Valdez Skiing 2011

Last May, Todd Smith and I rallied the Western Chugach for a relentless five days. Keen for more, Todd brought along his friend Steve Copson and Steve's friend and Kurt Parker for a Valdez ski week. We chose late April when the snow is more stable and the heli/snowmachine frenzy has subdued. We had an awesome trip with a perfectly-meshed group, amazing north face powder, some corn and favorable weather. Thanks guys!

Summiting Cracked Ice on our first tour. Kurt is a splitboarding powerhouse with faster transitions than us skiers. He redefined splitboarding for me.

Summit! Now 4,500 feet of fun to the highway!

Untracked on Cracked Ice. 

In Valdez we stayed with Anna Wilson at her Ptarmigan Bed & Breakfast. If you like to eat and stay in a comfortable house then there is no comparison in Valdez. The alternative is expensive hotels and grody restaurants. Call Anna at 907-835-2202 (best option) or email her at annsptarm@cvinternet.com. 

Hauling packs to camp at the top of the Worthington Glacier for two nights and three days of skiing.

Glacier camp in THE ZONE!!!!!

A high energy weak layer kept us off the sav-gnar but we sufficed on farming endless slopes of pow.

Kurt showing us what 25 years of snowboarding can do. 

Steve skiing below an icefall into the Hoodoo Glacier from our glacier camp.  Last year, Dan, Nik and I tried this same run, but an earthquake that morning had triggered the icefall and obliterated the run.

No earthquake this time. 

Todd starting another 2,000-foot powder lap into the Hoodoo Glacier. 

Pit stop at the derelict Tsina Lodge--where many Valdez heli legends began--on the way back to Anchorage.