Backcountry Skiing..Your Winter Window Into The Chugach.
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 […]
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With my first ski-less October ever behind me I look up at the mountains tops and wonder when our first snows will break the back of fall. About 8″ has fallen mostly above 5000′ over the past few weeks and is now weathered. October was incredibly dry and temps have been well above normal. Lows continue to get bumped to […]
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As we wait for a new ski season we might want to look at the past as to how we move forward. I guess if you’ve been around a couple years you might have barely noticed the changes in the 27-Mile Icefall on Thompson Pass above Loveland Basin. Fortunately I’ve been pretty aggressive with my cameras since I moved here […]
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I hit the nail on the head last season so I might as well try again, but I’m hoping I’m wrong. With the last three winters producing unusually low snow totals at sea level around Valdez, that is enough recent anomalies to create a pattern. But before I dabble on here’s a picture of Shoup Glacier in 1981. That is […]
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This summer I had an interesting conversation with a lady from Canada researching her grandfather who lived in Valdez in the 1900’s. He crossed the glacier a few times. Later he operated the local sawmill whose remnants are still visible poking out of alder just to the east of the bike trail across from the road to Old Town off […]
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Most excellent ride on a wonderful fall day in Valdez yesterday with Karen Cline. Moderate ride over good grades for about a 14-Mile RT in a few hours. We pushed beyond the Stamp Mill but the trail soon disappeared. Here’s a few pics and a video with some nice single track effort through the upper canyon. Good time to […]
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Been awhile but it seemed like a good idea to ride the Goat Trail in Keystone Canyon with local Brian Teal this last Sunday. I rarely hear of anyone riding the route and based on my experience yesterday, you are missing out on one of the better mountain bike routes in Valdez. Sure you have to heave your […]
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