We just had an absolutely perfect winter weekend.  Sunny, temperatures in the twenties, and great skiing. Since I am in rest and recover mode prior to my race, Linda and I skied together with the kiddo at both Hillside and Kincaid.  It was one of those weekends that reminds me why I love living in Alaska.  

It got me thinking about the increasing daylight and my favorite times of the year in Alaska, and I felt compelled to make a list.  Here’s how I rank the months.

1. July - Nothing beats summer in Alaska.  Packrafting, peakbagging, anything in the mountains.
2. June - Summer ramps up.  Just like July except the vegetation hasn’t grown up (good) and there is still a lot of snow in the mountains (good for corn skiing, good and bad for hiking).  Orienteering season going strong.
3. April - Crust skiing, crust skiing, crust skiing. And if we are really lucky, more crust skiing.  If crust ski conditions weren’t so hit-or miss, April would be an easy #1.
4. March - The best month for skiing of the non-crust variety.  Usually mid-winter snow conditions, but with actual daylight and slightly warmer temperatures.
5. August - Still lots of great summer options, but the weather starts to get wetter and cooler. Packrafting, hiking, biking as the weather allows.
6. May - A little of everything.  Still some crust skiing to be had.  Orienteering, road biking and trail running get started.  A great time to go skiing or kayaking in Prince William Sound.
7. February - Skiing is usually good and the days are getting noticably longer.
8. September - Cool and often wet, with an occasional window of summer weather.  I focus on running and cyclocross races to stay motivated.
9. January - Cold and dark, with an inevitable meltdown thrown in somewhere.  January would be at the bottom if I didn’t love skiing so much.
10. November - Activities depend on whether the snow has come or not.  Ice skating can be fantastic, skiing, mountain biking, trail running are other options.
11. December - The darkest part of winter.  Skiing improves as the base of snow accumulates.
12. October - Cold and rainy, maybe with a bit of snow.  At least I’ve got cyclocross and Tuesday Night Runs, and skiing at Hatcher Pass.

You’ll notice that we are currently in the month ranked #7. And the next six months? They are all ranked in the top six!  Sweet spot here we come!  The stretch of time from March through August is clearly Alaska’s better half.  There is nowhere else in the world I’d rather be for this half of the year. 

I feel like a kid on the verge of summer vacation.  If only I could figure out a way to make summer vacation last six months.