Ski AK: The Official 2013/20014 Thread

[bigAK]

Long weekend update: fine snow and long approaches in northern talkeetnas last week and hoodoos yesterday. Didn't see another soul, much less any other tracks...sunburned and happy.

[Mike_Records]

Its hard to keep up on life, let alone the internet with all this awesome weather. Ptarmigan back in March:

[Mike_Records]

Skied Carpathian yesterday. Big day for me both mentally and physically. Not highly recommended right now if you aren't into skiing blue ice over huge exposure. Trip report to come, a few pics for now:

Next time Malcolm will be bringing his ice axe:


Some good snow between the ice:


Fly on the wall:

Finally got around to writing up our day on Carpathian. Can't wait to get back up there, though probably not for the north face next time.

[ak_powder_monkey]

Thats sick Mike...

[Mike_Records]

Thats sick Mike...

Thanks dude. Can't wait to get back for the south face next year! You still skiing this spring?

[DasBlunt]

Some not-so-rad POV footage from last week around Girdwood.




and a blog post waxing about it for those who care to click
http://thenaton.com/adventures/ak2014/

Great video bump….

[Mike_Records]

Playing catchup, Korohusk in March:

[Mike_Records]

Anybody want to go skiing tomorrow?

[Mike_Records]

^^^^ Never made it down to Valdez this year, wish I had. Next year I suppose!

Last weekend at Hatcher was grand. Can anybody tell me what the white sparkle7 post at the top of Fairangel is all about?

The days that don't turn out quite as planned are the ones you remember!

[bobwoolmer]

Can you provide any video of Skiing of yours, because I am learning stage of Ski and want to know more about the sports. It seems you guys are professional in the Skiing. Now I follow the tips from Doron Biran for the initial stage, if I get any video then I can understand it better.

[Mike_Records]

Can you provide any video of Skiing of yours, because I am learning stage of Ski and want to know more about the sports. It seems you guys are professional in the Skiing. Now I follow the tips from Doron Biran for the initial stage, if I get any video then I can understand it better.

You'll want to start here:

[bobwoolmer]

Thank you for providing awesome videos. I have watched these videos and it is really helpful for me. I need to do more practice to do like yours.

[flyman683]

A little OT, but this thread will get it in front of the right people: Anyone have a line on a gravel pit or similar where it's legal to shoot? My brother is in town for a day or two and the ranges are closed Monday-Tuesday.

The knik river spot is closed for construction and I don't want to shoot somewhere I'm breaking the law...

Pm if you don't want to broadcast to the world, and nobody other than me will know how to get there - and I can keep it that way if needed.

[Mike_Records]

Palmer Creek a few weeks back. The headwall up there looks rad, def gonna get it next year.

[Mike_Records]

Received these private messages on facebook from someone named Wade(Dan?) Sachs. Never met or had any interaction with the guy before yesterday. Everyone has their personal opinion about the internet, but I think this is over the top.

"Just wanted to send you a huge fuck you with your incessant location name dropping of ski spots . Nothing like an out of state cheechako blogging all over the internet about every where you ski.You have probably never had a surf, skate, ski etc spot that was chill and private and pristine only to have it cunted up by some self absorbed ego maniac like yourself blowing it up by blogging all over the fucking internet. Fuck off Mike Records!"

"The issue here is not about sharing the mountains it's about not blowing up sweet spots by blogging all over the fucking internet and posting names and locations of sweet spots. i may be going out on a limb here but if you moved up here from Co it may have had something to do with over crowded backcountry and resort skiing.. You probably have never had a spot like that and been bummed out when some beaters blew it up and overcrowding/ over using and all the issues that go with high human use areas. Do you really have to post names of locations all over TGR and the like? bad enough you cunt up the AK ski facebook page but fuck that tgr shit dick waiving. What am I going to do about it? Just calling you out publicly like all your blogging. You want to take it further bring it on . If I ever do meet you face to face i certainly will continue to lack any filters. People dont need directions to killer spots ....they can find it by exploring on their own like its been done for thousands of years before the internet. You have a big fucking mouth blog boy and I will not be hesitant to call you on it.Fuck you and your big blogging mouth."

[Mike_Records]

Received these private messages on facebook from someone named Wade(Dan?) Sachs. Never met or had any interaction with the guy before yesterday. Everyone has their personal opinion about the internet, but I think this is over the top.

