Anchorage Daily News

If you talk with most Alaskans about summer, they'll say, "What summer?"

Well, the calendar says we had three months of summer, whether you liked it or not. And now, winter gets its turn.

Will it be snowy and cold?

Will we get a warm-up and ice-covered trails?

Who knows? But we will get three months of winter -- even more if you consider the shoulder seasons of early December and April.

What you choose to do with those months is up to you.

Maybe you feel short-changed by summer and vow to make the most of every outdoor winter activity. Well, you'll keep plenty busy:

• Cross-country skiing: There are miles and miles -- kilometers, if you want to get official -- of trails. Our trails are so good, we'll even be hosting some big events this winter.

• Sledding: Anchorage has more than a dozen "official" sledding hills. But let's be honest, how many of us limit ourselves to "official" sledding hills? It's more fun to go rocketing down just about any hill. (Just be safe, and stay away from traffic.)

• Ice skating: From Town Square Park to Westchester Lagoon and from local ice skating rinks to Potter Marsh, there are plenty of places to glide on ice.

• Downhill skiing: Whether you're a beginner (try Hilltop Ski Area) or a thrill-seeker (try Alyeska, Alpenglow or even heli-skiing), there are more than enough runs to keep you busy all winter. And, Olympic-caliber skiers will invade Alyeska again this winter, so we must have something special right in our own backyard.

• Dog mushing: Unless you've already got a kennel up and running, you're not likely to be ready to run the Iditarod anytime soon. That's OK; lots of mushers will let you get a little taste life behind a line of dogs for just a little cash.

• Festivals: Whether it's the Polar Bear Jump-Off or Fur Rondy or the hoopla that surrounds the Iditarod, Alaska loves to party -- even when it's cold outside.

If you're more likely to enjoy winter by looking at it through frost-covered windows, don't despair, there's plenty to do here too:

• Cultural celebration: If you think Anchorage is backwoods when it comes to culture, you're wrong. Consider this small list: Anchorage Symphony, Anchorage Opera, Anchorage Concert Association, Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center and Cyrano's Off Center Playhouse. Throw in the Anchorage International Film Festival, the Anchorage Folk Festival and some other events and you'll stay plenty busy ... and warm.

• First Friday art shows: Galleries, office buildings and cafes all over town show off new work by some of Alaska's established and up-and-coming artists.

• Books: Southcentral Alaska has some great book stores. I can't tell you the number of hours I've whiled away at Title Wave Books or Old Inlet Bookshop in Homer. And I'm not sure if there is a better place in Fairbanks than in front of the fireplace in Barnes & Noble.

• Restaurants: No, we don't have an Olive Garden or a Red Lobster. Rejoice! What we have are dozens of excellent, locally owned restaurants that feature just about anything you can image -- salmon, halibut, Thai, sushi, burgers ...

So, winter is coming. Get out and enjoy it -- even if you stay indoors.

-- Steve Edwards, special sections editor

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