Blasts in the Past?

Redout volcano with vapor and clouds as viewed from the Kenai Spur Highway on June 19, 2009

Photo by Ed Marker

According to the Alaska Volcano Observatory, Mount Redoubt seems to be settling down. We last heard from the volcano three months ago during its last major eruption. In the meantime its lava dome has grown to the size of 17 Louisiana Superdomes. Local volcanologists warn, however, that the dome could fail at any time causing another major eruption.

Puff the Magic Ash Cloud

Early this morning Mister Redout blew his top in a rather large eruption. In fact, lightning was observed in the initial eruption cloud. Southeasterly winds carried the 50,ooo mile high ash plume in Kodiak's direction just skirting the north end of the archipelago. Above is an image from the puff prediction animation at the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

Spring Travel in AK

Ouzinkie Harbor from the air

Well I am scheduled to travel to the village of Ouzinkie on Tuesday. This will be my first village visit since the extended stay in Akhiok back in December. Although we are facing 50 mph wind gusts this afternoon, the forecast is calling for snow and calm winds (10 - 15 mph) on Tuesday. Tonight I will pack what I hope to be only an "overnight" bag including sleeping bag, pad and one change of underwear. As an added twist, my coworker promised the students in this village that we would bring Taco Bell on our next visit. So tonight Meghan and I will make a "run for the border" to order 30 burritos and perhaps a couple of Double Decker Tacos.
Travel around Alaska has been quite the endeavor this spring. In addition to high winds and blizzards here on Kodiak, the Anchorage area has been dusted with ash from the recent Mt. Redoubt eruptions. The eruptions have cancelled many flights to and from Alaska, not to mention the dozens of cargo flights that use the Ted Stevens International Airport. Today we received word that a teacher and a group of students on a class trip will have to wait in Seattle until Friday before returning to Kodiak due to the massive delays.
And, like clockwork, Redoubt has been sending ash plumes thousands of miles into the atmosphere every third day. I spoke to Ian, a good friend who lives in Anchorage, and he says that when the ash falls it's almost impossible to keep it out of your eyes. Says Ian, "at first it was really cool to see it falling, then after about ten minutes it really sucked."
Hopefully Mother Nature, Brother Wind, and Mister Redoubt cooperate and allow us to return home safely tomorrow afternoon.

Redoubt Rumblings...

The Redoubt ashcloud advances on Homer in this photo by Dennis Anderson in the ADN. Still clear skies here in Kodiak...

Blizzards and Volcanoes

We were under a blizzard warning yesterday afternoon-a total of twenty inches have fallen from this storm! Bruce got a call last night that his office would not be opening, but I still planned to go in to work...at least until we woke up and saw 5 cars stranded in the snow on our road. It's now 4PM and the plows have not made it to Shahafka Circle, yet. The forecast calls for more snow overnight and flood warnings for tomorrow when all this powder starts to melt. At least the Redoubt ash hasn't blown our way!

Bruce and I headed out the front door for a "ski to the sea." It was the first time we've been able to ski out from the house-it felt like life on the farm in Wisconsin!

We made our way around the multitude of stranded vehicles to Island Lake. We skied over the river and through the woods to Fort Abercrombie, which was deserted.

Trail's end.

The road out towards Bell's Flats was closed this morning due to an avalanche. A large shipping container also blew up from the lot where it was sitting and across the road during last night's storm. We ran into a friend on our ski who was working to get shoveled out so that he could head down to the harbor to check on his boat-there were reports of boats sinking in their slips due to the snow accumulation.

Below is a great shot from the Anchorage Daily News. Mount Redoubt erupted 5 times late Sunday/early Monday. Thus far, the prevailing winds have sent the ash fall to the east, well away from Kodiak.

So, if the floods, the snow and the ash don't get us, we might survive springtime in Kodiak!