Backcountry Skiing..Your Winter Window Into The Chugach.
The Snowy Torrents – Avalanche Accidents in the United States 1996-2004 by Knox Williams and Spencer Logan might not make the New York Times Best Seller List, but it is still a priceless, technical compilation of avalanche incidents to add to the backcountry skier’s reading list. Despite the delays of publishing and distributing this large project, I’m glad the authors […]
Read more
Alaskan Joe Stock obviously has a love affair with Thompson Pass where he spends a few months of the year being a backcountry ski guide. With his updated The Alaska Factor 2, a car full of skiers with skins will have no excuses if Valdez weather sucks. Backcountry skiing is the fastest growing segment of the world-wide ski industry and […]
Read more
It’s been a complicated progression of vehicles to get to trailheads in search of powder. I arrived in Valdez cruising over Thompson Pass in a 1975 Ford Galaxy 500 sedan. And, as I write this story, I can’t help but chuckle at the fact that it was white! Since that time, I have been through a Ford Bronco, Mazda, Ford […]
Read more
A shadow points to today’s problem. Scary stable? Some gusty winds last night lightly slabbed most front range surfaces resulting in fair skiing. Skied up to Goodwills quite aways and then worked my way back down carefully over grabby snow and such. Good thing? Clear/Calm/17F. Could almost see Canada. Saw one other soloist. North of the Pass was cold to […]
Read more