Fall into Winter

Now the sun doesn't rise until after 10 am, and it sets around 3 pm. The long dark of midwinter is eased by the brightness of the snow, and by the stash of watercolor paper and art supplies in my cabin! I wanted to start with a throwback to fall, which was not so long ago, and the quick transition into winter. We have had unseasonably warm weather this year, and so the snowless November is atypical. We even had rain a couple of days ago - rain in December! I guess any kind of weather can happen suddenly in an interior, continental climate.

The two images below are inspired from hiking on the Cranberry Trail above the Goldstream valley in early November. 

This is moonrise behind Tolovana dome, in the cold and creepy black spruce bog, during late November.

Kestrel wing and river driftwood

Full moon: a boon for a lynx is a bane for hares

Tolovana Hot Springs

The hot springs are an 11 mile hike from the Elliot Highway, north of Fairbanks. It is a difficult hike due to the large amount of elevation change, the typically cold and windy weather conditions, and the distance, but at the end lies a warm cabin and hot springs! In the image below, the trail goes down this hill and across the bog flats before climbing over the dome on the right. Descending the other side of that dome will take you to the valley where the hot springs are. We started snowshoeing at about 2 pm on Saturday. Luckily, there was little wind and the temps were relatively warm (-10F).

A recent ice storm transformed the birch forest into chandeliers!

When we had a long downhill, we tried to sled. Based on milepost markers, our longest continuous sled was well over a mile!

Looking towards Tolovana Dome while walking through the black spruce bog. These trees were dead because they were burned in a fire.

The last few sunset streaks in the sky as we approached the other side of the bog, preparing to ascend the dome. It was COLD down in the low spots! After this point we were hiking for about 2 hours at night, but the full moon rose just as the sun set, so we had plenty of illumination along the way!

Our cabin at the hot springs was surrounded by a snowy fog Sunday morning.

One of the three hot tubs along the creek. Which was basically a big wooden box. Awesome.

The most difficult part of the trip was just extracting yourself from the hot tub and then being conscious enough to hike back out! We made sure to fill up the thermoses with hot tea to ease the return trip. It was much colder the day we hiked back, though I got well frosted hiking up the dome! Now I'm cryptic with the alder.

Approaching the top of the dome

The evening light transformed the world into black and white!

Extreme Ecology: Winter Fieldwork

Our lab is embarking on a group project to sample stream water throughout the winter, hoping to detect changes in water chemistry and carbon bioavailability.  This is what our field site looked like after the first big snowstorm of the year - return of the spruce pipe cleaners! 

We are equipped with an ice auger, but didn't need it to access any of the streams. Where the flow is fast and the channel is deep, the ice can remain thin even in really cold temperatures.

Driving a snow machine is sort of like driving a boat: you need to anticipate turns long before they happen! Often, you need to lean in to the turns to give the machine track enough contact with the snow. And you've got to have really big mitts to keep your hands from freezing!  

Edge ice

Sampling Poker Creek!

Sampling the Chatanika

Return of the Ice

On top of Murphy Dome, the hoarfrost was super-thick!

Banners of ice on the alders 

Octopus arms!!

Snow dredlocks

Serpentine grasses

Sunset

I hope this is legible. Based on true events. Amani refused to leave his cage, inexplicably, for more than three weeks. But after we had a party at our house last week, he has suddenly become his normal sociable self and is rediscovering the cabin. Unfortunately, this meant rediscovering some of the house plants.

We also went hiking on Mt. Healy. The trail was difficult because of ice and windblown snowdrifts. In fact, the winds were so strong that both Dash and I were blown off our feet while descending. Before that point, it was fun to hop and feel the wind carry you!

The route, steep and slippery

The proper peak is the high blocky point in the center 

Now that it's dark so much of the day, headlamp etiquette becomes of paramount importance.

The Best of the Bun: Amani

Amani has the ability to melt into the carpet.  

As time passes Amani has become less shy about splaying out in his cage. Letting all his fur hang out. Or maybe that's just what happens when you get older. I feel like he needs something softer than chips... but he might eat it. 

The very last leaves out near Chena Hot Springs road. A cloud bank was sitting on top of the ridge in the distance.

Birch forest in the afternoon light: 5 pm

This past weekend I needed snow. Desperately. So I went hiking on the Pinnell trail off the Steese Highway

Fox tracks in the snow

Looking back from the top of Table Mountain 

I drew this several days before the hike, and had forgotten about it actually, when I decided to pretend to be Mega Man (inspired from a halloween costume, if you are wondering). The resemblance between the images is uncanny!

Past the Equinox on the fast track to winter

The first snow fell in Fairbanks the second week of September, before the trees had lost their leaves! It was a little strange to have a gold canopy and white ground.

The Equinox marathon was a week away, and I began to wonder if the cold and snow would become a major hindrance towards my race performance. Luckily, the morning of the race was cold but absolutely clear, and the only snow was on the Ester Dome trails.

 

The race course is almost entirely on trails and occurs on the fall equinox, when the birch are at their peak color. I couldn't have asked for a more scenic run! Or a steeper one...

The Tanana River valley spreads out in front of the Alaska Range, seen from the top of Ester Dome. 

Denali was clearly visible to the south-west.

A view of nearby Murphy Dome (it has a funny white satellite tower on top) 

In the days following the race, I felt like I should have given more effort, pushed myself just a little bit harder, maybe to have finished faster. When I looked back at the picture of myself grimacing 100 meters from the finish, I can see why I didn't want to give any more. 

In other news... fall rains have brought mushrooms! Some are good to eat - these are probably not.

I tried my hand at sewing a mitten to line with rabbit fur from my bunnies, and the first one has been completed! I still need to make one more to have a pair though. There just isn't much time to dedicate to sewing.

What did I do this weekend? Draw, play with bunnies, read scientific literature, hike, and bake LOTS of bread. The best way to spend a weekend.

Cross-section of a black spruce burn, ink and watercolor

Carmen the rabbit was very confused when presented with bubble wrap - I thought that there was so much potential for entertainment there.

Saturday I hiked the Angel Rocks - Chena Hot Springs loop. You first park a car at the end, Chena Hot Springs, then bike ~ 6 miles to the Angel Rocks trailhead, stash your bike, and then hike 8.7 miles back to the hot springs. We found some trees that looked like they were meant to recline in.

Crazy black spruce