Woke up early again Saturday before G and went out for a short ski in Moose Meadows. It was snowing lightly and the mountains over the Turnagain Arm were visible for the first time on my morning skis.
There were also other skiers out in the meadow as well as a bunch of dog walkers. I did one lap around the meadow and then came back home and showered.
Gaelen was up and feeling better and we then walked up to the mountain for breakfast at the Bake Shop. New owner, smaller chalkboard outside, higher prices, no Dano behind the register 🙁 and they now take credit cards. I was astounded to see D.C. behind the line cooking. !5 years since I last worked here and he is still here. He’s filled out and looks like a linebacker and is covered with tattoos. I said hello to him when I picked up my sweet roll and he recognized me. Gaelen and I both got pancakes and split the sweet roll. I didn’t recognize anyone else there and the kids working look like they would have been infants when I last worked here in 2005.
After breakfast we contemplated riding the shuttle around town but it was colder out than it has been and we are both not feeling 100% so we took advantage of our house and stayed in all afternoon and watched the Irishman on Netflix while G did homework and watched stock videos on You Tube. We are not skiing today because tomorrow is forecast to be blue sky and sunny and we want to be on top for that to see all the mountains in all their winter glory.
At 4:30pm we went out for a walk up to Virgin Creek Falls (my 3rd X there this trip) . The trail was super packed down, it seems it gets lots of traffic and must be very popular, but no one had followed my tracks across the creek to the shrine grotto. We took in the beauty of the spot for awhile and then walked over to Tami’s for Chili dinner with cheese, onions and toast.
Tami filled us in on her life, gave me some updates on G’wood friends we have in common; Gabe’s brother Abe is dead, Christy left Andy Heinlen and he lives with Mason here in G’wood. She also told me she spent a winter in the Kalalau Valley 6 years ago and went there with the guy who fell/slipped/jumped off the trail 4 years ago when Susanna was there.
As we were leaving she gave us fingerless mittens she has made to give to Ambiana and Jakobi and some note cards she had drawn. We left before 8pm and were in bed by 10pm after another silly Netflix movie. Colleen and Ambiana and Jakobi are in Chicago and I got texts and phots from them throughout the day. I am ready to go home. This trip has closed a circle for me.
G’wood has become in Tami’s words: Greedwood, yuppie families in big fancy homes driving big fancy SUV’s now dominate. I did not see my tribe here at all. The Girdwood I know (and sometimes long for) exists only in my memory and in the forests and mountains that surround the town.
In many ways this has been a solitary trip. Gaelen snowboards while I ski in the meadow and wander the streets alone with my thoughts. We have shared the house and the walks to Virgin Creek and time on the lifts and I am glad we made this trip together but I know it is a very different trip for me then it is for him me having spent 13 years of my life here.