"Just wanted to send you a huge fuck you with your incessant location name dropping of ski spots . Nothing like an out of state cheechako blogging all over the internet about every where you ski.You have probably never had a surf, skate, ski etc spot that was chill and private and pristine only to have it cunted up by some self absorbed ego maniac like yourself blowing it up by blogging all over the fucking internet. Fuck off Mike Records!"

"The issue here is not about sharing the mountains it's about not blowing up sweet spots by blogging all over the fucking internet and posting names and locations of sweet spots. i may be going out on a limb here but if you moved up here from Co it may have had something to do with over crowded backcountry and resort skiing.. You probably have never had a spot like that and been bummed out when some beaters blew it up and overcrowding/ over using and all the issues that go with high human use areas. Do you really have to post names of locations all over TGR and the like? bad enough you cunt up the AK ski facebook page but fuck that tgr shit dick waiving. What am I going to do about it? Just calling you out publicly like all your blogging. You want to take it further bring it on . If I ever do meet you face to face i certainly will continue to lack any filters. People dont need directions to killer spots ....they can find it by exploring on their own like its been done for thousands of years before the internet. You have a big fucking mouth blog boy and I will not be hesitant to call you on it.Fuck you and your big blogging mouth."

Did some research sounds like this is the same dude as the artist formerly known as UniBonger.

[ak_powder_monkey]

From what I can tell is you named, carpathian (a mountain on a map) hatcher (a pretty well known huge place) and some huge hard to access unstable mountains in the eagle river valley (also on maps), oh and now palmer creek road. Just don't name my favorite places (that you might not know about because I never see tracks there) and we are good... Generally though, naming spots on the internet other than tincan (the only place to BC ski in Alaska, nobody should go anywhere else, you will die) is kinda lame. Then again there's a book called "The Alaska Factor" so there's that.

[flyman683]

Mike, I'm good with the TR's, although I'm sure that's just because I'm not core enough for Sachs.

Don't tell him the HPAC has a whole map with names of places on it!

Plus, it's Alaska and if you're going after a 10 mile back, Bushwack-only, fall-and-die, spring only couloir writing a trip report won't make more people show. It's too hard, there are too few qualified to do so, and speaking for most out there we are too lazy. It's why we ski Tincan...

[Mike_Records]

From what I can tell is you named, carpathian (a mountain on a map) hatcher (a pretty well known huge place) and some huge hard to access unstable mountains in the eagle river valley (also on maps), oh and now palmer creek road. Just don't name my favorite places (that you might not know about because I never see tracks there) and we are good... Generally though, naming spots on the internet other than tincan (the only place to BC ski in Alaska, nobody should go anywhere else, you will die) is kinda lame. Then again there's a book called "The Alaska Factor" so there's that.

Mike, I'm good with the TR's, although I'm sure that's just because I'm not core enough for Sachs.

Don't tell him the HPAC has a whole map with names of places on it!

Plus, it's Alaska and if you're going after a 10 mile back, Bushwack-only, fall-and-die, spring only couloir writing a trip report won't make more people show. It's too hard, there are too few qualified to do so, and speaking for most out there we are too lazy. It's why we ski Tincan...

Thanks for the feedback gentlemen. I guess part of it for me is that I don't mind seeing other people out there. One of the best days I had this year was on a Saturday at Tincan in February. It was fucking packed and I had a blast - didn't cross many tracks either. But, that being said, different yolks for different folks, which is something I should work on appreciating. Also, if you can see it from a road its not a secret. As it is, Palmer Creek is over-run by sluice mining and people in their souped-up ATVs.

Getting at Patrick's comment about his favorite places, I'm of the opinion that if someone shows you a new place they can ask you not to share it. But, if you find it yourself its up to you. Going off what flyman said, if you want a zone to yourself, you can expect an hour on a sled, hours suffering on a skintrack, or a bushwhack out of hell. That's nothing new, its the same program in Colorado, BC, AK, etc. I'm sure it was different 20 years ago, but there are a hell of a lot more people on the planet now, sleds can go anywhere, and today's skis, weather forecasting, and mapping make everyone an expert. Living in/near a city of 300,00 people sure isn't the way to find solace either. Here are two sick and special zones (1) (2): they remain that way because not many people want to drop 4k on a mountain sled, have the skills to work on their broken sled 30 miles from the trailhead, or suffer for hours to get there.

What it comes down to is that I don't really get a kick out of a fucking amazing picture of someone's tracks or another blower faceshot. Those are played out by every ski magazine, film company, and maggot out there. I'd rather read a story, and I don't think I'm the only one.

[bigAK]

if you want a zone to yourself, you can expect an hour on a sled, hours suffering on a skintrack, or a bushwhack out of hell. That's nothing new, its the same program in Colorado, BC, AK, etc.

