Conditions Report – 11-13-15 (Video)
A short one minute video shot today.. [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/145689056[/vimeo]
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Avalanche Workshops – Some Thoughts
When it comes to avalanche education, I remind myself that somewhere out there is something new to learn despite watching nearly 13,000 inches of snow fall over many winters in the Chugach. Below are a lot of my thoughts on the latest in the avalanche world after attending two workshops. As is becoming more common across the American West, avalanche […]
Read moreConditions, Science and History
So far a bummer season. One person got a ski day a month ago. This is first time I have not skied in October since way back, We had a 1/4″ at sea level that quickly melted yesterday due to a warm and sunny day. With that said I’m heading to Seattle this weekend for a dose of snow science […]
Read moreConditions Report – Oct 27, 2015 (Noon)
A break in the recent monsoon on Sunday allowed a peek into the Valdez Chugach. Snows continue to linger at upper elevations but “creep” is happening and places like Loveland Basin which should slowly set up with a minimal of hiking to a skinnable snow surface. I like to wait until there is more skiing than hiking. Long-term forecasts look mundane […]
Read moreBackcountry News
I will be attending the Northwest Avalanche Center Snow and Avalanche Workshop in Seattle at the University of Washington on November 8th. The speakers list presents an excellent opportunity to hear from experts in the field including Mike Hattrip, Pascal Haegeli and Martin Volken. I’ll file a report when I get back on what I learned from a workshop focused […]
Read moreBack In The Day – Powder Magazine 1986
It’s a good thing. Backcountry skiing had a rich history in Valdez and Thompson Pass before the mechanized buzz hatched by WESC in the 90’s. That powder dream continues today in the community at many levels. While it’s easy to think of WESC at the start of it all, that was not the case based on my research and experiences […]
Read morePicture of the Day
Not much snow was produced from a vigorous 48 hour storm that drenched the area with nearly 4″ of rain and ended with a slight, wet dusting at higher elevations. Next chance for snow at higher elevations is a few inches by Friday, changing to mostly rain below 4000′ through Sunday. Dry weather then sets in the for the long-term.
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