Sitka has many microclimates along its 14-mile road season. Even a few hundred feet of altitude or distance from the ocean makes a difference. And even along the ocean there are differences. As you approach Starrigavan Bay it gets colder, the hoar frost is thicker on the branches and pan ice forms in the estuary. Since winter temps here are mild, hovering in the 30s and 40s snow comes and goes pretty quickly. We can have a large dump followed by warmer rain, ice and finally clear pavements. Starrigavan has a boardwalk which is often slippery, but the Mosquito Cove Trail is gravel and the footing is better. These pics are on cold days when the frost hung on the air and coated some of the branches. There is just a dusting of snow. A nice day for walks.
