Fly By

Skiing in Alaska can be as good as it can be anywhere, it also can be trying at times with poor weather being the norm. Wind has been a culprit this early season and finding the goods has at times meant finding supportable crust instead of breakable. Snow totals are low to date high up in the zone, the glaciers are more open than normal for the time of year and some ski runs that are often the norm are instead the not a chance in hell variety. There are good times to be had though with very good snow down low in the trees actually, to sea level. From the ski hill at Mt Eyak, to ski touring, to speed flying and ice climbing, recon and just being in the zone again, its good to be in Cordova.

Pontoons NE face

Landed, after a flight off Mt. Eyak's west shoulder. Yeeeah Brando!!!

Jimmy's on the post

Heli Time, AK!!!

A couple days of attempting to rest, the packing shit show, then i was in the air again bound for the big mountains. Clear skies welcomed the entire flight north from Salt Lake with stunning views of Rainier, St. Elias and the Chugach. We litterly flew right over Cordova and our heli terrain at 30k bound for Anchorage. The window next to my seat on the plane could now use a cleaning.

Mount St. Elias (18,009') rising from the Gulf of Alaska.

Hey Utah

Megan getting Uintahed

Mt. Wolverine

Four Eagle Bowl, Thousand Peaks Ranch, Uintahs

Thousand Peaks Ranch

Gaining Sessions Mountain

Arr Colby- Grandview Peak

Back in Utah. I mostly come for the culture, the skiing is a bonus.

The early winter snowpack was really touchy this year, it seemed that just looking at a slope long enough was enough to make it slide.

By february the mountains werent quite as lethal and the mountains allowed passage in some more adventurous terrain. For a while there though all the ski tourers were pushed into the same slice of moderate terrain for a mass showdown of low angle lovin.