Weekend Heli-ski and Mid-week Backcountry Touring

I am excited to announce a Remarkable Adventures trip option to join me for a skiers and riders dream trip. This year I'm introducing a Girdwood special guided week of heli-skiing on Saturday and Sunday along with your choice of booking 2-4 days worth of backcountry ski touring. This is the ultimate skiers and riders trip combining what is arguably the "best of both worlds" in the ski industry. Heli-skiing and riding is a must do experience for even the most soulful mountain men and woman. You only live once, might as well try it out. To the contrary hiking for your turns is something that the most die-hard resort riders and heli-skier addicts will likely find to be a life changing experience. I love taking people out after heli days, as good as it is a lot of people actually enjoy their non-mechanized days more... those turns become so good when you #earnyourturns .

Inquire on the Booking Page with your interested dates. I would love to enjoy a nice week of adventure in the mountains guiding your group. You could even consider doubling up on your heli-ski weekends if you have the time, call it a "heli-ski sandwhich" where the meat and cheese is hiking in the backcountry for your turns.  

I'm also pleased to report on an excellent start to our winter here in the Girdwood / Turnagain Pass, Alaska region. It has been great to be settled into home for the winter after my summer and fall travels to New Zealand and New England. It's been nice to ride the lifts at Alyeska Resort and the backcountry skiing at Turnagain Pass has been pleasantly surprising with ample snow cover and extremely high quality snow. Even though I skied for three months this summer, when you get back into the snow covered mountains it's easy to forget how awesome sliding on snow is. This year in fact I skied every single month of the year besides October 2016, one month out of ski boots and I'm more than ever psyched to be back in them... 2017 is gonna be a good year!

I head out, back up for another powder run on Winter Solstice Day as my friend and photographer Greg Stafford takes my new camera to snap this shot.

The snow quality during early season has been exceeding expectations. Solstice Day powder on Tincan.  Skier: Greg Stafford.  #AlaskanVelvetSnow

December was filled with a nice mix of blue days and storm days. Temps have been cold to hold snow at sea level. Ample snow coverage has provided good travel. Pictured here is Surface Hoar, if buried it provides an excellent weak layer for avalanching. 

Voile ski pictured here.  Voile.com

AK Winter to New Zealand Winter

Summer has gone full-swing here in Alaska, the warm sunny days are very enjoyable. I'm trying to make the best of my short summer here biking, hiking, maybe a little packrafting and relaxing. Next up is New Zealand! Southern Hemisphere, back to winter... Before I'm off here's a recap and photos from the second half of the 2016 AK winter ski season.

Of all the many places to ski around here, the days I get to go right in my backyard above Girdwood are often some of the best, most memorable days of the year. Goat Mountain looms above the start of this superb run on Ragged Top in the Chugach Mountains.

The Girdwood valley lies below with the North Face of Alyeska Ski Resort on the right, you can even see the tram's top terminal. The mountains go on forever here in Alaska.

I had a great opportunity to travel down to Juneau to teach an Avalanche level 1 course for the Alaska Avalanche School. I've always wanted to check out our states capitol city, it's a neat place. Perhaps the most beautiful capital in our country. We are hoping to be able to offer more courses in the Juneau / Eagle Crest ski area next year, stay tuned SE Alaska.

My good buddy, ski partner and colleague Adam and I set out to go for a casual ski somewhere in Turnagain Pass, we had no plan. Driving through the pass we couldn't come to a conclusion so we pulled over. Dead ahead of us was Twin Peaks, we both looked at it for awhile in silence, then at the same time looked at each other and said, "you ever do that?" It was an awesome day! 

Twin Peaks skied really well... a steep top pitch then 3,000 feet of nice consistent skiing, just right, turn after turn.

Here I enjoy the world famous Alaskan Velvet Snow on Twin Peaks. Amazing what the iPhone camera can capture these days, along with a little editing.  - Photo by: Adam Smith.

I truly enjoy taking people out into the mountains for their first time backcountry skiing or snowboarding. One week I had a fellow from Connecticut, a family from Canada and a couple from Minnesota. I enjoy these days just as much as I enjoyed the week before when I guided heli-skiing and spent a day guiding a different Canadian group who probably had more collective time spent ski touring than I have in my life.

The mountains are seemingly endless here in AK. There are lifetimes of possibilities to link ski tours together.

A snippet of one of our many zones for heli-skiing with Chugach Powder Guides. This was a good day, good snow, good weather and good people.

Which one is your favorite powder shot?

If you have never been heli-skiing, it is a really good time, a must do for any serious skier or boarder. See what Alaska has to offer. Come ski with Remarkable Adventures. Inquire here to book your next ski trip for mechanized and/or human powered skiing.