Backcountry Skiing..Your Winter Window Into The Chugach.
I took my advise from the previous report and headed up Gulley One direct finding fantastic powder skiing down the gut on some of the dryest snow on earth., Tracked a thin crust layer though lower elevation but it gave way to 10-12″ fresh dry 1F snow, slightly recrystallized on top for quiet skinning and skiing. Didn’t to any pit […]
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Very good ski conditions abound. Powder to 8″ dominates most aspects and elevations. A bit of wind blew the light stuff off in exposed terrain leaving some hardnesses, but anywhere that’s protected should ski fine. North face gulleys in the Odessey Arena should ski great when flat light in not a concern. Lower elevation routes around Port Valdez still in […]
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1700AKT SKi – Condition are improving on Thompson Pass as rain at the road level has changed to wet snow, adding a few inches of cushion over the pesky ice-crust near the surface. Snow has been falling in copious amounts above 4000′ for the past few days, so all we need is a break in the weather and skiing should […]
Read moreValdez, AK (Snow News Network). Two Valdez residents barely escaped from a roofalanche on Tuesday evening around 9 p.m. Mike “Moe” Moose (32) and Sap Bear (31) were riding their brightly decorated bike around the streets of Valdez, tandem, to celebrate the holidays. While riding up onto a porch, they were struck by the avalanche, cascading off the roof of […]
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SKI – Excellent powder conditions most everywhere away from gaps, ridges and passes as cold temps have dried things out on the surface. Toured up North Loveland along 27-Mile Icefall to beneath Tones Temple where winds were beginning to mess up the powder. AVY – Brisk winds from the north were flagging peaks along the Chugach divide at Thompson Pass […]
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Throughout my backcountry ski life, a number of safety devices have come along that one should have when traveling in avalanche terrain. A problem I’ve seen with some of these devices is that, at times, they give people too much confidence that they can survive riding a 100 mph avalanche to safety. Common terrain features such as cliffs, cornices, trees […]
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Excellent skiing conditions dominate Thompson Pass after another round of heavy snow yesterday. Skinned in from Worthington Glacier towards Catchers Mitt for something different. Deep, trail breaking but worth the effort. Some imperfections in the form of soft wind slabs mixed with dry snow made for nice turns. Avalanche – Worth discussing as I did not encounter any whomping […]
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