April in Alaska

Crust Skiing. This is when it's warm enough in the day to melt the ice but cold enough at night to refreeze. This creates the most glorious cross country skiing conditions. We headed towards Turnagain Arm to ski up to Portage Glacier. It has receded so far that you can no longer see it across the snowy lake. When you turn the bend, the sight it simply breathtaking. The quiet is interrupted by the creaking of the glacier and the trickle of water flowing into bright blue puddles. The mountains are glossy with sparkling ice and appear to have been dipped like ice cream cones.