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Guide Book for Skiers - To
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ALASKA
BACKCOUNTRY SKIING: VALDEZ AND THOMPSON PASS
Weather Information Links
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SNOTELS
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General Avalanche Rating
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Wortmanns/Odessey/Sapphire Arenas |
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Level One and Level Two Alaska's Finest Avalanche Education |
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Attitudes About Angles(click here) By Matt Kinney on 12-26 (other essays at bottom of page)
June 26-28
Nabesna Road
Wrangell/St. Elias National
Park
Arrived Friday night at Slana to 4" of snow down to the road and the following am showed all the mountain tops smothered in snow. Set up camp at Jack Creek and did a 24-Mile RT to the Nabesna Mine on Saturday. We did not encounter a single car during the ride. On Sunday we reconned up Lost Creek to assess the route to the Noyes Mts to the east of the Road. Nice weather both day exploring the park area rarely visited. We have been up there numerous times over the years. Very nice trails and excellent camp sites with superbly clean outhouses. The NPS continues to make improvements Thanks!!
Jack Creek Campsite
Biking south toward Nabesna Mile 38
Jack Creek Lunch Break
Rainbow smiles as we head home
6-23
Nice group last night for the
Solstice Hike to the top of Little Odessey. Weather was good enough
but we did encounter a bit of everything from drizzzle, small pellets
of hail, fog wind and welcome sunspots. The group included Bonnie
Cudnohufsky, Donna Lane, Nedra Buck, Debra White, Tabitha Gregory, Karen
Weiland and of course "Jack".
!!Summit Shot!!
Wild flower chat
Up, up and up.....
Golden solstice sunlight and
storm clouds
Picture of the
Week
Tabitha Gregory /Training Run
Mineral Creek Canyon - Valdez
June 20-22
Hit the Eagle River highlands
near Anchorage for a quick tour of Mt Baldy. Saw lots of families
grabbing the summit and beyond. Nice day.
June 12-14
3Pics
Tabitha and I along with Bonnie
C. spent the weekend on the Denali Highway. Day one included a 20-mile
R/T mountain bike to rarely visited Osar Lake from McClaren Summit.
We had mostly rainy and cool conditions and the trail was excellent for
biking. We camped near the trailhead.
Check back weekly as we explore
different areas of Alaska each weekend.
Lessings Arnica along with other
alpine flowers were in full bloom. Birding was excellent as I finally got
the Arctic warbler to my life list. The American Tree Sparrow was also
a unique sighting. Other birds spotted at Osar Lake and on our Sunday hike
to Pk 4250 included Oldsquaw, Lesser Scaup, Bonaparte Gull, Lesser Yellow
Legs Long-tailed Jaegers along with Red-necked phalaropes.
Tabitha and Bonnie along the trail biking up and out from Osar Lake.
Ski Alpinism
Embrace It.
Its Good For the Earth
SNOW STATS
Here are my final snow stats based on daily obs for
the NWS at Valdez 18E Snotel. All Snow/we were hand gauged not automated.
I did not miss an 8am daily observation during the entire period below.
Power to the Skinners
RECENT ARTICLES AND ESSAY by Matt Kinney
4-20 SNOW THOUGHTS :
Valdez should end the season with well under 300" for the 3rd season in
a row with 266". Valdez had 275" last season and 240" the season
before. Records indicate Valdez has rarely if ever recorded
annual snowfall in the 200" range. The shallow snowpack below 3000'
is very noticeable.
Here at the Chalet we have recorded
our lowest snowfall total (129") in 10 years of maintaining the snotel
for the NWS along with other volunteer Observer duties. TP has not
had a snow event in excess of 12" since early Feb which is very similar
to the past 3 years which indicate that snow pretty much ceases after Feb
15. Feb used to be the snowiest month of winter, but now it is the
least. Not sure what's up, but its not our world famous snow amounts!
Seems Turnigan Pass/Alyeska have been enjoying banner years at our expense,
which may indicate a dramatic variation of the typical tracks of lows into
PWS to more west of here. I'll leave that interpretation to the climate
experts. I hope to have some year ending stats on water equivalency
and other geeky things up in a few days.
5-4 - PLACE NAMES-
I
recently viewed an ESPN show on skiing Thompson Pass. An interview
was conducted with a guide who stated that Nicks Happy Valley was named
for Nick Perata, the snowboarder. The Alaska Avalanche Center began
educating DOT employees on avalanche awareness in Thompson Pass in the
early 80's. One of those instructors was Nick Parker. Nick
Parker is a long time Alaskan who works in the ski shop at Alaska
Mountaineering and Hiking. "Nicks" was frequently used by the class.
My research of DOT avalanche records also show the name as "Nicks" for
many years prior to 1992.
Another "guide" error is
the misspelling of Mt. Dimond (not diamond). It is a USGS designated name
and is in honor of Judge Tony Dimond, the 1st territorial Judge of Alaska
who was based in Valdez. This is noted on the topo and in
Alaska Place
Names (Orth).
A process for establishing topo landmarks
is critical to future surveys, basic navigation and of course, search
and rescue. It's part of the heritage and tradition of cartography
in America and world history. "Local" names, an actual mapping
category, are also useful but have yet to be established. You are
free to call features whatever you want. Many of these names are
colorful and useful as reference points to of those who live and work in
the area
In recent years,
applications have been made to the USGS on peaks in the Worthington Glacier
area and have been rejected by USGS due to commercial interest. Having
a corporate name for a peak on USGS topo is not acceptable.
Whispy Encounters (posted Nov 15, 2008
STEEP : A Movie Review and Response (posted Oct 15, 2008 )
SNOCAMS OF VALDEZ : A Forecastng Perspective (posted May 15, 2008
Note: Visiting heliskiers are
reminded that the front range of Thompson Pass provides worldclass ski
touring/mountaineering terrain for skiers from around the world, the local
area, and yes, even visiting heliskiers and guides. Cooperation before
regulation works best. The Chugach has vast areas away from popular
venues for the recreational public to enjoy the ease of access to vast
untracked slopes provided along the highway. This access makes Thompson
Pass truly unique. Helisking above these areas is unsafe and intrusive.
The Chugach is vast so request your heliteam guide prove it by flying the
extra few miles for untracked terrain. Thanks to the 3 heliski companies
operating in the Chugach who respect the safety and user-conflict issues.