more and more snow..... so we continue to play!

We keep getting snow!  You know it's bad when Adam and I are like---okay, bring on the SPRING weather because we sure do love the snow but we are ready for it to warm up!

 Tundra loves to go snowmachining with us!  He runs a little and rides a little!

 We took some friends out to one of our favorite spots for pike.  It was a BEAUTIFUL day!  We all returned with sunburns!

 Jessica setting up the tip-ups!

 This eagle was eyeing our catch, so we had to bury our fish in the snow!

  A little break from fishing.... a 6'8" snowperson!  It took all 4 of us linking arms to get the middle ball up!

 Tundy with our catch of the day! 

 Tundra's Easter present.... rabbit jerky.... get it?!?!

 LOVE coming home to this! 

 Snowbuddy! 

 Found this pic on another camera....this is the burbot from our Crosswinds trip

 We skiied out to Barber cabin w/ Erin, Shawn, and the dogs.  It was a snowy ski in, but perfect!

 Family photo!

 The dogs were super curious about the wooden salmon on the wood shed!  Funny!

 Our cute little cabin all tucked in off Upper Russian Lake

 On our way out, a bluebird day!

 Inside the cabin-- public use

 Love how our tracks seem to go on forever!  Crossing Upper Russian Lake

 Across the lake we goooooooooooo

 And through the woods!

Adam and Tundra checking out the frozen falls

This view will be familiar to any guests who have fished the Russian River....these are the falls the salmon jump up

 Out for a mountain climb and board down.  Headed to the top left ridge

 Look closely, there is a teeny tiny black dot almost to the top-- another skiier and our destination!

 loving the fresh snow

 up we go!

 couldn't be happier!

 more pics from our friend's cameras

 Me and the boys... plus Chena!

 We did it!  We completed the puzzle!

 my best fishing pal, soaking up the sun!

the whole family on one machine (minus Angel mama)


Well HAPPY SPRING!  Although it doesn't seem anyone is getting spring weather! 

Other news.... Adam is still loving his job and has a sweet office all to himself now (overlooking a dog park), we got all new appliances in our kitchen (pics to come), I MIGHT be transferring to a preschool program within our district next school year (will find out soon), I will be back in Iowa May 17-19 for my cousin/friend's wedding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We have guests galore this summer but are super excited and have almost everything planned! 

LOVE TO ALL!

more ice fishing!!!

Check out the pics from our ice fishing trips!!!!

 Adam and his 80 lb lap dog! 

 He is always so confused when we put the fish back in the hole! 

 A landlocked or lake salmon!

 My first lake salmon! 

 A beautiful rainbow trout!

 He loves ice fishing! 

 GORGEOUS day for fishing with my two best friends!

 On our way to Crosswinds Lake

 Of course- pictures don't do it justice!

 Looking for the local caribou herd!

 Our set up-- my new machine and two sleds of supplies

 Home sweet home for the weekend... funny story. We woke up early one morning and decided to play with the snowmachines for a while. We shut Tundra in the cabin and took off for about a 50 mile adventure. It took us almost 2 hours round trip. When we got back to the cabin, we saw Tundra sitting on the front porch with the door WIDE open. Apparently, we didn't know you had to slam the door shut for it to stay shut. Tundra had free reign of everything for that entire time. He was a good boy for not running off... that would have been a nightmare!

 Maybe one day we'll have a plane like this.............?!?!?!?

 My first lake trout!

 Setting up the tip-ups for burbot

 Overflow on the ice was pretty bad this day. Overflow is when the snow insulates water underneith of the snow to the point where is gathers and doesnt freeze. Drilling holes allowed more water to come up and collect. You can see where the overflow by this hole rose 1 foot and froze our tip up in place.

 Adam's first lake trout!

 MY monster laker!  All of our lake trout were released as you are only allowed to keep one per season.  They grow very slowly for their age.  Supposedly these are one of the most difficult fish to catch in Alaska... I don't know though because we caught three!  ....or maybe we are experts?!?!  :) 

 We played games at night............ on one round of cribbage we both through 2 nines into the crib..... twice!  it was weird!

Gorgeous sunrise!

 A burbot!!  A very ugly yet cool looking fish!  Amazing colors!  This is comparable to a lake cod--- we ate it and it was yuuuuuuuuuuuummy!

Tundra was pretty excited to see a new kind of fish. He thought we caught it for him!

 These mountains were absolutely breath-taking!  Wrangell St. Elias

 C'mon mom and dad-- we gotta check the tip-ups!

This lake was 8 miles long!!!

 We rode in 20 miles--- Tundra either rides or runs along beside us for awhile.  Such a good pup!

For those of you who know my parents' dog- Gunner!  this was the Alaskan Gunner--- same face, same colors, same personality and Tundra's new buddy!  He lived at the lodge that we rode out of.  He was also missing a front paw.... he was trapped :(   But he sure got along well and put up a good playing fight w/ tundy!

This video is for my Daddio!  Notice how excited Tundra is and how Adam is just staring in awe!  It is a far-fetched dream, but we would LOVE to have a plane one day to open up so many more opportunities for adventures in Alaska.  For example- this lake had many beautiful cabins, one that was bigger and nicer than our house!  The only way to get to these cabins is my float plane in summer, ski plane or snow machine in winter!  SUPER COOL!


Happy spring to ya'll!  If you live in Iowa-- my brother Adam officially said the ice is too thin for ice fishing!  If you live in Alaska-- we still have 3-4 feet depending on lake/area!