Spring is here. You may not believe it when looking out of the window — but it truly is. Spring is officially in Alaska when the snow buntings arrive. They were late this year, a full 10 days behind schedule at Paxson, but there was a pretty decent flock working over my hay pile on March 28.
The snow is still piled high in the Interior, though I understand it is melting south of Glennallen.
Paxson has not had any thawing days to speak of and nights have been near zero. That means the snowmobiling is still excellent. Summit Lake conditions are as good as they get. Four feet of snow on the ground has settled enough to provide a good base and cover the willows. You can still get stuck, of course, but it takes some effort.
Bear hunters that choose to hunt the high country near Paxson and along the Denali will find “go anywhere” snow. Some bears are out and about as is normal for late March. The bulk of them will be moving by April 20. The larger single boars are likely to be the first bears moving. Sows with big 2 1/2-year-old cubs will also be getting out of a crowded den. Use caution if you see a single bear sitting by a den entrance with no tracks any distance from the entrance. That is almost always a sow with little cubs; not a legal bear. Bear hunting regulations have undergone a few changes the past few years as to how a snowmachine may be used. Read the regs!
Read the regulations and, as you travel the mountain terrain in search of a bear, pay attention to where you travel. Avalanche danger is going to be an issue this spring with fairly heavy snowpack clinging to the slopes. There has been less winter wind than usual in most of the Alaska Range. Sun on the south- and west-facing slopes can be dangerous in the afternoon. The growl of a snowmachine engine is enough to trigger a major slide. The surface may not be melting but the moss and dirt under the snowpack will draw the sun’s heat and the weight of the pack will come crashing down the mountain.
Snowmachine travel on glaciers is always a risky proposition. This spring it will be worse than normal. The Gulkana, Gakona and Canwell glaciers all have loose snow covering unseen crevasses. The snow on these glaciers and others in the area is not solid enough to support a machine.
Warm weather and long days make it tough to stay inside. If playing on the machine is not your thing, try your hand at spring fish. All of the deeper lakes should be good. Burbot will begin to spawn the first week in April. They are entertaining fish this time of the year. Burbot will chase a red and white lure all of the way to the surface if you cut a decent-size hole. Visibility in the water on Summit and Paxson will be 15-20 feet until the creeks begin to break and send murky water into the lakes.
I tried out an ice saw for the first time this spring, and I am sold on them. Holes large enough for two lines are my preference, and that has always been a chore for an auger and an ice chisel. A saw eliminates almost all of the ice chisel work. Save your eggshells. Crush them and send them down the hole. That will lighten the bottom enough so you can see fish cross by your lure. Burbot, with dark backs, are tough to see.
Down in the lower states, burbot are sometimes called eelpout and folks think they are trash fish. You’d think someone would show them how to cook them. Burbot are skinned and then filleted. Pliers will pull the skin, and a small sharp knife does the rest. Cut the white meat into pieces no larger than 1 inch. Drop the pieces in boiling water for no more than a minute. Dip the chunks into melted garlic butter, and you have a meal.
Yeah, it must be spring — we sure don’t think of these things in December. But then, seeing those happy little buntings and thinking of the swans showing up next week — robins singing on a fence post; those things remind us that the snow is actually going to melt someday soon. Now is the time for the very best of spring. Enjoy the best snow of the entire year; use it before we lose it.