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Issued Jan 23 1100 A HIGH AVALANCHE WATCH is in effect for Thompson Pass beginning tonight at 1800 through Sunday NOON.  Current storm condition should peak around 1500 Saturday and then a general tapering off of snowshowers through Sunday.  With warming temps, expect the typical cycle of wet slides within the new snow or at the new snow/old snow interface. […]

Opened up Moonlight Basin this morning as an alternative to the VOG and wind on the north side and was not disappointed. Once easily though the brush down low and up the drainage things opened up nicely and was quickly joined by new Valdezean Olivia Foster who I met on yesterday’s tour.  We continued while other skinners soon swarmed in […]

With snow falling in copious amounts measured in feet, sugar-coating of the Valdez Mountains will continue above 3000′ through mid-week in Thompson Pass while rain and “glaciation” persist at lower elevations and Valdez.  Once again a ridge of high pressure along the backside of Southeast Alaska is putting us in the way of vigorous southeast flow for the rest of […]

Kind of a sad day as I retired my Black Dimond Drift skis which served me well over the last seasons of my guiding life.  Our monogamous relationship is rare in these times,  but we over came all sorts of difficulties, from weather to sastrugi. But nothing was better than the skin track we set which at times were frankly […]

While Valdez remains on pace for it’s driest year in history, we are also experiencing ansnowless November with 1.8″ of rain. Freezing rain has occurred which is rare for Valdez. In most years, November is very snowy, but can give way to a brutal snow drought in December.  The other thing missing from winter is a wind event. The reasons […]