...Sheep Mountain Lodge

The track of our drive from Nikiski to Sheep Mountain Lodge.

The tracks of a couple of our ski outings.

The sign near the highway.

Mrs. Huffy and Emily near the main lodge building.

Mrs. Huffy poses during a ski outing.

Laura skis through the surrounding mountains.

The Hufford girls ski the trails.

Mrs. Huffy and Emily on the front deck of our cabin.

Monopoly tournaments were played for several hours each evening.

Mrs. Huffy and Laura skiing the Serpentine Trail.

Mrs. Huffy used her headlamp to ski at night.

Emily enjoys some reading time before going to bed.

This past summer as we drove out of Alaska on our big trip we passed Sheep Mountain Lodge.  We made a note of it and decided to return during the Holiday break to take in the beauty of the area and do some skiing on their 20 kilometers of groomed trails.  It was a great decision.

Sheep Mountain Lodge is semi-remote.  You can drive to it but it's a long way from much of anything, which makes it compelling.  The lodge itself was built in 1946 and is a classic example of an Alaskan roadhouse.  The cabin we stayed in is newly built and has all the amenities of home.   We cooked and ate all our meals using the fully stocked cabin kitchen and dining area.  Cell phone service is iffy, but the main lodge has wireless internet which we didn't feel the need to use.  In fact, it was nice to be away from cell phones and internet for a while.  It was even better to be away from television.

We spent the days skiing and using the hot tub.  Then, after dinner, we would conduct some serious Monopoly tournaments.  Emily would generally buy every property she landed on and we would all think she was about to go bankrupt.  About that time she would mortgage said properties, pass go, collect $200, buy houses and hotels, and ultimately wipe us out with exorbitant rents on places she owned...like Boardwalk.  Yes, it was humbling.  Never underestimate the financial wizardry of a 4th grader.

So, it really was very perfect.  Remoteness, skiing, Monopoly, food, the Hufford girls.  Things couldn't have been better.  All at a beautiful place known as...Sheep Mountain Lodge.

...Global Fatbike Day

THE ROUTE:  Start at Stormy Lake boat ramp/ride across Stormy Lake to swim beach/push bike up to Kenai Spur Highway/ride highway back to Stormy Lake boat ramp.

About to ride across Stormy Lake.  (photo courtesy of Mrs. Huffy)

Mrs. Huffy was on her skis for part of the adventure.

The fatbike takes a break while crossing stormy Lake.

Pedaling across Stormy Lake.  (photo courtesy of Mrs. Huffy)

The official declaration.

When I heard there was going to be an official Global Fatbike Day, I knew I would have to come up with plans for a unique adventure.  Since one of my favorite nearby outdoor places is Stormy Lake, I quickly hatched the idea of riding a loop which included: crossing the lake/riding up the road that goes to the swim beach/then pedaling back down the Kenai Spur Highway to the boat ramp.

The weather was beautiful, albeit cold, when I started across the ice.  It really didn't take long (about 40 minutes) before I was at the swim beach stairs where I shouldered the fatbike and carried it up to the parking lot.  I tried riding up the road but the snow was too deep so I pushed the bike to the highway.  From there it was a pleasant cruise to the boat ramp.

And, that was it.  Mrs. Huffy and I loaded our gear back into the truck and drove home.  On our way we were already making plans for the next...Global Fatbike Day.

Skilak Lake Fatbike/Kayak Combo

LOGISTICS:  Leave kayak at Lower Skilak, drive to Upper Skilak, ride fatbike back to Lower Skilak, transfer from fatbike to kayak, paddle to Upper Skilak, load kayak on truck, drive back to Lower Skilak, pick up fatbike, drive home.

DISTANCE:  14.3 miles

TIME:  3:05 hours

Fatbike at the Upper Skilak Lake campground sign.

The frosty view at Engineer Lake Overlook.

Fatbike at the Lower Skilak Lake Campground sign.

Paddling across a nice and calm Skilak Lake.

A self-portrait, or 'selfie,' as I have heard them called.  As you can see, I stayed very close to the shore since I was by myself.

Frost and ice form on the bow of the kayak.  It was 22 degrees.  Chilly.

At the finish line.

I have wanted to do this particular loop for a long time.  The weather forecast looked good, so I woke up at a wee hour in the morning made the drive out to Lower Skilak Campground.  That's where I stashed the kayak before driving to Upper Skilak Campground where I parked the truck, unloaded the fatbike and hit the gravel.

The riding was easy, albeit cold, and I enjoyed cruising down the road.  After about an hour-and-fifteen-minutes I was back at the kayak. The fatbike and kayak traded places and I was soon paddling across a flat calm Skilak Lake.  I stayed close to shore and saw numerous eagles, ravens, and waterfowl.  It seemed like I had the entire lake to myself as I didn't see any other watercraft or people along the shore.  I wasn't in any hurry so I would paddle twenty strokes and let the kayak drift until it stopped making forward progress.  I spent a lot of time just looking around but still made the six miles between the campgrounds in under two hours.

