Hutlinana

Yesterday, I had the chance to catch up with my friend Kyle on a 12 mile round-trip hike into Hutlinana hotsprings. Apart from the 3 hour drive on icy roads to get there, it was a beautiful day - warm enough to not need hat or gloves, and only a few inches of snow so we just hiked in with running shoes. The hot spring was well worth the trip, tucked in against the small cliff on the left side of the river.



The dogs had fun. Here's Yugi (living with us for four months) and Turtle. We were in prime squirrel country - their favorite!



The sunset on the way home was superb.

Winter's Transition

Fall was still hanging in the air a few short weeks ago. We took advantage of the cool weather to observe the fall colors one last time before the snow turned the world white. This is at Kesugi Ridge between Fairbanks and Anchorage.



When the snow finally hit, it was cause for celebration. Time for skiing and snow angels again.



The early season skiing is great. Lots of glide and warm temperatures.