Neacola Mountains 2012

The Neacola Mountains are my favorite hills in Alaska. My first trip to the Neacolas was a three-week tour in 2006 from Chakachamna Lake to Lake Clark with Dylan Taylor and Andrew Wexler. Then in 2008 I joined Dan Oberlatz and Aaron Fetter at Alaska Alpine Adventures to guide their 12-day Alaska Ski Mountaineering trip. This year Les Trois French Dudes (Benjamin, Yoel, and Yannis) joined me for another AAA 12-day Neacola trip. We nailed the weather, skiing and the good times.

Adios Doug. Don't forget about us. 

Camp Hilleberg at 2,800-feet on the Tanaina Glacier. Our hope was the lower elevation would be warmer.

The Neacolas provide. A full moon and northern lights.

And some Freezing Unlimited, but that didn't faze Yannis.

Our strategic base camp is that speck below the Tanaina Coulies.

Yoel skiing between icebergs in a drained glacial lake to access slopes on our first tour.

Benjamin topping out on Tanaina Coulie One.

Skiing Tanaina Coulie One. 

Benjamin, Yoel and Yannis below Tanaina Coulie One, après descent.

Sunshine and powder in the Neacolas!

Yannis in Coulie Four. 

We moved camp up glacier for several nights to ski some different peaks.

Not everything is steep in the Neacolas. 

Finally something besides blue sky!

Alaska Alpine Adventures has the best backcountry cuisine you'll ever taste. I supplemented AAA's gourmetness with Joe's mega-high calorie quesadillas for big days of touring in sub-zero temps.

Practicing crack rescue while waiting for Doug to bring in his Bush Hawk to pick us up.

Flying over the Cook Inlet platforms back to our car in Nikiski.

Thanks for an awesome trip guys!!