Trail" trailhead, just south of Glacier Spit. From there it was an easy hike in (about 1.5 miles) to Grewingk Glacier Lake. Great camping all along the lake with stunning views of the Grewingk Glacier. We could

Andrea Delgadillo Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404124203678564987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1152120984705196462006-07-05T09:27:00.000-08:002006-07-06T07:22:33.056-08:00

Long distance athletes, whether cyclists, runners, swimmers, or triathletes, all share a special moment in their training when the rigors of mind-numbing distances, loose joints, sore muscles, and aching bodies have taken their toll and the athlete is ready to quit the training full stop. The taper. The theory behind the taper is simple - after pummeling your body with long runs and vigorous

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1151473761304792062006-06-27T21:26:00.000-08:002006-06-27T23:47:17.706-08:00

It's always a joy to discover a mountain or hike you have never been on. While I make no claim to have explored every inch of the Chugach Range, it is a special day when I can go into the mountains and get a truly novel view. This Saturday, Andrea and I, and Larry, Sandra, Teeny, Ray and Pat hiked up Hope Mountain outside of Hope. Because Hope is on the other side of Turnagain Arm from Anchorage

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1151109944551535432006-06-23T16:39:00.000-08:002006-06-23T16:45:44.560-08:00

We had plans to spend the evening of the solstice on the summit of Flattop, an Anchorage tradition that usually involves hibachi grills, a polka band, and the slow arc of a lazy arctic summer sun across the sky. We scaled the peak, and packed the sausages, but, alas we were rained out. After an arduous climb up Flattop's south side (it was easier in the winter), we tagged the summit and headed

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1150863632136112782006-06-20T20:16:00.000-08:002006-06-20T20:20:32.146-08:00

Tomorrow is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. The sun will rise at 4:20 am and set at 11:42 pm but because the arc of the set sun is so close to the horizon, we are genuinely approaching 24 hours of daylight. What does this do to you? It gives you energy, it lets you sleep only 5-6 hours a night. But if you are training for a marathon, working hard, and have a full day job?

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1150772303885187932006-06-19T18:39:00.000-08:002006-06-19T18:59:27.783-08:00

On Sunday, Andrea, Chester, and I did the last 10 miles of the Crow Pass trail as an out-and-back 20 mile training run. It was definitely a different experience from the last time I did the trail, which was during the race in 2001. That year, Eagle River flooded and there were sections of the trail as long as 2 miles that were completely submerged. Add to that a poorly marked trail and more than

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1150572624017044742006-06-17T11:25:00.000-08:002006-06-17T11:30:24.016-08:00

We did a quick hike up Peak 3 after work on Friday. With the solstice coming next week, our days are long and you can hike until past midnight! The clouds on Peak 3 were amazing and there was still enough snow to glissade.

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1150475047376008092006-06-16T08:21:00.000-08:002006-06-17T11:32:01.136-08:00

Last week, we were in Wisconsin visiting Andrea's family. Crow Pass training continued and we decided to do our long run in the Kettle Moraine State Forest . The Northern Unit of the Forest encompasses about 31 miles of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail --a trail that winds through Wisconsin (currently 600 miles long) and approximates the terminal edge of the most recent continental glaciation.

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1150351728562827262006-06-14T22:06:00.000-08:002006-06-17T11:22:31.813-08:00

After a week's hiatus, a few pictures from our trip to Wisconsin to visit Andrea's family.

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1149206039907842062006-06-01T15:35:00.000-08:002006-06-01T15:55:39.096-08:00

About a year ago this month, Andrea and I graduated from law school. Before starting our bar studies, we did a bicycle tour down the Pacific Coast from Eugene, Oregon to San Francisco, California. Along the way we met some interesting characters and managed to travel with various other bike tourists along the way.Our last night before hitting San Francisco, we camped at Samuel P. Taylor State

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1149052526970047792006-05-30T21:12:00.000-08:002006-05-30T21:15:27.006-08:00

Three more pictures from Sunday night and Monday morning - all different views of O'Malley Peak.

