Swiss Cheese

Spring is finally here on the shores of Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet, it appears. Winter was relatively mild here in the "banana belt" of Alaska, but there was a cold streak in early March followed by a severe blizzard that left kept planes from flying for 3 days. My home at sea level recieved about 2 1/2 feet of very wet snow in 24 hours followed by rain and then a HARD freeze followed by about 2 more feet of snow. By the time the second round of snow landed the first had melted, at least at 200 feet above sea level., but at elevation the snow never left.
So, into the swiss cheese I headed on my trusty snowmachine to harvest next winters firewood. The "cheese" is my buddy Jeff's dog trail through the forest to a seismograph line that leads anywhere. He is kind enough to let me use his access and cut spruce bark beetle killed trees for firewood. The snow at his place is 5 feet deep in the forest in places and firm enough that you can point your toe and go anywhere. There is a small concern of bogging down in soft snow or navigating into a tree well, but the access is pretty outstanding. I drop my trees, buck and limb them, and then trailer them back to my home where I stack them in preparation for splitting. It may only be April in Alaska, but next winter is just around the corner.