Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15948
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
|
|
right on schedule...the first snow arrived today...no great shakes and it didnt even stick anywhere but on the peaks......but the smiles were a little bigger around town today...on whats to come soon
--------------------
|
Island Visitor
Reged: 12/19/02
Posts: 10396
Loc: Retraité
|
|
Uh oh. This was always Crazy Day in Alaska. With the first snow, we knew we would not see grass again for almost nine months and before long we would not see much daylight either. Lotta drunks on this day, lotta fellows missed work. Even some suicides.
Sounds as though it goes a little better in colorado, perhaps owing to the more congenial climate.
If you like snow, alls I can say is Ski One For Me - rhum waiting at the lodge below.
|
Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15948
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
|
|
yeah the onset of snow means two things to all of us who call this place home..... the influx of beau coup tourist cash and world class skiing...both things of which we all love to death....so to say the snow is welcomed is an understatement
--------------------
|
Dennis
Reged: 04/05/04
Posts: 3202
Loc: Chicago
|
|
"we would not see grass again for almost nine months"
Well, in Colorado during ski season, that wouldn't be a problem.................
|
Island Visitor
Reged: 12/19/02
Posts: 10396
Loc: Retraité
|
|
Quote:
"we would not see grass again for almost nine months"
Well, in Colorado during ski season, that wouldn't be a problem.................
ba da bing!
|
Island Visitor
Reged: 12/19/02
Posts: 10396
Loc: Retraité
|
|
My bias against outdoor winter sports was shaped by two rugged winters in alaska.
The brochures of colorado show Beautiful People in designer fashions sliding down pristine slopes in clear blue skies with wonderful restaurants and lodges all around before heading to the Hot Tub Party. Sounds groovy.
In alaska, the winters can be more harsh. You can go out cross country on a nice, balmy ten below day and feel quite good about things. Then the sun drops (about 3:30 or 4) and the temperature can go to 50 below in a matter of minutes. Of course there are no bears out by this time. But there are moose, some of which are slightly larger than asian elephants. Moose are stupid. They know two things: Stand and eat or charge and run over things, car, truck, person.
Mistakes in Alaska are often fatal. We had a small town eight miles from the base where a lot of people lived. And between the base and the town was nothing but road. NOTHING but road. It was not uncommon for a blizzard to blow through and whiteout the whole area. If you took blankets, hot coffee, lots of clothing, etc, you MIGHT make it until they could find you the next day. Alas, we had cases of people who froze to death halfway home on an eight mile stretch of road.
Fun is fun. And it is a beautiful state. But when the cold winds blow in off the Bering Straight, it dont play around. Be prepared or die.
|
Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15948
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
|
|
we are NOT the beautiful people in designer fashions!!!!!...the tourists are!!..we are the working slobs who are much better skiers then the beautiful people, in practical clothing, and outstanding gear that we got for half off in the summer when no tourists are around to keep prices up....LOL
but sorry to inform Florida and California and Arizona but we are`also, statistically the sunniest state in the nation......all this snow..and sunshine too....what a concept
--------------------
|
Island Visitor
Reged: 12/19/02
Posts: 10396
Loc: Retraité
|
|
Regardless, if you have nice warm weather to ski in, you know, 10 to 15 below or so, then that is one thing. Quite temperate.
I am talking about COLD weather. And Alaska has cold weather.
|
Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15948
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
|
|
yeah but I still wouldnt mind living there for a while...I used to watch Northen Exposure on TV and think...wow..I can live there easily and be happy
--------------------
|
Island Visitor
Reged: 12/19/02
Posts: 10396
Loc: Retraité
|
|
Miker: You would be Poster Boy for Alaska.
Alaska is the land of Second Chances where n'er do wells flee justice to live out their lives in a quiet drunken stupor. As such, you dont ask anyone where they are from or what their history is. It just isn't done.
At night, you walk along the beautiful streets of Anchorage, occasionally stepping over a sleeping (drunk) native who have a propensity for sleeping on the ice covered sidewalks. By day, you fur around in your parka and mucklucks.
It is a Rough And Tumble place with a man to woman ratio of 6 to 1 - and many of the women being a bit "manly" to boot. As the ladies of Alaska like to say:
"Alaska Men - The Odds Are Good. But The Goods Are Odd".
It is a place for people who dont like to bow to social convention in things such as manners, job, personal grooming, etc. If your dream is to schlepp around looking like you just drove ten thousand musk oxen across siberia in winter, it is your kind of place.
And the real peachy time of the year is in may when the 20 foot high snow drifts and ice all over the street melts over a one week period of time.
Do you folks have ANY idea how much dog poop and wee wee can be frozen into snow over a nine month period of time - or how it smells when it all thaws? If you aint never experienced it, you aint never experienced it.
Yep, Alaska, The Next St Barts.
|
Island Visitor
Reged: 12/19/02
Posts: 10396
Loc: Retraité
|
|
When you step off the sidewalk onto the street in May, the slush you step in will be cold, liquid, yellow and brown. Sure, some of that is the sand they used on the streets. But some of it isn't. You and your car are gonna stink. That is the way it is. BTW, we dont wear shoes into the house. Take those stinky things off on the artic entry, I thank you.
|
Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15948
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
|
|
LOL...you re too much....but then there is incredible salmon fishing in beautiful streams.....and I hear the skiing is way better then most people think.....and all that daylight to do thing in....hell I hardly sleep anyway so I could put all that daylight to good use......but you are not the first person to tell me I would fit right in, in Alaska....I wouldn't want to be in the city however..if I'm gonna do Alaska..I'm gonna do it in a log cabin by a stream and by a mountain....and maybe by a high school so I can coach hoops
--------------------
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
on schedule
Edit
Reply
Quote
[Re: 