2015 - 2016 AK Conditions & Stoke Thread

[Mike_Records]

Spent the weekend skiing Cornbiscuit and the south side of Magnum. So damn good where the wind hasn't gotten to it or it has not slid. The main wind affect is scour through channelized terrain; such as Turnagain Pass proper, Taylor Pass, etc. I did an ECTP test on a west aspect at ~3,600 feet. It didn't fail, I eventually got behind it an pried it out at the ground, snowpack depth there was 120 cm. I feel like those conditions are pretty representative of areas that survived the wind. Nice to ski steep pow again

[Mike_Records]

Thanks for the stoke. Making my first trip up to AK in April with a small crew. Not sure how to choose where to go in such a huge state, but I know we're renting an RV and planning on hitting a bunch of roadside delights - e.g., Turnagain, Hatcher, and Thompson passes, but I know Thompson will be overrun with the Tailgate AK shitshow. Anyhoo, stoked to come check out our mecca.

Awesome, you'll have a blast. The nice thing about Southcentral AK is that between Turnagain, Girdwood, the Chugach Front Range, the Talkeetnas, and Valdez usually somewhere is good to go. Renting an RV will be perfect for giving you the flexibility to take advantage of all the different local climates and weather. Tailgate is a a fun Alaskana experience. Its nice having drunk redneck sledders test avy stability by center punching everything in sight. Plus, you can rent sleds and get heli bumps there. Hit me up when your trip gets closer for conditions, etc. Also, for ideas check out my Trip Reports Page.

[Mike_Records]

Spent the weekend skiing Cornbiscuit and the south side of Magnum. So damn good where the wind hasn't gotten to it or it has not slid. The main wind affect is scour through channelized terrain; such as Turnagain Pass proper, Taylor Pass, etc. I did an ECTP test on a west aspect at ~3,600 feet. It didn't fail, I eventually got behind it an pried it out at the ground, snowpack depth there was 120 cm. I feel like those conditions are pretty representative of areas that survived the wind. Nice to ski steep pow again

Quick write-up from last weekends Turnagain glory.

[Mike_Records]

Skied laps in Main Bowl today. Absolutely dreamy soft winter light. Fun creamy pow, still shallow, but getting deeper! Despite yesterday's blitz of dire avy observations from TinCan and Eddies didn't see anything particulary troubling today. Lots of wind pillows, cornices, and winds slabs along ridge lines, but didn't get anything to move. I suspect yesterday was largely a rapid loading event that stabilized pretty quickly.

[Lindahl]

Nahhhh... I'll pass.

Looks like a terrible time! Keep posting!

[Mike_Records]

Did the Milk-Raven-Jewel glacier loop yesterday. This is a great early season tour, and rope and glacier travel refresher. Hoping to make this an annual tradition!

Heres the trip report from this one!

[Mike_Records]

Stable, calm, clear, and soft at Turnagain. Started and ended in the dark today. Can't wait to do it again tomorrow. Busy up there, finding untracked will be a challenge.

[Mike_Records]

I'm not going to forget this weekend for a long time. Yesterday we skied Bad Santa and Granddaddy. Granddaddy was thin in the choke, but the big right wall was so good. I did trigger one small slide on a wind loaded south aspect on Saturday morning. It was about a foot deep, 30 feet wide and ran 100 feet. I was the third person on the slope.





Photo: Brady Deal

[Mike_Records]

Skied the east face of Silvertip today. Dark, cold, and creamy up there. Strong easterly winds near the summit. Looking forward to how this next storm pans out.

[Chugachjed]

Bruh... I'm here till the 31. When are we shredding?

Already posted this elsewhere but this is where it belongs.

[Mike_Records]

Bruh... I'm here till the 31. When are we shredding?

That is $$$$$$

Let's ski next weekend!

[Chugachjed]

Noice! Patco21 and I are skiing tomorrow.

[Mike_Records]

Skied the east face of Silvertip today. Dark, cold, and creamy up there. Strong easterly winds near the summit. Looking forward to how this next storm pans out.

Heres the write up from a fun day racing the next storm.

[Chugachjed]

Today run #3 at tincan was top 5 runs all time.

[Mike_Records]

Stable, calm, clear, and soft at Turnagain. Started and ended in the dark today. Cant wait to do it again tomorrow. Busy up there, finding untracked will be a challenge.

Digging through the awesomeness that has been the last month, Gold Pan with Mary and Zack.

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

fuuuuuuuuck!

[Mike_Records]

Photo: Brady Deal

I love writing blog posts from days like this.

[nortonwhis]

Digging through the awesomeness that has been the last month, Gold Pan with Mary and Zack.

Awesome. Thanks for the stoke

[flyman683]

I'm not worthy....

At the level of my much more everyday adventures, anyone been in Hatcher since the wind extravaganza of the past week? I'm assuming w, nw is loaded like crazy and tons of windslab but can't hurt to ask.

[Chugachjed]

It was pretty hammered when I went up Tuesday.

[flyman683]

Observation confirmed. Stayed off the really loaded stuff, but anything up high was either scoured or wind slabbed.

[Mike_Records]

Observation confirmed. Stayed off the really loaded stuff, but anything up high was either scoured or wind slabbed.

Yikes. Tragic news about the avy death up there. Hatcher is scary right now. Skied Turnagain this week. Options sure are a bit limited with the relentless Kenai storms, but damn its gonna be good when it ends!

[Mike_Records]

Here's my favorite tour so far this year: the Santa Tour! A cold, dark, and deeeeep day around the Pastoral Zone.

Photo: Andy Milaskaus


Photo: Josh Wulff

[drlutton]

Bump to get this thread going again. turnagain was nice yesterday fresh 6-8in with great visibility. Winds did some damage to the top of tincan leaving a western facing cornice over the bowl. No hard layers that I noticed in the new snow

[Mike_Records]

Bump to get this thread going again. turnagain was nice yesterday fresh 6-8in with great visibility. Winds did some damage to the top of tincan leaving a western facing cornice over the bowl. No hard layers that I noticed in the new snow

Awesome! Looks beautiful