I arrived in Anchorage from SLC about 1:30AM Sunday. FYI admin's friends Scott and Susan Staples were on the same flight and transport from Anchorage to Girdwood. They were staying at a B&B until the NASJA meeting starts Wednesday but I'm at the Hotel Alyeska the whole week. Our driver informed us that the Anchorage/Girdwood area had been under high pressure for a week and was predicted to stay that way. So I thought it was a good thing I'm heliskiing since presumably they can fly every day and find some good snow among their 700,000+ acres. But I was mistaken. The nearly all alpine Chugach had been wind hammered a week before and then again on Saturday.
Monday we're up early for safety orientation inside, then transceiver drill outside at a brisk 2 degrees F. We flew up the canyon west of Alyeska resort just beyond CPG's snowcat area. The first couple of runs were in the shade and quite nippy. The wind had left quite a bit of rough sastrugi, plus some of the smoother snow was actually breakable crust. The first run was all breakable crust on the top half but the only continuous powder of the day on its shaded lower half. Here we're waiting for tail guide Geoff and Jim to get down the second run.
Jim and his nephew Stan were from Pittsburgh and had relatively little backcountry/powder experience. This had been planned a decade ago as an ultimate trip, but not until this year did they both have the time and $ for it. Jim had skied very little during this time, so he was way overmatched by the terrain and difficult snow. He and the guide agreed that he was done with skiing at lunch. Starting our 3rd run we were across the valley in sunnier exposure, hoping for a bit softer and smoother snow.
After a 4th run in the same general area we stopped for lunch in the sun. Here's the heli coming in for a pickup.
Our lunchtime view:
After lunch Jim was replaced by Jacques, a strong French skier, so lead guide Henry took us to 3,600 vertical Long Shot. On a starting traverse we spotted some local wildlife up on the ridge above us.
More views of the varied terrain and snow on Long Shot:
We did a fairly good job linking sections of smoother and supportable snow on Long Shot.
The last run had a considerable amount of breakable crust in the middle. Jacques' wife Sylvia was a decent skier but got worn out by this last run.
We finished the day with 14,700 vertical, maybe 2K of scattered powder. As most of you know I'm picky about planning my trips but once the commitment is made I have a Patrick-like attitude and try to deal with adversity and make the best of it. I also thought it would not be polite to inform the newer heli skiers that I had 20 lifetime heli days before this one, none of them less than 2/3 powder. Chugach Powder Guides flies small groups of 4-5 skiers, and there were 2 helicopters, each serving 4 groups on Monday. Most of these skiers were on 5-day packages. CPG is rare among heli operators in offering a "flex option" costing $600 for the $4,950 5-day package, which allows skiers to cancel and get credit to come another time. Full credit is given for cancellations 10 days or more in advance, but once the trip has begun the credit is based upon remaining vertical feet and was $2,150 for the 10 skiers who exercised the option after Monday's skiing. CPG also offered an option for skiers to transfer to their sister heli operation in Sun Valley, which has been getting fresh snow. 4 of the 10 people left in the wee hours Tuesday to do that. My understanding is that those 4 people have their lodging and skiing covered, but of course they paid about $1000 for the short notice flight(s) to Idaho.
I heard about the skiers bailing out while having dinner with Jim and Stan Monday night. Tuesday morning I inquired about my media rate day-to-day arrangement and we agreed that I would ski Tuesday but could bail out of the remaining 3 days at no extra charge.
On Monday the other helicopter had gone farther southwest to the other side of Turnagain Arm in search of better snow. Both helicopters and the 6 remaining groups skied this area on Tuesday. CPG rarely has to range this far from home base, so it was interesting to ski this less frequented used terrain. We were south of the Seward highway, on either side of the Alaska railroad tracks. Here's the view of Girdwood as we leave Tuesday morning:
The day started much more comfortably with 2 sunny runs north of the railroad.
The second run went fairly low into a few scattered trees.
There was occasional heavy powder down low. It had a rain crust but that layer was slowly breaking up, as I had observed at island Lake in 2003. Our lead CPG guide Henry said that the snowpack would gradually heal itself unless there was a further strong wind event.
Next we flew south across the railroad and over the Bartlett Glacier. This terrain was similar to the Skookum Glacier area Adam and I had skied on that epic waist-deep day 4 years ago. viewtopic.php?t=3034
A couple of views from the helicopter as Henry was scouting areas for us to ski.
Tuesday's runs featured generally smoother snow with much less sastrugi than Monday. However there was still some breakable crust, particularly as the glacier flattened.
