Bill Glude

Spent the morning at Koishikawa Korakuen, one of my favorite parks in Tokyo. I always love the peaceful and contemplative nature of this place, walking slowly among the elders, sniffing the flowers, sharing the warmth of the sunlight.

Morning view of Happo One, the big ski area in the Hiida Mountains of Japan today.

A nice spring day to work on snowboard technique on the lifts today; Hiida Mountains, Japan. Gentle slopes, soft spring snow, no crowds.

My longtime friend Charles with his dog Pinot in his Les Debrouillards vineyard, Shiojiri, Japan, yesterday.

The beauty of the skintrack, Japan backcountry splitboarding, Hiida Mountains.

Mountain inn at 5-10 cm/hr snowfall, Hiida Mountains, Japan.

"Take me home, country road." Touhoku mountain road, before the thaw.

Norm and Mary making some turns yesterday, Touhoku.

Through the powder forest today, Touhoku, Japan.

Heavy riming on the evergreens today, northern Honshu.

Got up ready to charge off into the hills, but then realized I needed a day to stock groceries, run errands, settle in, and rest. Also paid a visit to the local shrine and temple; offered aseema and prayers to manidoo and the local kami. It's always good to respect the local spirits. Hakuba, Japan.

Today was the first day since early December when the temperature-wind and fog factors made it possible to get out on the snow on the pass. Conditions were all breakable crust after the big thaw, but it was so lovely to be out that I did not really care! Shgagwei, Lkoot Kwáan, Lingít Aaní.

The snow forest is still dry and magical; the thaw was so brief and gentle that the snow stayed dry and we had no slides on the US side of the highway overnight, despite slides on Dyea Road, the Haines Highway, and up Burro Creek. Shgagwei, Lkoot Kwáan, Lingít Aaní

Snow forest today, Shgagwei, Lkoot Kwáan, Lingít Aaní.

In the snow forest today, Shgagwei, Lkoot Kwáan, Lingít Aaní.

Stories in the snow - marten tracks, fresh overnight. Typical paired prints, one set slightly ahead and to the side, loping gait. Shgagwei, Lkoot Kwáan, Lingít Aaní.

We had less snow today, but more wind - gusting 25 m/s, at -12°C! Avalanche danger was too high to clear debris, blast, or open the highway. Our crew battled drifts and rough weather all day in town, ferry terminal, airport, Dyea Road, and up to Customs,

It has been a snowy, breezy day in Skagway. We had to close the highway this morning, due to heavy drifting and no visibility, even before there was enough snow to be concerned about avalanches. We will see how it is in the morning. Shgagwei, Lkoot Kwáan, Lingít Aaní.

Winter trail yesterday, Daakha Kw'aan, Lingít Aaní.

Merry Christmas, mino manidoo giizis, from the Log Cabin trails on a lovely -25°C day. It warmed up, the sun broke through, and the wind stayed near-calm, making perfect cross-country ski conditions today. It's my tradition to ski on this day. Daakha Kw'aan, Lingít Aaní.

The weekly supply barge made it in To Skagway today, in -18°C (0°F) with winds gusting to 24+ m/s (50+ knot) conditions. Many thanks to the crews whose hard work in extremely difficult conditions made it possible! Shgagwei, Lkoot Kwáan, Lingít Aaní.

Mino manidoo giizhis! Happy Solstice! Got out again at Log Cabin, despite it being a little colder, -29°C, -20°F, with the occasional bitter gust. I took out a pair of classic Bonna 2400 wood skis for their trial run, loved them! Daakha Kw'aan, Lingít Aaní.

Log Cabin ski trail in the forest today, -27°C, Daakha Kw'aan, Lingít Aaní.

Hey, after several weeks too snowless to ski in Skagway, and too cold and windy to get out on the pass, I tried Log Cabin today, hoping the wind would not be so bad - and found near-calm, with perfect snow and magical winter light. No trails are set, and it is cold, -27°C (-16°F), so be prepared.

The fuel barge that supplies Skagway and Whitehorse looked like a bizarre ice sculpture today, after a trip north with temperatures in the -14°C range, with winds gusting 15-20+m/s. Shgagwei, Lkoot Kwáan, Lingít Aaní.

A lovely snowy Skagway evening, my Daihatsu kei truck on the way home from the "A Very Skagway Christmas Carol", based on the Dickens, but with way more fun, hilarity and drag queens. Shgagwei, Lkoot Kwáan, Lingít Aaní.

After a cold, clear, windy week, much of the snow has been blown off the trees, but a few big snow mushrooms remain. Shgagwei, Lkoot Kwáan, Lingít Aaní.

At -27°C with strong north winds today, we had some great sundogs on the pass. Shgagwei, Lkoot Kwáan, Lingít Aaní.

Cool, breezy sunshine in the snow forest, Shgagwei, Lkoot Kwáan, Lingít Aaní.

This is the Klondike Highway, where I run the avalanche program. It has been brisk up on the pass this week; -26°C and windy when I took this yesterday, -28°C this morning - but gorgeous! Shgagwei, Lkoot Kwáan, Lingít Aaní.