Seward Ranger District - November 27, 2019

Good Evening on this Thanksgiving Eve. 

Much ado about weather changes upon us. In no particular order of importance, year round I carry these items in my day pack at work;

-1st aid kit also includes repair kit with zip ties, rope, duct tape, lighter

-hand warmers, hat, gloves

-rain gear, light wind layer, fleece coat

-sun glasses, sunscreen, bug dope

-extra snacks, lots of water, and sometimes a water filter

-Leatherman multi tool

-bear spray

-plastic bags (mostly for trash)

-satellite phone with extra battery (I’m looking into a sat phone for my personal pack)

I added these items to my pack in preparation for cooler, darker winter weather (4 weeks ago)

-head lamp with extra batteries

-ice grippers for my boots

-more hand & toe warmers  

-winter mittens, hat, and warmer coat, face mask, and foil body bag

-ski goggles

-thermos of hot liquids

And quite often I review those handy Checklist tags we have at our trailhead register kiosks before I head into the woods especially if I’m going overnight.

We have received snow again, it’s been the time of year over a month and a half ago for traveling with snowshoes or skis over mountain passes but we haven’t needed them due to lack of snow, the time is upon us now to carry snowshoes or skis for Resurrection Pass and travel over Lost Lake.

Current snow depths in a few locations, 7” of snow at Carter Lake,  15” at Clemens Cabin on Lost Lake winter trail, ½” at Upper Russian Trailhead. These depths will be changing in a matter of hours, will it be more or less? 

There is less ice today than yesterday on Tern Lake. Yesterday beneath ¼” of snow the ice was 2.5” thick at 20° air temperature. Today beneath 2” of wet snow the ice thickness at 2:00 p.m. was 2.25” at 35° air temperature and the ice was soft.

This is the first time in many years we are not going to be able to ice skate on a lake in Moose Pass on Thanksgiving day.

Until we receive more ice/snow impeding travel, the following campground entrance gates will remain open; Crescent Creek, Russian River, Quartz Creek and Cooper Creek North and South, Trail River, and Ptarmigan. Primrose campground is open year round.

The following gates were closed last week for the winter season; Palmer Creek, Porcupine Campground, Tenderfoot Campground.

And looking ahead to December 1, 2019 I am sorry to report we will not be opening any areas on Seward Ranger District to motorized use due to lack of snow to prevent resource damage as far as we can forecast right now, weather predictions in favor of snow are dismal.

Wishing all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving Day and Weekend as I leave you with these photos.

 Irene Lindquist 
Forest Technician

Forest Service

Chugach National Forest, Seward Ranger District

p: 907-288-7748 
irene.lindquist@usda.gov

33599 Ranger Station Spur
Seward, AK 99664
www.fs.fed.us 

Caring for the land and serving people