A pair of sandhill cranes and their offspring animated our climbs today–all photos by Pam Laker except where noted otherwise
Cranes looking at Dermot–photo by Dermot Cole
Years ago, Bill Husby issued a challenge for the SCUM to do 4 FWW alpine hill ascents before the 4th of July. Today in the morning sunshine, there was some debate whether the 4 ascents had to be done in one day, or if they could be done over a period of time with breaks in between.
Jeff smiled during his 4 ascents today
Jeff Conn and Pam Laker ski walked 4 ascents today, unfazed by the heat and mosquitoes. Pam, who had been sick this week, was just happy to be out and breathing:
Pam and Jeff did 4 ascents today with smiles
The rest of us did 2 or 3 ascents with crane watching and stone structure building as necessary distractions.
Dan and Bill select rocks for their flat rock sculpture
Mom fading on third ascent in the heat while Dermot hauls rock uphill
Robert leading a group of SCUM
TIMBER! (Tall Timber, Robert Hannon posing on the FWW alpine hill)
Friday’s sunshine brought out equal gender representation among the SCUM
Today’s sunshine brought out two SCUM who had been MIA because of 1) side effects of cancer treatment and 2) a persistent heel injury. Although both were still suffering from their ailments, they joined us today with the understanding that they could turn back at any time. However, after ascending the Tower Direct trail and Beacon Road to the FWW alpine hill, everyone except Joanna decided to get away from the dusty road and play among the lupines on the FWW alpine hill.
Robert and Bill descend the FWW alpine hill while Sarah plays on remnant manmade snow
We took the more gradual and scenic route to the bottom of the chair lift where the mounds of remnant manmade snow was down to just two. The iron oxides from the local groundwater had been concentrated as the snow melted leaving a rusty surface for Sarah to tuck on. Once we got to the bottom of the ski hill, everyone opted to ski walk up the chairlift trail and everyone made it to the top.
Robert, Bernardo, Bill, and Jeff head up the chairlift trail for their first ascent
The “no Y” SCUM decided to do a second ascent at a leisurely pace (set by the elderly Mom) so we got a chance to encourage our male counterparts as they were well on their way to conquering their first (or second) ascent of the season.
The “no Y” SCUM on Beacon Road after their FWW workout
The sun and breeze kept the mosquitoes away from us on the FWW alpine hill but they found us once we returned to our cars in the south Birch Hill lot. However, it had been a fantastic morning and workout with friends.
A little over a week ago, huge mounds of snow remained on the Fort Wainwright alpine hill, but pasque flowers were blooming as we ski walked on the eastern snowgun trail around the island of trees to avoid the muddy sections of the chairlift trail.
Robert Hannon resting in a field of Pasque flowers on 22 May 2026
By Friday, 29 May, we were able to ski walk the chairlift trail without getting our feet wet. Today we discovered that the Sunnyside, Cliffside, and Sonot Connector trails were all dry and lupines were in full bloom on the Sunnyside.
Norma Haubenstock and lupines on Sunnyside trail on 31 May 2026
So training options are now fully open. On Tuesdays at 10 a.m., we’ll meet at the Ester Dome bike trails parking lot to ski walk up the dome with various turnaround points.
On Friday, we’ll meet at Birch Hill at 10 a.m. and head over to the FWW alpine hill and ski walk the chairlift trail in preparation for the Bill Husby challenge of 4 ascents before the 4th of July. If you don’t like doing the same trail more than once, you can take the Cliffside and Sunnyside trails back.
Be forewarned, it’s now officially summertime. You’ll need to wear bug dope as the mosquitoes are out. Right now they are still the big and slow ones, but the smaller, faster ones will soon join them. Thanks to recent rains, the birch pollen levels have decreased significantly at Birch Hill.
SCUM at biathlon this morning–all photos by Joanna Fox
It was a sunny day, four days after the last grooming at Birch Hill, but by starting at 9 a.m., the SCUM were able to ski over half of the White Bear with minimal difficulties. Our pole baskets were too small for the trails in many places, but high speed snowplowing still allowed injured SCUM to safely get down the downhills and the uphills were faster than our skills would normally dictate.
Kent, who had been injured all winter, was leading the pack.
Who needs to train? Kent Karns enjoys his 4th ski of the season as he rests at Beacon cutoff
En route to Beacon Cutoff, we encountered a minor water hazard at the Sonot Connector:
Sonot Junction is beginning to look like Spring, but no worse than some years during the Sonot KkaazootStream at “SCUM corner” that in one year fed “Lake Delamere”, named after Alan Delamere fell in it during the Sonot Kkaazoot, but still finished the race The SCUM who made it as far as the Sonot Connector via the normal trail
The photo above shows those of us who skied the White Bear in the normal direction until Dermot met us at Beacon Cutoff having skied White Bear backwards in hopes of finding us.
Dermot, fully Dermotized on a day in the high 40s, skis up to us at Beacon cutoff
We turned back at Beacon and found the downhills exciting with the mix of icy and slushy surfaces. However, we all stayed upright, until the Warmup Loop, when our most skilled skier discovered he hadn’t fallen enough to know how to get back up. Fortunately, our photographer wasn’t quick enough to catch him on the snow.