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1149007187899030292006-05-30T08:35:00.000-08:002006-05-30T08:39:47.916-08:00

Results from the half-marathon on Saturday on KTUU, the NBC affiliate in Anchorage. Thanks again to Bill for the pictures.

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1148968598446046032006-05-29T21:53:00.000-08:002006-05-29T21:56:38.456-08:00

Here is one of the pictures I took at sunrise, facing the ridge just behind Wolverine Peak. High wind in the upper atmosphere created an amazing effect on the cloud formations hovering above the peaks.

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1148954896625986902006-05-29T17:48:00.000-08:002006-05-29T18:08:16.636-08:00

Last night, Andrea and I headed up to the Ball Field under O'Malley Peak to camp out and take some photos of the sunset. My plan was to get some nice shots of the sun setting over Anchorage, go to sleep, and then get up a few hours later to get pictures of the sunrise (you have to be committed to get sunrise pics in Anchorage in May).The hike up to the Ball Field is short but steep - basically

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1148837083295966062006-05-28T09:15:00.000-08:002006-05-30T15:56:40.916-08:00

On Saturday, Andrea and I ran the Trent Waldron Glacier Half-Marathon as a qualifier for Crow Pass. Part of the deal with Crow Pass is if you didn't run it the year before, you have to have run a full marathon in 4:00 or a half-marathon in 1:45 within the previous year to qualify. The last half-marathon Andrea and I ran was mid-way through lawschool and both of us finished close to 1:43 - because

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1148664692253608882006-05-26T09:08:00.001-08:002006-05-26T09:39:39.223-08:00

One would think that with all the time we spend in such an incredibly beautiful and often quiet place, that moments of reflection would come while we are out in the mountains and wilderness. Sometimes that happens. And sometimes, like last night, sitting on our couch, shades drawn to keep out the late-evening sun, I had one of those moments watching the documentary "Being Caribou.""Being Caribou

Andrea Delgadillo Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404124203678564987noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1148489972600227472006-05-24T08:56:00.000-08:002006-05-24T09:03:42.660-08:00

Here's some more pictures from our hike up rainbow this weekend. Thanks, Teeny!

Andrea Delgadillo Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404124203678564987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1148450561972528662006-05-23T21:45:00.000-08:002006-05-24T09:34:55.646-08:00

After deliberating about whether our bodies could handle a full day of hiking after the Homestead Hill / Middle Fork run (see post below), we decided to suck it up and join the regular gang for a hike up Rainbow Peak. We definitely made the right choice and were not disappointed. Larry, Sandra, Aaron and I met up with Teeny, Ray, Rich and Phil (and three pooches) at the Rainbow trailhead (just

Andrea Delgadillo Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404124203678564987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1148449303756545172006-05-23T21:30:00.002-08:002006-05-23T22:12:55.793-08:00

Training for the Crow Pass Crossing continues: We started our weekend with a 19 mile trail run -- definitely our longest yet this season (and probably my longest trail run ever). Chester, Aaron, Emerson, & I started at the Campbell Air Strip parking lot, ran up Rover's Run, jumped on the Homestead Hill trail, then caught the Middle Fork trail -- followed that to Prospect Heights, then down the

Andrea Delgadillo Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404124203678564987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1148056957319016352006-05-19T08:41:00.000-08:002006-05-19T08:42:37.333-08:00

Found some...

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1147844163268231842006-05-16T21:32:00.000-08:002006-05-16T21:36:03.280-08:00

The flowers may not be out in the mountains yet (has anyone seen flowers in the mountains yet???) -- they are out in the front yard. So here's a picture for spring.Tonight was the Turnagain Trail Race and I am sick so I didn't go but Andrea did and Chester did and I got to sit at home and take pictures of f&*@#! flowers. I would prefer not to talk about it...

