Best Photos of 2019

January
Cumulus Mtn (left), with Korohusk peak in the center.  Extremely low snow for a January day!
Josh Chelf was all smiles while crushing the bike leg of the TriFlake winter triathlon.
Jacob Kirk spent the whole race in plaid - and went on to place third in the individual division!
Local running legend Matias Saari - on skis?!  
February
Tyson Flaharty of Goldstream Sports fresh off his ITI 350 win with a bike still fully loaded with gear.  Interview on my Youtube channel!
Beautiful blue ice behind Ptarmigan Peak.
James Stull riding in Phoenix, AZ.  We brought Alaska with us - the coldest temps in 125 years!
OMG WHAT IS WRONG WITH ZAC'S FACE?!?!  We were driving back from a trailhead in AZ when we first saw this - and nearly crashed the car from laughing so hard.  
March
March means the return of the sun, and the death of eastward facing ice climbs.  That same beautiful blue ice from February is being sun rotted, but that's OK because it means spring is coming! 
Ice ice, more ice.  The terrifying and aptly named Hollow Icicle near Echo Bend on the Eagle River.  Cody and I just finished rappeling from a rather harrowing ascent.  Nobody fell inside, but it was a sobering climb all the same.  
How it felt to be done with Hollow Icicle!  
April
On my way back from summiting the Watchman (right).  Eklutna Lake is behind me, and luckily, crossing the stream braids was quite easy at this time of year.
View of Polar Bear and Eagle Peak from camp below Mt. Yukla (out of frame on the right).  The next day, Cody and I would have a serious avalanche scare above Twincicle Glacier, prompting hasty retreat.
May
I'm CRAZY, and CRAZY HAPPY to be doing some spring rock climbing at Pivot Point! 
Traveling on Explorer glacier with Cody, Joe, and Dan.  The wet avalanche danger became a little too exciting in the hot afternoon sun, foiling our attempt on Explorer Peak.  We turned back when Dan encountered waste deep isothermal snow.  Bad news!
Being on a glacier is like being on a beach - prepare to get sun fried.  Dan captured a very candid moment of Joe and Cody catching some quick z's in the back of my Civic.  D'awww.  PC Dan Glatz. 
June
Lupins and mountains.  Returning from an attempt on Benevolent Point (background left)
Video still of me riding on Eh Line.  The new Singletrack Advocates trails are killer!  Video/Photo credit - Reese Hanneman
Summit boulder of Troublemint Peak.  I didn't like the prospect of climbing down this side of it, so I chose the other side.  
The other side of Troublemint's summit boulder.  Surreal granite spires under a hot June sun!
July
4th of July Alyeska rippin' with mah boy, Adam G!
Awe inspiring view of the Eklutna glacier from high on The Mitre.  
Video still from the White Princess summit glacier.  By far the most "big mountain" feel of any peak I have yet climbed.  We traveled carefully - it was hard to tell just how many crevasses were under our feet, but we suspected it was a lot.  Several times I punched through what I thought was crust, only to see a dark hole when pulling my leg out...
White Princess summit!  
Portrait of Cody K!
August
Summit of Three-Bell Spire, looking east out into Minty goodness.
Summit of Triplemint, looking back toward Three-Bell (center, right above foreground rock.) 
Even more quintessential Minty views!  Just above the MCA's Mint Hut (out of view behind the hill on the right)
September
Closing day at Alyeska.  PC Zac Cole.

WARNING - GRAPHIC 
Click if you're OK with blood and bone
September 21 saw my worst bike injury to date, and that's after 15 years of serious riding.  I flayed open my knee capsule with an extremely sharp rock, spent several days in the hospital, and am still working toward full recovery.  Bill Finley of akMountain just happened along while I was laying waiting for the ambulance, and has an Instagram post here.  At least I was all smiles!  Also - thanks Lang, Chris, Andy, Sophie, Jon, Jon (another Jon) for helpin' me out while I was laying there, and Cody, Jamey, Zac, Jeff and Rene for visiting me in the hospital.

Oliver Sternicki pinning it during a ArcticCross downpour.  I was hobbling around taking photos with my recently injured knee ;) 
Action hero James Stull during the same downpour as above.
October
Winter returns to AK!  Skybuster/Ice Cream Cone Mountain hiding background left.
Matanuska river with the "A" peaks background left.  I want to say that the prominent visible peak is Awesome, but Awesome may indeed be lurking further back in the clouds.
Frosty blue tones looking west along the Matanuska river.
November
Above the clouds on Indianhouse Mountain.  My footprints are visible to the right, leading up to the ridge. 
Descending to Falls Creek - back into the clouds after summiting Indianhouse.
December
New phone day!  Taking the fatbike out for a photo shoot with my Pixel 4.
Coworker Bill Johnson on the right side of PFM Wall.
Josh P. shwacks his way up to enjoy a couple laps on the top rope he set.

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