Even with the snow enhancement on Wednesday, the trail under the Birch Hill Recreation Building was reduced to an isthmus this morning:
Skiing the remnants of the icy isthmus under the Birch Hill Recreation Building
but was a wonderful way to end an exciting, but low effort ski in the sunshine.
This winter, my first ski was the FXC Masters power lunch workout on November 3, 2025 so if today is my last ski, it’s been a 174 day season, or almost 25 weeks. A huge thank you to all the groomers and to the skiers who contributed to the NSCF trail grooming fund. You made the coldest winter in recent history fun for even the oldest skiers on the trails.
SCUM find LOL ornament #6 before getting warmed up on Friday –-all photos by Joanna Fox
The SCUM quickly found LOL ornament #6 as it was on one of the Strava segments named for a primordial SCUM. This ornament is gold, not a very easy to spot color, and is located above Joanna’s right shoulder.
Here’s a close up with Thumper, who was visiting from Reno:
Carl was cooperative with our photographer early in the workout, but then became wayward.
Mom was skiing with just one pole to avoid further aggravation of cartilage connecting her ribs to her sternum. Thus, she was looking around while she waited for the SCUM to chase Robert and Jeff downhill and spotted LOL ornament #5:
LOL ornament # 5
The photo makes this LOL ornament a giveaway for anyone skiing the trails regularly.
It may be chilly on the trails, but the newly set tracks allow one’s skis to glide so you travel more effortlessly than before the recent snow.
Although the Super Tour Races moved to Anchorage, fantastic skiing still awaits skiers in Fairbanks.
With the post-Sonot Kkaazoot fatigue lingering in our weathered bodies, the SCUM decided to enjoy the sunshine, scenery, and each other’s company while skiing the White Bear and Moilanen Meadows today.
Here is the entire gang at the bottom of Heartrate Hill:
SCUM on Sunday ski at bottom of Heartrate Hill–photo by Joanna Fox
How White Bear looked and sounded like today–video by Dan Johnson
Below are photos and videos of the SCUM foolery. In between the photo and videos, I managed to get 1:12 of low level 1 training.
Moilanen Meadows looked prime for spring snow angels:
Snow angel attempt in sunshine almost results in a concussion–video by Bill Husby
Snow angel in the shade–video by Joanna Fox
Greg’s snow angel complete with halo–photo by Dan Johnson
The SCUM encountered wildlife on our ski including an early rising honey badger:
Honey badger attacks tree at Dermot’s Demise–photos by Joanna Fox
Birch tree’s revenge on honey badger
Honey badger’s burrow left unwatched
Enjoy spring skiing. Contribute to the NSCF grooming fund for continued skiing under warm inviting conditions for the next generation of SCUM:
View of the Sonot Connector as Eric Troyer (official red lantern for the 50 km Sonot Kkaazoot) stops to photograph the remnants of the Color Run held on the same day as the Sonot Kkaazoot
The photo taken of the SCUM BEFORE the start of the 38th Denali State Bank Sonot Kkaazoot:
SCUM standing (30 km) or resting (Eric Troyer, who skied and napped in the 50 km Sonot)--photo by Mark Boyce
and AFTER:
Greg, the kid SCUM, finishes with a smile–photo by Jerome Jackson
Mom balances gingerly on her screaming left ankle–photo by Jerome Jackson
Carl, (the only active primordial SCUM, who first skied the 50 km Sonot in 1997) finishes 30 km Sonot before his 74th birthday on Sunday–photo by Jerome Jackson
SCUM with woodels after the Sonot Kkaazoot awards ceremony–photo by Carol DeVoe
A huge thank you to the SCUM who didn’t race but volunteered for timing the Sonot Kkaazoot. Next season will mark 30 years of SCUM.
Today, Mike Schmoker, Sonot Kkaazoot woodel guru was back in town after several weeks spent high altitude trekking in Peru. As he was the only SCUM showing up for our Wednesday Ester Dome ascent, I let him choose the route. Given that temperatures were around 30 deg with 12 to 18 mph SW winds, we opted to take the single-track trail up Ester Dome to Henderson Road.
Mike’s groomed track this morning
The wind protection was marvelous, but Mike’s high elevation acclimation made his pace rival that of Bernardo.
The clouds lifted and blue skies turned the trails magical
And unlike the SCUM mother, who is geographically challenged, Mike had a map in his head that mirrored those posted on the trail.
Mike finds the map
Unlike Bill’s maps that are sketched in the snow, Mike’s map was printed, sealed in plastic and posted on the trails.
Mike and I were both smiling through out hike:
Smiling Mike enjoying views of the valley
Mike’s fitness was again demonstrated when he fell but was too quick getting up for me to get a photo of his tumble:
Site of Mike’s first fall of the winter season.
If the National Weather Service is correct, we should be skiing soon. However, in the meantime, some of the trails less traveled will make for fun SCUM adventure workouts.
Sonot Kkaazoot 