Hatcher Pass, day 1

Feb 19, 2012:

I’m always surprised how few complaints my body makes after a trail race.  Despite the turned ankles, sore back and hips during the race, I felt surprisingly good.  The best I have EVER felt after a 50K actually.  Apparently, snowy trails are easiest on my legs.  Noted for later.

 Matt and I wasted no time getting on with our next adventure.  It was only during a steep uphill climb that I noticed any fatigue from the previous day.  My heart-rate took off.  My lungs gasped for air.  We hiked beyond the sled hill at Hatcher Pass Lodge.  As the late afternoon sun sunk behind the mountains, we turned back.  The pass had become gray and monochromatic.

Best way to assess high avalanche danger: when the mountain makes her own snowmen. 

Snow depth at the lodge?  About 6 feet.

We returned to our tiny room above the lodge restaurant.  Barely large enough to fit a double bed and literally cut in half being at the top of an A-Frame building, it was the coziest place I have ever stayed aside from my backpacking tent.

 

Matt and I holed up in our room for the night with Monopoly and our cheesecake.  Cheesecake Monopoly, you say you’ve never heard of it!?A must try!

A wild company party was taking place in the restaurant downstairs.  Celtic fiddle music and drunken laughter filtered into our room until midnight.  I managed to beat Matt twice at Monopoly in that time.