This morning a helicopter carrying a dangling cable flew along the flanks of Mt. Roberts. The cable produced explosive sounds that encourage small avalanches to drop off the mountain flanks. The snow flew down the mountainside, reaching salt water and covering Thane Road. We must be one of the first cars to drive between Mt. Roberts and Gastineau channel after ploughs pushed it off the road.

            Sunshine broke through the clouds as we headed toward the little Sheep Creek delta. plotches of light lit up the mountain ridge on Douglas Island. For few seconds it looked like the same thing would happen to the delta. One shaft of light did strike a patch of dead beach grass near Aki as she peed on the beach, then faded away, letting the beach return to gray. Down channel, sunlight make Juneau town sparkle. It offered no help here.