Time Out in Alyeska, Alaska. Travel

Mountainwatch / Words and photos Tony Harrington

Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, is the gateway airport for Heli skiers, sliders, backcountry tourers and alpinists heading into the legendary mountain ranges of Chugach, Tordrillos, Alaska Range and beyond.

Quite often Alyeska Resort, which is just 40 miles south of Anchorage, is the first stop, a place to get acquainted to the Alaskan feel, check your equipment and shake off any kind of travel fuzz that you landed with. Alyeska typically receives around 670 inches (17m) of snow fall each year, but this winter is a bumper season with 785” (20m!) so far and it is still coming down.

The drive from Anchorage Airport is spectacular, around the Chugach Mountains on the left and a body of ocean water called Turnagain Arm on the right. Hit it on the right days of tide of the month and you’ll catch the legendary “bore tidal wave” that surfers will often ride for many miles when the tide runs back in.

A few days ago, I ran into legendary big mountain skier Chris Davenport who was in Alyeska enroute with a group of clients to fly in by plane and land in a remote landscape to camp/hike/ski Denali (North Americas highest mountain). I was transiting through Anchorage on my way to Tordrillo Mountain Lodge and it was great to catch up with Chris and his crew for a few runs.

So, if Alaska is on your hit list, make sure you include a visit to Alyeska as it has all the facilities you need in a quaint international and world class destination. The resort has plenty of terrain and enough powder days each year to keep the most discerning riders happy while if you’re keen for adventure access to the backcountry is on the doorstep. Cat Skiing and the Chugach Powder Guides Heli Ski operation are based right out of the hotel that’s situated at the bottom of the mountain for a ski in/ski out experience.

For more info, check out https://www.alyeskaresort.com