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1147757791401471132006-05-15T21:29:00.000-08:002006-05-15T21:36:31.413-08:00

Andrea and I headed up to Peak 4 (yes, one peak on the ridgeline past Peak 3) to do a late afternoon hike on Sunday. We left the skis at home and took our ice axes to do some glissading off the summit of Peak 3 on the way down.Below, Andrea demonstrates the "Chugach Technique" of glissade - you carry a plastic garbage bag in your pack with you and cut holes in it for your legs for the slide down

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1147645431291514052006-05-14T14:13:00.000-08:002006-05-16T13:20:43.350-08:00

Training for the Crow Pass Crossing continues; on Saturday Chester, Chris, Andrea, and I ran the Homestead Hill run. It's a great run that combines neighborhoods, primitive roads, technical trails, and a few hills (ok, its almost all hills). After an hour and fifty minutes (1:50), the GPS read 10 miles, which put us at just over ten minute miles. Not bad considering how technical the trail

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1147309413829377212006-05-10T16:53:00.000-08:002006-05-10T17:03:33.850-08:00

Last night Chester and I bid adieu to our old Tuesday night mistress, Peak 3. She may be lacking the snow she did a few months ago but she was up to her old wily tricks and took it out of our hides both going up and coming down.That mountain never seems to get easier to skin up and last night was no exception - there was plenty of wind-blown hardpan and soft blown sugar to make every step a fight

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1147154290931306832006-05-08T21:51:00.000-08:002006-05-09T15:41:25.796-08:00

As promised, some pictures from our hike up McHugh Ridge on Sunday. I was using a 70-300 mm telephoto lens and was hoping to get some animal shots but with four dogs and six people, I think I was being a little naive (we did see sheep and they promptly ran like hell). So the pictures look more like portraits than anything else but I think they turned out well. My personal favorite is Larry's

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1147107366290218072006-05-08T08:37:00.000-08:002006-05-08T08:56:06.303-08:00

From the NOAA website:...LATE SEASON SNOWFALL FOR ANCHORAGE...LAST NIGHTS SNOWFALL AMOUNTS RANGED FROM THREE TENTHS OF AN INCH NEARTHE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT UP TO 3 INCHES ON THE HILLSIDE THROUGHEARLY THIS MORNING. WHILE THIS SNOWFALL WAS UNUSUAL FOR THIS TIME OFYEAR...IT WAS NOT THE LATEST SNOWFALL FOR ANCHORAGE. IN 1964...TWOTENTHS OF AN INCH OF SNOW WAS RECORDED ON MAY 22Ok, admittedly, winter

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1146774212457551132006-05-04T12:13:00.000-08:002006-05-04T12:24:34.286-08:00

Andrea pointed out an interesting article in the ADN today talking about expanded use of biodiesel in Anchorage. Apparently, Alaska Mill and Feed has been picking up used cooking oil for years and sending it to pet food companies in the Lower 48. But with shipping costs on the rise (guess why, yep, high cost of oil), AMF was trying to figure out what to do with the oil they could no longer afford

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1146635055254334462006-05-02T21:19:00.000-08:002006-05-09T13:36:02.976-08:00

Last Saturday we returned to Turnagain Pass to take another stab at skiing Pastoral. We had a large crew - seven of us in all. With the sunny weather and endless fields of untracked snow, it looked like the makings of one of the best any of us had experienced in the backcountry. We gained the saddle that Andrea and I had been turned back at in a storm a few weeks earlier and had lunch. After

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1146093991230787872006-04-26T15:22:00.000-08:002006-04-28T16:40:27.773-08:00

Chester and I headed up to Peak 3 on Tuesday night for our weekly ritual - some BC turns after work. Nate came along on his first Peak 3 ski ever - Nate lives up on the hillside so its kind of a miracle he has never skied it but for a first time, the conditions could not have been better. Storms had been hitting the front range for the last few days and there were about eight inches of

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1145940599720642022006-04-24T20:48:00.000-08:002006-04-24T20:55:46.096-08:00

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, dream, discover.- Mark TwainDon't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go do that. Because what the world needs are people who have come

Andrea Delgadillo Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404124203678564987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1145940240022217602006-04-24T20:34:00.000-08:002006-04-24T20:45:39.890-08:00

