Social Days ...

Greetings Everyone!

With Spring entering our lives - not only are the days getting longer - but we've been out and about exploring and socializing.  All much fun and very enjoyable.

The eagles are showing up again. 
 We spotted one in the tall Cottonwood tree next to our cabin.

Ernie and Mike McGyver got our other snow machine up and running - finally. Ernie took it for a spin and enjoyed the 'lightness' in turning. Our other snow machine is a work horse and much heavier - good for pulling and carrying weight.

Between our taking time to explore around the island and lake - we cut-up 'dead falls' for firewood. I have the pleasure of hauling off cut-up logs and stacking them.

Because the lake has no to little snow - Ernie installed flexible scratchers onto our snow machine - they drag on the ice and snow - tossing snow onto the HiFaxes -- this helps in cooling the HiFaxes so they don't overheat. 
Before Ernie put the scratchers on - we carried a water bottle to squirt water onto the HiFaxes.

Mike McGyver's 'train' - note the 4-wheeler he's using.
A few days ago - two trucks crossed the lake and came to the island - not sure who the travelers were. Since then - two other visitors ventured across the lake on 4-wheelers

Ernie went exploring around the lake with Mike McGyver - this view is near the Skilak Glacier.



On their adventure - they came upon this frozen spring cascading onto the lake.



Our friends, Gunther & Bridgett host their first bonfire! 
They made a traditional German winter hot toddy - Gluehwine.
 We first tasted this hot toddy in Germany - its deliciously made with wine and spices. 
Latter that evening - there was an awesome display of Northern Lights. 

The following morning - Gunther, Bridgett and I walked across the lake
from Caribou Island to the lower landing. 
 Ernie met us at the lower landing with the snow machine and sled - then,
 we headed into Sterling for supplies. We all rode back to the island - Ernie and I on the snow machine and Gunther and Bridgett inside the bucket sled.

Along our walk across the lake - we came upon a section of the ice ridge close to Frying Pan Island. 

On Sunday - the four of us explore the shoreline across from Caribou Island.  On one of our stops - we noted the tracks of an animal - perhaps a Lynx?  Not sure - but the tracks were big.

Further along - we discovered a warm spring. It was rather amazing because it was not deep or frozen - yet flowing into the lake - which is frozen.  As we explored around the open spring we noticed numerous animal tracks (moose, hares, birds, coyotes and perhaps wolf and lynx) - obviously the spring serves as a winter waterhole for the wild creatures.
  We also saw American Dippers flying around the flowing warm springs - so they may be nesting at the site.

We stopped along the way and took a snack break - Gunther and Ernie enjoy a cup of coffee while discussing where the Anderson Ridge gravel bar maybe located.

As we continued our adventure - we located the Anderson Ridge gravel bar - AND it is big. It runs quite a ways from the shoreline out into the lake - with numerous large boulders scattered amongst smaller rocks. We were able to walk the gravel bar for a ways and marveled at its length.
  At high water - during the summer - the gravel bar is not visible.
 We also noted the gravel bar runs parrellel to the current ice ridge - the ice ridge that runs from the end of Frying Pan Island out across the lake - this ice ridge appears to be butting up against the Anderson Ridge gravel bar since parts of the current ice ridge are stacked against the Anderson Ridge.

We have little to no snow - and the weather has been beautiful!  Sunny and warm during the day - temps get up to 28* F and down to -4*F at night.  We did have a couple of nights where we could see the Northern Lights - some displays were yellow/white and/or green/yellow - weaving and undulating across the night sky amongst the stars. 

As some know - Ernie loves working on projects - so with that in mind - he is preparing to build me a small greenhouse so that I can grow some vegetables.  I started seedlings indoors - some are already up  waiting for transplanting into larger containers and others are poking their little green heads through the bedding soil.

We are doing well and enjoying our early spring days -- take care!