http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/trips/bucket-list/2014/fly-in-backcountry-skiing-alaska/
Jeremy Jones free-falls through a turn on a steep section of his line on "The Tooth" in Wrangell St. Elias National Park.
Photograph by Jeff Hawe
New Frontier: Fly-in Backcountry Skiing in Alaska
Snowboarder
Alaska has 302 million acres of public land and a mere
730,000 residents to share it with. Those are pretty good odds, says
Jones, which is why backcountry skiing in Alaska is a must-do for any
avid snowboarder or skier.
“Get a plane drop somewhere in Alaska and set up a base camp for 10 to 20 days,” he says. “There are so many unridden mountains in Alaska, and a plane is a great way to get into them. You get dropped off on these high glaciers where first descents and dream lines are totally achievable for midlevel backcountry snowboarders.”
With such an abundance of mountains and snow, the problem, of course, is choosing where to go. Recently, Jones arranged to fly into the eastern part of the Alaska Range from Delta Junction, Alaska, near Fairbanks. But for those who prefer the safety of a guide service, he recommends Ultima Thule Lodge, located on an island of private land within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, the country’s largest national park.
Between March and May, bush pilot Paul Claus flies guests and local guides to ski the giant bowls, couloirs, and glaciers of four converging mountain ranges. At the end of the day, everyone returns to the cozy log lodge for a homegrown meal and an evening drinking beers and gazing over the wide valley of the Chitina River.
“I’ve gone to a bunch of ranges, and in each range, you could spend a lifetime and ride a first ascent every day,” Jones says. “Alaska truly is skier and snowboarder paradise.”
Alaska Alpine Adventures guides backcountry ski trips in Lake Clark National Park and in the Chugach Range near Valdez, Alaska. Ultima Thule Lodge offers fly-in lodge-based ski trips in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
“Get a plane drop somewhere in Alaska and set up a base camp for 10 to 20 days,” he says. “There are so many unridden mountains in Alaska, and a plane is a great way to get into them. You get dropped off on these high glaciers where first descents and dream lines are totally achievable for midlevel backcountry snowboarders.”
With such an abundance of mountains and snow, the problem, of course, is choosing where to go. Recently, Jones arranged to fly into the eastern part of the Alaska Range from Delta Junction, Alaska, near Fairbanks. But for those who prefer the safety of a guide service, he recommends Ultima Thule Lodge, located on an island of private land within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, the country’s largest national park.
Between March and May, bush pilot Paul Claus flies guests and local guides to ski the giant bowls, couloirs, and glaciers of four converging mountain ranges. At the end of the day, everyone returns to the cozy log lodge for a homegrown meal and an evening drinking beers and gazing over the wide valley of the Chitina River.
“I’ve gone to a bunch of ranges, and in each range, you could spend a lifetime and ride a first ascent every day,” Jones says. “Alaska truly is skier and snowboarder paradise.”
Alaska Alpine Adventures guides backcountry ski trips in Lake Clark National Park and in the Chugach Range near Valdez, Alaska. Ultima Thule Lodge offers fly-in lodge-based ski trips in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