When I got to the boat ramp at Upper Skilak Lake campground I saved the tracks from my trip on the GPS and loaded everything up before driving back to Lower Skilak to pick up the fatbike.  Clouds were moving in and a breeze was beginning to create ripples on the surface of the lake. 

At Lower Skilak Campground I picked up the fatbike and visited with some birdwatchers that I know.  They were participating in an event called The Big Sit.  It's a nationwide event where participants stake out a 17 foot diameter circle and count all the species of birds they see or hear in a 24 hour period.  They had 23 species when I talked with them at noon.  They were hoping to get about 10 more and planned to stay until 8:00 PM.  It was kind of neat to see all the spotting scopes and binoculars they were using.  High powered birders for sure.

I wished I could have stayed longer, but Laura's volleyball team had a big game and I had to hit the road in order to make it back in time to watch her play.  I was a little late but got there in time to see most of the games.  After spending the rest of the afternoon at the Nikiski High School gym I went home and unloaded the truck. 

The weather was changing.  It was cloudy and windy.  Just a few hours later it would be snowing.  Kayaking might be over for the season, which made me glad that earlier in the day I had done the...Skilak Lake fatbike/kayak combo.

...Slaughter Gulch Hike

THE ROUTE:  Trailhead behind Wildman's.  Up steep trail to gulch.  Back down.

DISTANCE:  ~3.2 miles RT

TERRAIN:  Steep. Sections of loose rocks and dirt.  Slippery when wet.

The Hufford girls at the start of the hike.

Laura and waterfall near the start of the hike.

Between the seasons.  Yellow leaves on the trees.  Snow on the ground.

Emily and Laura with Cooper Landing and the Kenai River far below.

At the top.

The Hufford girls begin the descent.  Kenai Lake is in the background.

September has not been a great month for hiking.  Between perpetual typhoons, volleyball games, and other obligations, there has been precious little time to get outside.  So, when Mrs. Huffy and I discovered that the Sunday afternoon forecast was predicted to be favorable (read: dry), and we had some hours to spare, we decided to squeeze in a hike on the last day of the month.  We loaded the truck with backpacks, boots, a pup, one 10-year-old, a teenager, and a full tank of gas (not cheap).  Then we barreled toward Cooper Landing and the trailhead at Slaughter Gulch.  Departing the trailhead at 1:30 PM, we took our time and made our way to the top taking lots of photos as we went.

The higher we climbed the sunnier it became and we enjoyed full on sunshine just as we crested the top of the trail.  We looked in earnest for a geocache that was supposed to be there, but gave up after 30 or so minutes of searching because we couldn't find it. 

Back down we went encountering the only other hikers of the day as we descended.  They had pristinely clean hiking gear and airline name tags attached to their day packs.  One of them seemed to be enjoying the hike immensely while the other did not speak, smile, or make eye contact.  I hope they made it to the top.  The views from up there would have made it all worthwhile.

When we got back to the truck we loaded everything up and drove toward the Golden International restaurant in Sterling.  We ate sizzling chicken and broccoli in oyster sauce as we relived the adventure of our...Slaughter Gulch hike.

...BISHOP2SWANSON FATBIKE AND A HIKE UP SKYLINE

THE ROUTE:  Bishop Creek parking area to the Swanson River.
DISTANCE:  ~5 miles RT.
TERRAIN:  Cook Inlet Beach packed sand, several rock gardens.

The view from the handlebars as I followed four wheeler tracks through some beach grass.

Fatbike in front of a rock along the edge of Cook Inlet.

The Swanson River.

I saw these messages flashing on a sign near the construction zone on Halbouty Road.

After the fatbike ride we took Laura and some of her friends for a hike up Skyline Trail.

Look closely and you can see four teenagers hiking down the ridge after reaching the summit of Skyline Trail.  I would have been there, too, but they can move up a mountain much faster than me. 

Congratulatory pizza after a successful hike.

It's a quick ride from Bishop Creek along the beach to the Swanson River in Capt. Cook State Park.  In fact, it only takes about 50 minutes to go there and back.  Good thing, because I didn't have much time for the ride before I had to be at home to transport Laura and some of her friends to the Skyline Trailhead for an afternoon hike.  Afterward we went out for pizza, too.

So, the day was good.  Filled with bike riding, hiking, listening to the banter of some bright kids on the way to a trailhead, and pizza.  Doesn't get much better.

...Homer Spit Fatbike Tour

The GPS track of an early morning ride.  Cycled ~20 miles.

Ready to ride at 4:00 AM.  Had to leave early in order to be back in time for Laura's volleyball game which started at 9:00 AM.

Early morning visit to the Homer Small Boat Harbor.

Fatbike going up the ramp.

Fatbike and a wooden halibut.

Floatplane on Beluga Lake.

Eagle on a light pole.

Catch-of-the-day.

Riding the beach near Homer.