Portrait of a really, really tall guy

My friend Adam didn't seem to think it was a healthy sign a few days ago when I started posting pictures of naked guys wearing snorkels.* Adam is one of those glass-is-half-full people. He believes we should embrace the three feet or so of snow that has fallen on Anchorage over the past couple of weeks, and that we should get outside and enjoy activities other than bicycling.

He's right, of course. But I still get a tad grumpy when I have to drive to work because my bike route is a quagmire of deep, chewed-up snow. I'm not just sitting around in the dark shootin' holes in my front door, though. I've been doing quite a bit of snowshoeing this winter, and with all this deep powder I can tell myself that I'll be stronger on the bike this summer because of all time I'm spending breaking new trail. Snowshoes or no snowshoes, when you're sinking to your upper thighs and still making forward progress, you're gettin' a workout.

This afternoon I trekked out to one of my favorite local areas, the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge. I followed some moose trails through tangled alder for a while, then took a straight shot toward the shore of Turnagain Arm and the barren coastal plain where frequent wind sweeps through and keeps the snow from getting too deep. The sun was at its usual low position for a January afternoon, and I took this picture of my waving shadow about 2:30.

If this cold weather continues and the winds can thin the snow on the plain, there will be some great riding out there near the ice plates.

For now, I'll just have to enjoy the snow and (occasional) sunshine.

*I can't wait to see the Google search hits I get from having those words on the ol' blog.