We spent a weekend with several other friends at a small cabin on Eklutna Lake. We skied and snowshoed the three miles in to the cabin and played games, ate, drank, and had a great time.
At the beginning of March, Rick and Bobbie came up for a short visit. It was great to spend time with them, even if it was a quick trip. We all watched the ceremonial start of the Iditarod in Anchorage. The main reason for their visit, however, was the Tour of Anchorage ski race. This year we didn't have enough snow to do the entire 25k and 50k of both races, so they were shortened to a 19k and a 26k. Bobbie did awesome, winning her age group, and Nate got 9th in his age group. Both of us had a great time and plan to do it again next year!
Both Rick and Bobbie helped us with some of the finishing touches of moving in to our new home. Yep, that's right, we bought a townhouse! No more renting! It is a 2 bed, 1.5 bath, 1200 sq ft, with a heated garage (vital) and a fenced yard for Sanuk. It is very close to a bike path that Nate can take all the way to work, and Jennah has an easy 10 minute commute. Here are a few pictures, but the best way to see it is to come visit. We have a guest room!
Also in March, Jennah visited her best friend, Sarah, her husband Ryan, and their new baby Elise in Arizona. She enjoyed the warm weather and catching up with good friends. We also cheered on our friend Justin as he did a 25k classic ski race in Talkeetna, called the Oosik Classic, in celebration of his 30th birthday. It was a lot of fun and we all plan to partake next year. We also had a chance to see some of the best skiers in the world at the XC Ski National Championships. Also in March, we made a trip to Portage Glacier where we skied or biked across the lake to the glacier and had a picnic in the sun.
Just yesterday, Jennah took part in her first race in two years. She anchored a relay that included alpine skiing, nordic skiing, and snow biking. She did an awesome job and most importantly, everyone had a lot of fun!
Many of the things we get to do and see are uniquely Alaskan. Despite living in a city of 300,000 people, we can get really close to some magnificent wildlife. We've had moose eating plants right outside our porch and Nate encountered this lynx on one of the city ski trails.
Today the snow is melting fast as the days are long (sunrise: 7am, sunset: 9pm) and getting warm. We are starting to accept the fact that the ski season is nearing its end, but we are looking forward to a fun summer full of adventure, family, and friends. In the next six months we hope to stay busy with numerous weekend get-a-ways and some longer trips. We have planned a kayak trip to Prince William Sound, a bike/ferry tour of Southeast Alaska, a few remote cabin excursions, and an adventure-packed visit from Jennah's family in July! Stay tuned for more updates from our third (wow, already?!) summer in AK!
