By HENRY COLT
Sentinel Staff Writer
In the history of snow sports on Baranof Island, one would be hard-pressed to find a shredder as committed as Coulter Bird, age 10.
Bird, a snowboarder since age 4, has been making daily trips to the Sea Mountain Golf Course since Friday, when the snow started falling. He said he usually arrives at the golf course at 8:30 a.m. — shortly before the sun rises — and rides his snowboard all day.
Thankfully, for Bird, the snow has kept falling: the city water treatment plant reported today that 2.8 inches of snow fell in the 24 hours ending 8 a.m. today, and 7 inches was on the ground. The forecast calls for more snow through Thursday, and for sub freezing temperatures for at least a week. School vacation ends on Thursday.
On Monday, the Sentinel encountered Bird and his friends — boarder Ashton Peterson, 11, and sledder Joshua McGraw, 12 — sampling the terrain off the putting green of Hole 1.
They said they find this run particularly interesting because an undulation in the fairway, when covered in snow, becomes a jump.
“I did it the other day and it was like pitch-black out here and I hit it and I didn’t even see it!” said Bird. “But I landed it, so it wasn’t scary.”
How much air was caught?
“Maybe 2 feet.”
Sledders make tracks at the Sea Mountain Golf Course Monday. About a foot of snow has fallen in the past 24 hours. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
But the three weren’t the only ones looking to catch air Monday. Moments after Bird recounted his initial airtime, Kaelynn, Kaya, and Frank Balovich hit the jump in their toboggan, but caught mostly snow.
“It’s nice, it’s fluffy, and it keeps flowing up in the face,” said Frank, the father of the 12- and 13-year-old girls.
But Frank, who was born and raised here, recognized that snow of this texture and quantity is a rare treat in Sitka.
“Lately it’s been snowing in January, February and March. It used to snow on Thanksgiving and in December, but it hasn’t really been doing that lately,” he said.
He said Monday’s powder happens “once every few years.”
Kaelynn and Kaya also recognized its rarity.
“We took our dogs out and there was snow, and I was confused,” Kaelynn said.
“I called my friends right away to go sledding,” Kaya said. “We get snow, but sometimes it’s just a little bit.” She described the typical Baranof snow as “wetter.”
At left, Coulter Bird, 10, shreds the number one hole at Sea Mountain Golf Course as his friend Ashton Peterson, 11, takes the long way down. At right, family sledders, from left, Frank Balovich and daughters, Kaya, 13 and Kaelynn, 12, catch snow Monday morning. (Sentinel Photos by James Poulson)
The exploits on Hole 1 are just a snapshot of the recent flurry of winter activity at the Sea Mountain Golf Course. Sled tracks line almost every sloped fairway. Joe Roth, a caretaker, estimates that “a couple hundred people” have been on the course since Friday to play in the snow.
But the question no one was asking: how long until this winter wonderland turns to slush?
Coulter Bird, for one, said he plans to keep snowboarding every single day while there’s still snow. He estimated that as of 11 a.m. Monday he had made 25 to 30 runs. Josh McGraw said he had made 11 on his sled.
But the need to hike back up the hill so may times may have been taking its toll.
“One thing I wish we had out here,” said Bird, “is a ski lift.”