Um, not that I agree with Wade, but that is new up here and probably in a way that's hard for someone from CO to fully grasp. Some of us still remember before/after the first photo of the tincan lot in powder magazine back in '96ish, whenever it was. Hell, even 6 years ago the tincan lot was basically deserted most weekdays - now it's packed regardless of avy danger every day of the week. And I would say it's really easy to "get a zone to yourself" here still - my preference as I rarely tour with anyone - you can sometimes even use the same parking lots as the masses. All it requires is that you care more about the experience of being out in the mountains and less about the name of whatever it is you're skiing. Frankly, I think folks that move here and make it the "same program" as whereever they came from have the wrong attitude. Ask families that were here before statehood or the pipeline if they think Alaska today represents much of what they fell in love with when they arrived (hint: it has a whole lot less to do with the number of people than the quality). I don't go to the glen alps parking lot in the summer and I haven't skied tincan in a few years now. That's not necessarily "bad," but it sometimes makes you wistful for days past.

I appreciate your photos and writing and don't see anything wrong with what you're doing. But you should recognize that 2-3 winter seasons up here doesn't give you much perspective on how the state has gone from zero to hero in the past 40 years, and how quite a few well-loved places have been transformed along the way...

[Chugachjed]

Drive down through turnagain any given winter weekend day and you will see the Tincan parking lot full and overflowing. Go a little further down and there will be Magnum and Cornbiscuit likely untouched. There's no blowing a spot up here like there is down in the states, the terrain is too big and too vast most people just want to get the easiest access to fresh snow. Hell I can ski freshies on Tincan 2 weeks after the last storm most of the time.

[Mike_Records]

Um, not that I agree with Wade, but that is new up here and probably in a way that's hard for someone from CO to fully grasp. Some of us still remember before/after the first photo of the tincan lot in powder magazine back in '96ish, whenever it was. Hell, even 6 years ago the tincan lot was basically deserted most weekdays - now it's packed regardless of avy danger every day of the week. And I would say it's really easy to "get a zone to yourself" here still - my preference as I rarely tour with anyone - you can sometimes even use the same parking lots as the masses. All it requires is that you care more about the experience of being out in the mountains and less about the name of whatever it is you're skiing. Frankly, I think folks that move here and make it the "same program" as whereever they came from have the wrong attitude. Ask families that were here before statehood or the pipeline if they think Alaska today represents much of what they fell in love with when they arrived (hint: it has a whole lot less to do with the number of people than the quality). I don't go to the glen alps parking lot in the summer and I haven't skied tincan in a few years now. That's not necessarily "bad," but it sometimes makes you wistful for days past.

I appreciate your photos and writing and don't see anything wrong with what you're doing. But you should recognize that 2-3 winter seasons up here doesn't give you much perspective on how the state has gone from zero to hero in the past 40 years, and how quite a few well-loved places have been transformed along the way...

Insightful post bigAK. You are totally right: I've been here 1 year, and have no idea what it used to be like. Pretty special place now, must have been wonderful back then too

Hell I can ski freshies on Tincan 2 weeks after the last storm most of the time.

Truth.

[bigAK]

Insightful post bigAK. You are totally right: I've been here 1 year, and have no idea what it used to be like. Pretty special place now, must have been wonderful back then too

Shit, all I did was win the location of birth lottery - I have my parents to thank for all the hard work and planning. Plus, the gear is a whole lot better these days

Wasn't trying to bag on you at all - I admire all the effort you put into TRs (me, I still need to find time to go through pictures from last summer's trips). Just wanted to explain that even people with less than half a lifetime up here have seen more change than a lot of folks ever thought possible, much less at such an accelerated pace, and that (rightly or wrongly) upsets quite a few people. To many, everywhere here was a "secret place" not too long ago and that's clearly not the case anymore. I had some dude rail against me this spring at the outdoor show in Fairbanks for being an "outsider Californian environmentalist" that was "ruining his state." Turns out after we chatted for a while, he first visited AK in '02 and moved a year or two later - get the fuck out indeed

[ak_powder_monkey]

Hell I can ski freshies on Tincan 2 weeks after the last storm most of the time.

If by freshies you mean the kind of freshies you find at 3 pm on a powder day at the resort then yes, yes you can. Tincan gets skied out faster than Eaglecrest, and Eaglecrest has a chairlift.

[sometimesdylan]

Eaglecrest has no vert and it rains way too much so nobody skis there. South Central is the place to be... the crowds don't lie.