So I went a little nuts with the pictures... I think it is the sunshine. sunshine = picture taking apparently!
Since my return to my place of birth I have been totally coveting the sunshine and the warmth that comes with it... Sitka sun doesn't necessarily mean warmth. Here in York the two go hand in hand.
Somethings have happened to mean which haven't happened to me in a long time...
Sweat, what is that? Being overheated? Who knew... and this was my whole life up until 2 years ago! In Sitka right now, whales and snow. Here, heat and flowers.
I also realized why I don't take more pictures in AK, my hands. I never want to take off my gloves. Here I don't ever need to put them on. In AK I have many different types of gloves: biking gloves, winter biking gloves, fingerless gloves, everyday gloves, thicker fleece gloves, on-the-mountain mittens, electronic battery operated gloves that my boss gave me (yes they have a battery pack). Before Alaska, I think I had a fancy pair of leather gloves that my mom gave me for all my formal events, some running gloves that my friend Sarah gave me, a pair of snowboarding gloves, a nice pair of bike gloves for both summer and winter, oh and 2 pairs of knitted hippie gloves I don't know where those came from. So maybe I have always had gloves, I do have cold hands, but it is nice have a break from the gloves and run barefoot out in the green grass and eat dripping ice cream cones!
Leaving the freshly fallen snow and fluffy mountains and the sunny weather snowboarding and the awesome adventure partners over my precious spring break wasn't easy, but it didn't take long to realize that ALASKA, although I hate to tell myself, doesn't have it all. Here is the position that I found myself for quite sometime today. At one point I hear laughter from the back porch and find my mom snapping photos of her daughter on a chilly day in SC, 70 degrees, laying out in her bikini! I would have shared the first picture she took but I blended in with the white building behind me. I had to come in after about 1 1/2 hours because I found myself overheated. My grandpa Rudd found it hysterical at one point to come and pour some cold water on me. Although I acted angry and gave him some grief it actually felt delightful. And I would have laid out in the soft green grass but my dad booted me to the patio because he said he would be mowing the yard. Not the case however, he became a little side tracked, typical, instead he positioned in front of our TV watching the NCAA tournament, very distractable that one.
At this rate I might be returning to not so sunny Sitka with something rarely seen... a sun tan!
It hasn't happened yet, I have a long way to go, but I am hopeful and the sun is still shining!
My girls, (from the right) Brandy, Heather, Me, Stacy, Nicole, Maria, and Elise (also a leader).
Us again!
The leaders...
The leaders again!
For the past 3 months I have become a part of an active member of an organization called Young Life. I was hesitant to join my first year in Sitka for numerous reasons, but now that I have begun there is no going back, I am obsessed. Basically you join to love kids and then in return they love you back. This weekend Young Life took a group of high school students from Mnt. Edgecombe and Sitka High to Juneau to enjoy a weekend of snowboarding, climbing, singing, dancing, bowling, playing, and most importantly, laughing! Juneau was no Sitka, my treasure town, but it was delightful to be in the company of amazing high school kids and sitting on a chair lift, I had almost forgot about this luxury!
Thomas and Aaron on the top of Bear Mnt. about to switch out their snowshoes for their snowboard (much quicker) and head back to the trees. Gorgeous day, sunny and beautiful, not a cloud in the sky as far as the eye could see.
Chloe emerging from the tent after a 10 hours, not so restful nights sleep.
The beginning, here is the gang about to hit the trail.
You can only handle so much salty almonds and dried mangoes. Here is some trail food I whipped up before heading up the mountain, it is always important to have something yummy to look forward to.
So this weekend I was able to spend a little more time than usual in the free air. Thomas, Aaron, Chloe and Chloe's sweet pup took an overnight snowboarding trip up Bear mountain.
