Arctic to Indian

Last weekend I got out for one of Anchorage, Alaska’s classic ski tours – the Arctic to Indian traverse. This 20 mile, relatively flat excursion through the heart of the Chugach Front Range is a must-do event for many each spring. Most people wait for longer days and a beat-in track before taking it on. It can be done in as little as 4 hours but it takes many the full day to complete.

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More Early Turns - Waiting for Winter

One of the tasty faces off the Milk GlacierWinter is taking it’s sweet time getting here, even here in Alaska. The powder day I had under blue skies two weeks ago was just a tease. I went back to Crow Pass last Sunday for a tour on an adjacent glacier, the Milk, but the snow was hammered. Still, seeing that terrain was cool even if the run down was survival skiing.

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First Turns 2012-13

Looking out across Crow Pass to Eagle RiverWe wait all summer and fall for them – those first turns of the year. Temperatures cool and we watch the hills after every storm to see what they call in Alaska, “Termination Dust”. Kinda funny.  Well, the dust has been plentiful and, truth be told, first turns were had by many following a storm on September 31^st.

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Murder Traverse

South Suicide (R) and North Suicide Peaks (L) Although I've had a good time sniffing around the Chugach on my own and finding fun objectives that regularly kick my ass, local beta is helpful for finding cool stuff. A new friend of mine who's been around awhile and regularly gets after it with equally ambitious characters gave me a fun idea recently that I completed a couple of weeks ago.

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Cutting It Close On O'Malley

The O'Malley rideline to The Ramp, Ship Pass exitThe weather here in Alaska seems to finally be coming around this summer and my exploration of the Chugach front range peaks continues in earnest. These mountains are not particularly high nor rugged but what they lack in scale they make up for some of the most pleasant ridge cruising to be found anywhere.

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