There were some exposed icefalls above the glacier floor.
One of the guides skied over to retrieve some glacier ice for apres-ski drinks.
I'm skiing the flat part of the Bartlett Glacier on the way to lunch.
Sylvia was getting tired again, so the guides said I could ski the afternoon with some NASJA Corporate members from Utah, no doubt admin's acquaintances by now. Here we are at the toe of the Bartlett Glacier.
I'm with Jared from Snowbird, Jessica from Ski Utah and Nick from Solitude, flanked by CPG guides Rich and Ryan.
Before lunch this group had skied a ~35 degree chute into the glacier and were up for an encore. The snow was tight chalk but smooth and not breakable, definitely the best run of my 2 days, though I did not attack this slope as aggressively as the Utah locals.
Our last 2 runs were on more intermediate sloped chalk which gave way to the low elevation weakened rain crust. The first run down there my skis "railed" in that crust and I barely stayed in control. Then I looked back at the "powder turn" tracks made by the Utah locals with puzzlement. Last time down I figured out to make exaggerated upweighting in that crust as used to be necessary in the days before fat skis. Lots more effort but it effectively brought my turns under control.
Views down valley toward Turnagain Arm on the flight back to Girdwood.
View above Alyeska ski area.
I forgot my camera Tuesday. #-o So many thanks to guide Henry for the morning pics and Jessica for the afternoon pics. My vertical Tuesday was 17,200. The Utah group was a bit under 19,000 with a faster morning than I had.
Patrick will no doubt be amused by my opinion that these 2 days of skiing were in many respects similar to the 2 days of cat skiing at Arpa in Chile in 2007. Springlike temperatures were more comfortable at Arpa and the spring snow was not any more difficult than the variable conditions here. Upper elevation chalk and windbuff at Arpa were quite similar to what I skied here. With a heli the vertical skied was nearly double Arpa's, but the price multiple was much more than that.
I've had enough heli (22 days) and cat (44 days) experience by now to see a wide range of possible conditions. My day with CPG 4 years ago was as extreme on the positive side of conditions as these 2 days were on the negative. If terrain quality is your priority I still believe Chugach Powder Guides is the best I've experienced. Valdez might have more extreme terrain, but the downside risk is much greater without the cat and resort backup available at Alyeska. And supposedly Valdez had winds up to 150MPH and even worse surfaces than the western Chugach around Girdwood and Seward during this week. If powder is your absolute priority the safest bet is a Canadian operator like Mike Wiegele that has an abundance of both alpine and tree skiing.
Monday we're up early for safety orientation inside, then transceiver drill outside at a brisk 2 degrees F. We flew up the canyon west of Alyeska resort just beyond CPG's snowcat area. The first couple of runs were in the shade and quite nippy. The wind had left quite a bit of rough sastrugi, plus some of the smoother snow was actually breakable crust. The first run was all breakable crust on the top half but the only continuous powder of the day on its shaded lower half. Here we're waiting for tail guide Geoff and Jim to get down the second run.
Jim and his nephew Stan were from Pittsburgh and had relatively little backcountry/powder experience. This had been planned a decade ago as an ultimate trip, but not until this year did they both have the time and $ for it. Jim had skied very little during this time, so he was way overmatched by the terrain and difficult snow. He and the guide agreed that he was done with skiing at lunch. Starting our 3rd run we were across the valley in sunnier exposure, hoping for a bit softer and smoother snow.
After a 4th run in the same general area we stopped for lunch in the sun. Here's the heli coming in for a pickup.
Our lunchtime view:
After lunch Jim was replaced by Jacques, a strong French skier, so lead guide Henry took us to 3,600 vertical Long Shot. On a starting traverse we spotted some local wildlife up on the ridge above us.
More views of the varied terrain and snow on Long Shot:
We did a fairly good job linking sections of smoother and supportable snow on Long Shot.
The last run had a considerable amount of breakable crust in the middle. Jacques' wife Sylvia was a decent skier but got worn out by this last run.