Here is a list of things that I packed: snowboard, snowshoes, cramp-ons, icebreakers, ice-ax, base layer, fleece, wool sweater, down booties, tent poles, cook stove, fuel, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, gatters, and other necessary enmities such as water and food, no I could not put my pack on without help. Total elevation gained: nearly 4000 ft. We were slow going but going. We even took a video of us snowboarding off the top. Here are some pictures that tell the tale better than I could with words. And if you notice I am not in any of the pictures. I, for once, took the pictures. And for you bird lovers out there I am trying to become more knowledgeable of birds, but on this trip I did not see or hear even one! So bizarre...
A basic veggi-licious stir fry being enjoyed with friends... no none of these veggis were local, but maybe this summer if Emily and I have more success with our garden... we are going to be a little more basic this year. 
Sourdough bread, this is something that I have just dipped my fingers into... delicious, and easy. I used to bake cookies, now I still bake cookies, but I bread is climbing the charts.
This yummy recipe my mother gave because she knows my love of sweet potatoes, sweet potato chili... mmmm I can taste it now (on a homemade chopping block table made by my buddy TJ for my birthday last year, isn't it beautiful?)
Food, something designed for pleasure in a world of hurry up and go. Here in Sitka eating isn't rushed. I love that about this town, people cook and enjoy meals together all the time. One of my my roommate Em and I when we aren't busy climbing mountains can often times be found doing our other favorite thing: cooking together, and then of coarse, eating. We make beautiful, when I say beautiful I mean delicious meals all the time. I have been trying to capture some of my creations on camera so perhaps they will inspire others to to take time to stop, relax and enjoy good food with good friends...
" Look at those big boulders, they appear to be coming towards us. " - Aaron Routon
Well those big boulders were coming towards us but they weren't boulders...
This past weekend Aaron, Thomas, and I decided to take a trip up Bear Mnt. to do some boarding. I've been up Bear Mnt. several times but this is a first for boarding. Bear Mnt. is a 4,200 ft. mnt. and is much more difficult to reach than my typical snowboarding mountain, Verstovia which sits at about 2,700 ft. However due to the ideal conditions we decided to make the trek. Four hours into our hike we had an interesting turn of events. Our ultimate goal was the summit, which if reached would of allowed us a sweet 2,000 ft. drop in fluffy alpine powder, however the dreams of the summit was thwarted after Thomas realized that those boulders that happened to be moving towards us looked an awful lot like bears! We changed our coarse of action. The summit wouldn't be attained today anyway. Instead we were forced to board only the lower half of the mountain, allowing for a 1,000 ft. drop, still pretty sweet. I have a video that Aaron took of one of the runs and I will try to post it soon. We will be going back. I love winter, even if bears are out of there den, Weird!
Also, if you are at all interested in looking at the video Aaron took of the snowboarding experience it is well worth checking out, my computer is much too slow to upload it but here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-jddJOY50k&feature=channel_page
Here I am with a map and compass shooting a line across the glacier.
Crossing one of the ridge lines in the fog and mist.
Here we are hurrying to take a picture during a 5 minute, period where the clouds have broken.
The journey has ended we are about to hop on The Beaver, leave Baranof Warm Springs and return to Sitka.
Here is just a shot of an assent. This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip, it captures the journey well.
So I am an island dweller. Now you probably wouldn't compare this island to Maui or Jamaica, but it is an island none the less and in my humble opinion it much more delightful than the tropics. And this summer I was lucky enough actually to hike across the island. It was a coveted trip, more delightful than I could have ever imagined, even with the weather worse than typical. This means even though I was hiking across long gorgeous ridge lines and beside glacier lakes all I saw was a gray fog. I had to make those mental images of nature and its beauty in my mind.
However thanks to a friend of mine, Marty Manes who recorded his trip, made a video and posted it on teacher tube I can forever remember the experience and share it with others. He also had better luck with the weather. Marty no longer lives here in Sitka unfortunately because he was a great part of the community here. But he is still off doing wonderful things, this fall he and his wife moved to Arctic Village:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Village,_AK
So if you have 5 minutes and would like to see the island I call home I would recommend you watch this video:
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=bd4ab51e9b50ff0a1a88
So I went a little nuts with the pictures... I think it is the sunshine. sunshine = picture taking apparently!
