Up at 8 am for tea and journaling and it is STILL snowing outside, I made G breakfast then geared up for some cross country skiing. I re-traced my route of yesterday through town and Moose Meadows. I decided not to ski the 5K nordic loop as it most likely involved uphills so I did the upper meadow loop and came upon the Cat Track headed out to Winner Creek. I talked to a lady being towed by her dog, she did not know where it went but I was pretty sure it would take us to Winner Creek so I skied it until it did, crossing the creek well upstream of the gorge. Then it ws back to the Blue Trail and the resort and the bike path to home.

Gaelen was still at home not feeling well, he had a headache that hurt when he moved hs eyes plus he was wiped from 2 days of riding in deep heavy powder. I showered, ate breakfast then binged watched 2 episodes of Star Trek Picard on my phone as the resort was on a delayed opening because of heavy snow and high winds.. 7 of 9 appeared in both episodes.

The Mountain now open I went skiing, riding Chair 4 from top to bottom for an hour in heavy falling snow. G spent the day in bed and let me use his goggles which made skiing possible.

I came home at 4 pm and prepared left over burritos and potatoes for dinner, watched an episode of The Crown and then walked back up to the mountain for night skiing.

I took my phone for pictures and listened to the AK1992 playlist as I cruised from Chair 4 to the bottom stopping often to admire the views. It was sunset over the Turnagain Arm and Max’s and the headwall were visible in the fading light. When my legs had had enough I did laps on Chair 3 where I could open up and carve big fat lines to the bottom @ full speed. It was the most fun skiing I have had in awhile. I stayed till last chair at 8pm and then walked home.

G was still in bed and I changed and drank the stout I bought Tuesday at the Merc and walked to Chair 5, a restaurant/bar in the Girdwood townsite to listen to some music.I worked here briefly in 1994 but I never really hung out here when I lived in Girdwood, It looked the same but was pretty empty. I sat in a darkened corner and asked a server if Steve Norwood was working and the sound-guy turned around and it was Stevie. Who knew his hair short would be so curly? It took him a second to realize who I was and then asked if I was up to visit Ben because he heard that his cabin had burned down.

Stevie and I caught up for a bit and he bought me a Guinness when I emerged from the dark alcove and took a stool facing the music. He introduced me to the musician, Seth, who told me he had played in Burlington in October. Seth was technically awesome looping parts and soloing over them but he was missing some passion or something. No one really came in until after 11 pm. I recognized the girl who sat across from me and it was Shannon who is on the Photon Talkeetna Poster that is the album art for the Photon song on my AK 1992 playlist.

I was beat the scene was not so fun so I left after a few songs and recognized Opie on the way out as he was coming in but didn’t remember his name until Tami clued me in several nights later. Shannon and Opie are the only two people, well 3 if you count Darren Mattingly’s wife Sarah??? who I saw at the Merc on Tuesday, that I have recognized around town from my former life here. The walk back to the house was the shortest walk I have ever made in winter from a bar to home in Girdwood. Usually I would have been hoofing a mile up Crow Creek Rd or back to Virgin Creek. I did live pretty close in 1995 with Katrina but the Animal house is closer!

Woke up early again Saturday before G and went out for a short ski in Moose Meadows. It was snowing lightly and the mountains over the Turnagain Arm were visible for the first time on my morning skis.

There were also other skiers out in the meadow as well as a bunch of dog walkers. I did one lap around the meadow and then came back home and showered.

Gaelen was up and feeling better and we then walked up to the mountain for breakfast at the Bake Shop. New owner, smaller chalkboard outside, higher prices, no Dano behind the register 🙁 and they now take credit cards. I was astounded to see D.C. behind the line cooking. !5 years since I last worked here and he is still here. He’s filled out and looks like a linebacker and is covered with tattoos. I said hello to him when I picked up my sweet roll and he recognized me. Gaelen and I both got pancakes and split the sweet roll. I didn’t recognize anyone else there and the kids working look like they would have been infants when I last worked here in 2005.

After breakfast we contemplated riding the shuttle around town but it was colder out than it has been and we are both not feeling 100% so we took advantage of our house and stayed in all afternoon and watched the Irishman on Netflix while G did homework and watched stock videos on You Tube. We are not skiing today because tomorrow is forecast to be blue sky and sunny and we want to be on top for that to see all the mountains in all their winter glory.

At 4:30pm we went out for a walk up to Virgin Creek Falls (my 3rd X there this trip) . The trail was super packed down, it seems it gets lots of traffic and must be very popular, but no one had followed my tracks across the creek to the shrine grotto. We took in the beauty of the spot for awhile and then walked over to Tami’s for Chili dinner with cheese, onions and toast.

Tami filled us in on her life, gave me some updates on G’wood friends we have in common; Gabe’s brother Abe is dead, Christy left Andy Heinlen and he lives with Mason here in G’wood. She also told me she spent a winter in the Kalalau Valley 6 years ago and went there with the guy who fell/slipped/jumped off the trail 4 years ago when Susanna was there.

As we were leaving she gave us fingerless mittens she has made to give to Ambiana and Jakobi and some note cards she had drawn. We left before 8pm and were in bed by 10pm after another silly Netflix movie. Colleen and Ambiana and Jakobi are in Chicago and I got texts and phots from them throughout the day. I am ready to go home. This trip has closed a circle for me.

G’wood has become in Tami’s words: Greedwood, yuppie families in big fancy homes driving big fancy SUV’s now dominate. I did not see my tribe here at all. The Girdwood I know (and sometimes long for) exists only in my memory and in the forests and mountains that surround the town.

In many ways this has been a solitary trip. Gaelen snowboards while I ski in the meadow and wander the streets alone with my thoughts. We have shared the house and the walks to Virgin Creek and time on the lifts and I am glad we made this trip together but I know it is a very different trip for me then it is for him me having spent 13 years of my life here.