Aaron claims: "The distinction between Cascade Concrete and Chugach Cement is a subtle, but important one." I am not convinced. All I know is I saw what looked to be soft, fluffy untracked snow at Alyeska; what I hit trapped the inside of edge of my skis, quickly became bumpy, and when I crashed (numerous times, of course), acted like a vice grip on my awkwardly-turned skis.I must admit, though

Andrea Delgadillo Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404124203678564987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1145906684415185892006-04-24T11:08:00.000-08:002006-04-24T11:40:53.303-08:00

The kingdom of Pastoral in all its glory(this is as close as we have ever gotten) Going to Pastoral is starting to feel like the search for the Lost Kingdom of Prester John - Andrea and I made plans to head up to Pastoral this Saturday with Rich, Chester, Teeny, and Ray but weather coming in Friday night and into Saturday morning changed those plans. Storms rolled across the Kenai Penninsula

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1145465120925862012006-04-19T08:34:00.000-08:002006-04-24T11:33:08.996-08:00

Last Sunday, Andrea and I skied up the valley between Sunburst and Magnum mountains in Turnagain Pass, over the saddle between the two, and on to an area called Pastoral. The day had started sunny and warm, but as we skinned up the valley, we could see a halo around the sun, indicating ice crystals in the air and a coming storm.When we arrived at the saddle, we were rewarded with a spectacular

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1145032589481981112006-04-14T08:32:00.001-08:002006-04-14T08:36:29.483-08:00

Some pictures from Peak 3 last Thursday - the sun was out, the skiing was great. We are heading up there again tonight for a bbq at the base of the mountain!

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1144953137519626522006-04-13T10:25:00.000-08:002006-04-14T14:46:02.173-08:00

NO! Although the snow is getting sparse in Anchorage (alas, no 50 after 5 this winter) - it is still snowing in the front range and Turnagain has repeatedly gotten dumped on. We will not surrender! This weekend's plans are a "Stick it to the Man" post-tax party at the base of Peak 3 on Friday night (organized by local hard man Rob Whitney), perhaps Alpenglow on Saturday, and Turnagain on

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1144213681188934842006-04-04T21:04:00.000-08:002006-04-05T09:39:44.966-08:00

Well, that happened. Here we were, thinking we would take advantage of the fact that the sun doesn't set until around 9:45 these days to do a little peak bagging after work.The fog rolled in the ascent up Peak 3 and never went away, making the already strange snow (it was taught like a drum) even stranger, and Chester and I started to get more and more nauseus as vertigo set in.The ski down was..

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1144045366916628352006-04-02T22:07:00.000-08:002006-04-02T22:27:42.176-08:00

March Madness (alaska style) has infected our April mindsets. After a much needed Saturday rest day, we headed up to Turnagain today - for some awesome runs on Tin Can. After some deliberation about avalanche danger (see post below) we headed up and were the second and third sets of tracks down from the false summit. Chester and Brian met us mid-day for a few runs from the top (we did 4 from the

Andrea Delgadillo Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404124203678564987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1144040892663873882006-04-02T20:38:00.000-08:002006-04-02T21:47:22.990-08:00

It didn't take much deciphering to figure out that conditions were not "green light" today on Tin Can. As we approached the saddle below Hippie Bowl, we saw a skier-triggered slide just off the west side of the saddle. The slide matched our predictions - 10-12 inches of new (fallen + wind loaded) snow on top of buried surface hoar. The small avalanche left a clean, smooth surface of surface hoar

Andrea Delgadillo Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404124203678564987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1143828696075893372006-03-31T09:09:00.000-09:002006-03-31T15:29:47.216-09:00

I was playing around with a picture from Andrea from last Wednesday on Peak 2 - trying to configure it to replace the header picture on the blog. I got a little freaky with the coloring but I think it turned out pretty well - the response from Andrea: "That's ME?" I guess she approves!

