Alaska: Post 3/4 April 9 & 10

After the initial one drop and our first ski down we are back to skinning. By far human power is the most satisfying way I know to get up a hill. Having said that and although reticent to be the cause of more choppers getting into the back country, it comes with one benefit that really kicks but: The first downhill run is on perfectly fresh legs!
In my view what sets Alaska apart as a destination is the combination of gnarly terrain - no people. This is one place where there is a lot more ski terrain than population density which makes for a unique and very different experience. The solitude on extraordinary ski terrain and the sheer infinity of it is in my book what makes Alaska such an amazing destination.

Here are some pictures (click to enlarge):

Long meandering skinning sessions.

Those long fun steep runs? Well they are long and steep on the up too...

Spires and more peaks than you can count.

The beauty of rock and ice.

Nothing like some glacier cruising to relax
from those pesky avalanches...

Did I mention Alaska also has powder...

Then there's just hanging out...

This is the kind of stuff you have to get through to make it back
to the Richardson HWY...

...in addition to fording streams...

...but eventually you get there...

In Alaska you don't even have to be good
with a camera to land shots like this one.