CSP

Chugach State Park has some great skiing right now. There is a lot to be said for skiing from home. But, as good as it is, it was sad to see all of the trees down from that freak storm about 6 weeks ago.

My favorite trail had sections impenetrable with tangled log jams you expect on Alaskan rivers. Mature spruce were blown over with massive root platforms on edge. Mature birch were snapped at every imaginable place, from just above the ground, to high up in the canopy. The number of downed trees is many, many times more than I've observed in 15 years of skiing this area.
This is sadly common, the underside of a massive spruce tree uprooted by the wind. The tree had been apparently quite healthy. The ground was pretty wet when the wind burst occurred and this one along with many others just toppled over.
So many downed trees block the trail, a new route may be easier than clearing them all.

Home is where the heart is.