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1143828548105955542006-03-31T08:59:00.000-09:002006-03-31T09:09:08.106-09:00

Chester, Andrea, and I took advantage of another sunny Wednesday night and headed up to Peak 2 behind Flattop right after work to make some turns under the setting sun. The conditions near the road were marginal but the top 500 feet of untracked corn (south-west aspect - home come nobody went there? was it all the rocks?) made the steep hike worth it. The skiiing became increasingly bad as we

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1143827824221458102006-03-31T08:51:00.000-09:002006-03-31T08:57:04.290-09:00

Nick learning that cross country skis don't exactly turn like his Gotamas Emerson feeling the call of the wild (and doing something strange with his lip) Our (stinky, freezing, too hot) home away from home No comment

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1143673709282807222006-03-29T13:48:00.000-09:002006-03-29T14:10:10.690-09:00

We took advantage of the long weekend (Seward's Day was Monday) and rented the Fox Creek cabin on the Resurrection Pass trail on the Kenai Penninsula. My dad and brother Nick flew up from Seattle to join the usual crowd: me, Andrea, Phil and Rich, and Larry and Sandra (plus 4 dogs).Fox Creek is about 12.5 miles in on the trail, past the first cabin. The weather was fantastic for the ski in,

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1142915598610893272006-03-20T19:22:00.000-09:002006-03-22T16:43:11.176-09:00

While the rest of the country is looking forward to spring, our little neck of the arctic was blessed with a winter storm that brought between 10-30 inches of snow to the mountains around Turnagain Arm and the Kenai Penninsula. Andrea and I were planning on spending the weekend in Girdwood. With the upcoming storm, our thoughts of spending sunny March days in the mountains skiing windslab quickly

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1142485826311841322006-03-15T20:04:00.000-09:002006-03-15T20:11:44.366-09:00

Some pictures from this Wednesday night on Peak 3 outside Anchorage. Chester and I did a quick after-work ski. The snow was windblown hardpack so the skiing was not great but going backcountry skiing after work and being home by 7:30 is priceless. And did I mention the alpenglow?

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1142452324285489022006-03-15T10:49:00.000-09:002006-03-15T10:52:04.303-09:00

....this picture should illustrate how cold it was. Notice the heavy duty mittens I'm wearing...I still couldn't get my hands to thaw out. Also, check out the ice rime forming on everything we were wearing - the sun was warm but not warm enough!

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1142450011953071992006-03-15T10:07:00.000-09:002006-03-15T10:13:31.990-09:00

Some pictures from last weekend's Arctic to Indian trip. Someone had a little too much to drink the night before (me), and for the first three hours I was pretty miserable and had turned back twice before settling in for the long ski. The first three hours were REALLY cold (0 to -10) but the day warmed up really nicely and it was in the high 20's by the time we finished.Indian Pass was

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1142274751420906112006-03-13T09:25:00.000-09:002006-03-13T09:32:31.423-09:00

While the rest of the country is obsessing with brackets, up here in Anchorage, March means longer days with plenty of good snow still left in the backcountry. (Acknowledged, there are many b-ball fans here too).We are only halfway through March and already my body is screaming for rest. Starting with the Tour of Anchorage two weekends ago, we have been taking advantage of the great snow and

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1141713587817773612006-03-06T21:25:00.000-09:002006-03-13T09:24:47.320-09:00

Sunday was the big day. The Tour of Anchorage. Andrea did the 40K and I did the 50K. Both of us were really nervous before the start as neither had raced this distance before (Actually, Andrea just started skate skiing in November). But we concentrated on taking it easy and staying hydrated. I have never skiied the Spencer Loop so slowly but I was following a Tour veteran (Peter Van Tuyn) and I

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1141330191888492152006-03-02T10:35:00.000-09:002006-03-07T20:52:06.753-09:00

The alarm went off at 4:45, we packed food and beer together and headed to the Anchorage Train Depot for the Nordic Ski Association of Anchorage's annual Grandview Ski Train.The ski train takes skiers and snowboarders to Grandview Pass, one pass over from Turnagain pass. There is no other access to the pass besides a long snowmachine ride so its as close to wilderness as you can get with 500

