Ski with views of spectacular Harp Mountain and Cantata Peak along the South Fork of Eagle River. We'll ski out towards the Hanging Valley with our final destination depending on weather, snow, our speed and daylight. Please meet at the Alaska Bagel Company (on Northern Lights between A and C streets) parking lot at 9:00 am, and convene at the Chugach State Park trailhead at 10:00 am for this ski. Expect to return to the trailhead about 3:30 or 4:00 pm. Be prepared for cold, wind, and good times. You'll need warm clothes including some for breaks, food for a lunch stop and plenty of water. The ski has two relatively steep short portion, both at the start near the trailhead and about 3 miles in which can be skied or skinned possibly hiked. Otherwise the trail is relatively flat and easy to
ski. Feel free to bring your dog.
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EVENTS & PROGRAMS :: Backcountry Touring
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Winter Backcountry Ski Tours - 2007-08 Welcome! There are many new fantastic trips planned for this year...check them out! Scroll to the bottom of this page to get a more detailed description of what to expect on your next adventure!
Nov 23rd, 2007 ~ South Fork Eagle River
Dec 9th, 2007 ~ Peters Creek - Moved to Hidden Lake Rev.12/2/07 More Information about this tour (posted 12/3/07): Ski with views of spectacular Ptarmigan Peak, Avalanche Peak and Powerline Pass along the South Fork of Campbell Creek and the backside of O'Malley, the Wedge and the Ramp as we travel towards Hidden Lake with the Nordic Ski Club on Sunday December 9th. We'll meet at the bakery at Carrs Huffman at 9am and at the Glen Alps trailhead about 9:45 am. Expect to return to the trailhead about 4 pm.
........................................................................................................ Previous Peters Creek Trip Information: (before the change to Hidden Lake 12/3/07) Dec 30th, 2007 ~ Johnson Pass Trail, Kenai Peninsula - Was Hidden Lake More Information about this tour (posted 12/26/07): Ski the Johnson Pass trail along Center Creek to spectacular views of the Kenai Mountains looking up Center and Bench Creeks. Ski from the trailhead near the Granite Creek Campground to the bridge over Center Creek. This 8 mile round trip ski is on relatively flat terrain suitable for skiers who can handle short rolling hills on a medium width trail. We'll meet at 9:00 am at the Chugach State Park Headquarters near Potter's Marsh, This is the parking lot on the right towards the Inlet, with the train and bathrooms. Anticipate arriving at the north Johnson Pass Trailhead (mile 64 of the Seward Highway) about at 10:15 or 10:30 am. Since we ski about 2 miles an hour and take plenty of breaks, you'll want adequate food, water and warm clothes. Anticipate snow, wet snow(rain?) and wind. You can exam current meterologic conditions at the trailhead at:
........................................................................................................ Previous Hidden Lake Trip Information: (before the change to Johnson Pass 12/23/07) Jan 19th-21st, 2008 ~ Pupsicle Ski the great trails to Tazlina Glacier Lake and around Mendeltna Creek. Our lodging, the Mendeltna Creek Lodge is 153 miles from Anchorage. Cabins and a bunkhouse are available and RVs are welcome. A tremendous cuisine with plenty of food is provided. Dogs are a welcome guest while skiing and in your room. There is a nice lodge to hang out at and enjoy a relaxing evening after skiing. This is a perfect ski trip for folks who like to ski, then relax and enjoy themselves. Feb 3rd, 2008 ~ Gold Mint Trail (Hatcher Pass) Posted 1/27/08 We intend on skiing about 5 miles up the valley (10 miles round trip) with an overall elevation gain of 800 feet over the 5 miles. The trail is relatively steady with just a few fast downhills. While the terrain is suitable for a beginner the length of the ski may not be. There is avalanche debris which must be negotiated. This will necessitate removing skis, walking across the debris and donning the skis again. Since we'll be traveling in avalanche terrain, bring avalanche gear, beacon, shovel and probe. If an avalanche seems probable, we'll seek other terrain to ski since there are alternatives in the area. Be prepared for the elements, wind, cold and precipitation including possibly rain. Bring adequate water and food. For those skiing with their dogs, porcupines are in the area.