We finished the day with 14,700 vertical, maybe 2K of scattered powder. As most of you know I'm picky about planning my trips but once the commitment is made I have a Patrick-like attitude and try to deal with adversity and make the best of it. I also thought it would not be polite to inform the newer heli skiers that I had 20 lifetime heli days before this one, none of them less than 2/3 powder. Chugach Powder Guides flies small groups of 4-5 skiers, and there were 2 helicopters, each serving 4 groups on Monday. Most of these skiers were on 5-day packages. CPG is rare among heli operators in offering a "flex option" costing $600 for the $4,950 5-day package, which allows skiers to cancel and get credit to come another time. Full credit is given for cancellations 10 days or more in advance, but once the trip has begun the credit is based upon remaining vertical feet and was $2,150 for the 10 skiers who exercised the option after Monday's skiing. CPG also offered an option for skiers to transfer to their sister heli operation in Sun Valley, which has been getting fresh snow. 4 of the 10 people left in the wee hours Tuesday to do that. My understanding is that those 4 people have their lodging and skiing covered, but of course they paid about $1000 for the short notice flight(s) to Idaho.
I heard about the skiers bailing out while having dinner with Jim and Stan Monday night. Tuesday morning I inquired about my media rate day-to-day arrangement and we agreed that I would ski Tuesday but could bail out of the remaining 3 days at no extra charge.
On Monday the other helicopter had gone farther southwest to the other side of Turnagain Arm in search of better snow. Both helicopters and the 6 remaining groups skied this area on Tuesday. CPG rarely has to range this far from home base, so it was interesting to ski this less frequented used terrain. We were south of the Seward highway, on either side of the Alaska railroad tracks. Here's the view of Girdwood as we leave Tuesday morning:
The day started much more comfortably with 2 sunny runs north of the railroad.
The second run went fairly low into a few scattered trees.
There was occasional heavy powder down low. It had a rain crust but that layer was slowly breaking up, as I had observed at island Lake in 2003. Our lead CPG guide Henry said that the snowpack would gradually heal itself unless there was a further strong wind event.
Next we flew south across the railroad and over the Bartlett Glacier. This terrain was similar to the Skookum Glacier area Adam and I had skied on that epic waist-deep day 4 years ago. viewtopic.php?t=3034
A couple of views from the helicopter as Henry was scouting areas for us to ski.
Tuesday's runs featured generally smoother snow with much less sastrugi than Monday. However there was still some breakable crust, particularly as the glacier flattened.
There were some exposed icefalls above the glacier floor.
One of the guides skied over to retrieve some glacier ice for apres-ski drinks.
I'm skiing the flat part of the Bartlett Glacier on the way to lunch.
Sylvia was getting tired again, so the guides said I could ski the afternoon with some NASJA Corporate members from Utah, no doubt admin's acquaintances by now. Here we are at the toe of the Bartlett Glacier.
I'm with Jared from Snowbird, Jessica from Ski Utah and Nick from Solitude, flanked by CPG guides Rich and Ryan.
Before lunch this group had skied a ~35 degree chute into the glacier and were up for an encore. The snow was tight chalk but smooth and not breakable, definitely the best run of my 2 days, though I did not attack this slope as aggressively as the Utah locals.
Our last 2 runs were on more intermediate sloped chalk which gave way to the low elevation weakened rain crust. The first run down there my skis "railed" in that crust and I barely stayed in control. Then I looked back at the "powder turn" tracks made by the Utah locals with puzzlement. Last time down I figured out to make exaggerated upweighting in that crust as used to be necessary in the days before fat skis. Lots more effort but it effectively brought my turns under control.
Views down valley toward Turnagain Arm on the flight back to Girdwood.
View above Alyeska ski area.
I forgot my camera Tuesday. #-o So many thanks to guide Henry for the morning pics and Jessica for the afternoon pics. My vertical Tuesday was 17,200. The Utah group was a bit under 19,000 with a faster morning than I had.
Patrick will no doubt be amused by my opinion that these 2 days of skiing were in many respects similar to the 2 days of cat skiing at Arpa in Chile in 2007. Springlike temperatures were more comfortable at Arpa and the spring snow was not any more difficult than the variable conditions here. Upper elevation chalk and windbuff at Arpa were quite similar to what I skied here. With a heli the vertical skied was nearly double Arpa's, but the price multiple was much more than that.
I've had enough heli (22 days) and cat (44 days) experience by now to see a wide range of possible conditions. My day with CPG 4 years ago was as extreme on the positive side of conditions as these 2 days were on the negative. If terrain quality is your priority I still believe Chugach Powder Guides is the best I've experienced. Valdez might have more extreme terrain, but the downside risk is much greater without the cat and resort backup available at Alyeska. And supposedly Valdez had winds up to 150MPH and even worse surfaces than the western Chugach around Girdwood and Seward during this week. If powder is your absolute priority the safest bet is a Canadian operator like Mike Wiegele that has an abundance of both alpine and tree skiing.