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1140740969943198682006-02-23T15:25:00.000-09:002006-03-07T20:52:29.266-09:00

Chester, Duffy, and I headed up to Sunburst on President's Day. The Sven Johansson ski race was cancelled the day before so Chester and I had energy to burn on the track up. The conditions were great: the same soft layer of snow over crust we had encountered on Tincan on Saturday. The snow was extremely stable; we dug a pit at around 2900' on a SW aspect and could not get the shovel test to fail

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1140319611934888582006-02-18T18:24:00.000-09:002006-02-21T09:44:58.426-09:00

I kept the GPS on for a ski tour of Tincan today, then downloaded the data to GPS Trackmaker, which allows you to see the route in Google Earth. Here is the result of one "lap" on Tincan. Pretty cool! The snow above 2000' or so was absolutely excellent: 5-6" of fluffy light snow on top of a firm crust - really fast!

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1139872343079881512006-02-13T14:07:00.000-09:002006-02-13T14:12:23.086-09:00

One of the pictures from our December avalanche class is featured on the opening page of this month's Aspect Journal! Check it out.Lines to ski, stories to tell.

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1139514299951729972006-02-09T10:30:00.000-09:002006-02-09T11:43:25.063-09:00

ADN is reporting today that a snowshoer was killed in Boy Scout Gully on Flattop Mountain here in Anchorage.Flattop is one of the most frequently climbed peaks in Alaska and affords easy access to great views and good excercise. Unfortunately, it is also in the foothills of the Chugach, which are notorious for dangerous avalanche conditions in low snow years such as this one. Flattop has seen its

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1139272254814464542006-02-06T14:32:00.000-09:002006-02-06T16:37:01.530-09:00

After three weekends in the backcountry, it was nice to do some lift-serviced skiing again. Andrea and I spent the morning at Alyeska with Daniel and Jon. After so much time in untracked, low-angle snow, it was nice to get some steeps again but the tracks! Ugh, you really get spoiled in the backcountry. Actually, probably the best runs of the day were on the piste -- the groomers laid out some

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1138593435365146572006-01-29T18:24:00.000-09:002006-01-29T19:20:48.136-09:00

Today was our first day on our new (to us) backcountry skis. (We both found great used skis on the Anchorage craigslist site - www.craigslist.com). We decided to try them out on the Middle Fork trail which starts at the Prospect Heights parking lot, loops up toward Willowa lakes around to Glen Alps, and then back down the Powerline trail. It was cold, but clear (see the sun shining in the

Andrea Delgadillo Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09404124203678564987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1138404154372202532006-01-27T14:16:00.000-09:002006-01-30T11:18:49.413-09:00

It is with a sad heart we say goodbye to one of our favorite backcountry partners, Hillary Prugh, who is leaving Alaska this Saturday night for Bozeman, Montana to begin her career as a real-live lawyer.Our first backcountry excursions this season to Hatcher's Pass were with Hillary and Andrea and I took the Avy. 1 class earlier this winter with her. In such a short time, we packed in alot of

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1138337960406233572006-01-26T19:52:00.000-09:002006-01-27T09:13:04.076-09:00

We had a rare treat two weeks ago - a clear January day at Turnagain. Andrea, Rich, and I (and four dogs) did three runs down Tincan in knee-deep fluff. We weren't the first ones on the mountain but there was plenty of untracked if you looked for it and the sun felt SO GOOD. We met up with Hillary, Chester, and Brian for our final run down through the trees.Last weekend, we returned to the same

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18414635.post-1137961286632330292006-01-22T11:18:00.000-09:002006-01-22T11:21:26.640-09:00

A picture from our ski with Larry, Sandra, and Teeny last weekend - did the Spencer Loop and the Tour of Anchorage trail to the Lagoon. The total ski was about 3 hours, the TOA is getting close! 

Aaron Ostrovskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05228892317392198307noreply@blogger.com0