It's 12 degrees, above, and it's snowing. I'm a happy man.

This winter started cold, with a bitter snowless November. And the past 30 days were the coldest on the Fairbanks record for mid-February to mid-March. Then, after another cold day threw another ski trip under the bus, we caught a break when the deep cold broke the next day. My wife rented a cabin about 50 miles from home, and we were off.

We used The Chariot, sort of a rickshaw on skis, to escort Anna, 7 months, out to her first ski-in cabin. Kristen expertly guided the rickshaw the 7-plus miles into the cabin, getting great kick and glide.

We enjoyed a lovely night, the purple sky filled with stars. And some fresh wolf tracks on the river nearby. Woke up to 20 below. Not a worry, it's March. By midday, the temp had climbed to 10 above, and we had a smooth ski out. God, I do love those public use cabins.