Feb 24th, 2007 ~ Center Ridge Posted 2/18/08 We'll meet at the Chugach State Park headquarters parking lot at 9:00 am. This is the parking lot with the train and batrooms next to the old Alaska Railroad Potter wayside south of Potter on the Seward highway. We anticipate arriving at the trailhead about 10:15. Expect to return to the trailhead about 4:30 pm. The climb is only 1,050 feet in 2 miles of skiing from the trailhead but you'll need skins. You'll also need adequate clothing for the weather which can be wet snow, wind and cold. Be prepared and bring plenty of water and food because we'll take breaks and enjoy lunch. It's not a requirement that you have a telemark turn down (after all this is a tour), but it'll make returning to the rigs that much easier. There are safe and easy alternatives for returning to the car. If you have avalanche gear (beacon, shovel, probe).
March 9th, 2008 ~ Hatcher to Willow NOTE: The Hatcher Pass Bus Tour is SOLD OUT. Thanks for your interest! We are resurrecting an old favorite. Meet in Anchorage for a bus transport to Hatcher Pass, ski over the pass and down the creek to Willow where we'll meet the bus for a trip back to Anchorage. The bus will make a vrief stop at 8:00 AM at the Palmer Carr's to pick up passengers wanting to board in Palmer. Space is limited and there will be a charge for the bus. Contact Bob Sutherland at 336-1717 or AnchorageNordicSkiTours@gmail.com
March 15th - 16th, 2008 - Manitoba Mountain Telemark and Tour Overnight
Join us for a fun filled winter camping ski trip allowing you to telemark ski and tour in one of the safest places in Alaska to do so. Feel free to join us for a day either Saturday or Sunday if your schedule doesn't allow a full weekend of fun. We'll meet up at the Chugach State Park Headquarters parking lot near Potters Marsh at 9 am on Saturday March 15h – the Ides of March. This is the parking lot with the train and the batrooms. From there we'll car pool and drive to the trailhead at mile 48 of the Seward highway. Expect to ski on a well established trail about 1 ¾ miles before we set up camp gaining about 1000 feet of altitude from the trailhead. We'll dig a pit for a common area for cooking and camp in the trees out of the wind. From this campsite we can quickly climb from for some turns or tours. See the attached map for the location of the camp, the GPS coordinates are: 60° 41.061" N, 149° 26.795"W Bring your own camping gear and food, a parts list is attached for suggestions. Be prepared for the elements, it can be windy and cold. Expect to arrive back to the cars about 4 or 5 pm depending on how much fun is happening. March 23rd, 2008 ~ Arctic to Indian NSAA RELEASE FORM - must be completed and brought to the trailhead with you. Tour Information, updated 3/18/08 This 22 mile traverse is a spring skiing classic! Starting at Arctic Valley we will drop down to Ship Creek make our way up the creek to Indian Pass where we'll drop down to Indian Creek and make our way back to the trailhead. When thinking about this trip, folks need to consider the length of the ski trip, their backcountry skiing ability and the risk they are willing to take in avalanche terrain. The ski alone can take 8 to12 hours depending on trail conditions and trip participants. We'll ski within several avalanche areas indicating the need for avy gear. I can not emphasize enough being prepared since we can be a long ways from either trailhead. This is not a trip for beginners. So folks should bring back country skis, avy gear, dress for the weather, bring plenty of food and water for the length of the trip and bring something for their shoes since we expect ice with little or no snow near the Indian trailhead. Please expect to participate in the car pool.
If you have any questions or need more information contact your trip leader at 336-1717 or anchoragenordicskitours@gmail.com April 4-6, 2008 ~ Denali View Chalet Enjoy the weekend at an rustic Alaskan lodge on Kroto Lake south of Mt. McKinley. Ski 8 miles into the lodge with just a day pack. Great views, fantastic company, exquisite quisine, sauna and skiing. Space is limited. For more information contact Diana Johnson at 278-9607 or 278-2789 or via email at akdianaj@yahoo.com.
April 13th, 2008 ~ North Manitoba Tele Tour Join us for this out of the way seldom toured area north of Manitoba Mountain.
We'll ski by Manitoba, drop into Black Creek through the trees and ski up to Wilson Creek. If we have enough time we'll continue to Weber Creek. Between Black and Wilson Creeks there is a fun low angle slope small and similar to Manitoba. The total distance toured will be small, about 8 miles round trip, but travel will take some time due to the terrain and snow conditions. This is not a trip for the beginner. Meet at the Chugach State park headquarters parking lot, the parking lot with the train and bathrooms near Potters Marsh at 9am. We'll carpool from there and drive to the Manitoba trailhead at mile 48 of the Seward Highway. Expect our arrival there about 10:15 or so. We expect to be back at the rigs about 5pm. You'll need skins for your skis, avalanche gear (beacon, shovel, probe) and either backcountry or telemark or AT skis. Be prepared for the weather by having adequate clothing. You'll also need water and food.
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