Pika Glacier Alaska Ski Trip

The Alaska Range is one of the most spectacular mountain landscapes on the planet and the glaciers and cold powder in the spring months are a skier's delight with a limitless supply of slopes to feed the powder addiction for many lifetimes.  Since visiting this range for the first time in 1994, Eli has been fortunate to return every year to lead climbing and skiing trips in one of his favorite places for mountain adventures and he'll be returning again in April of 2013 with a small group of skiers to explore more virgin slopes of deep powder and amazing vistas.

Glacier skiing avoids one of the weak layers in the snowpack that we find abundant in non-glaciated terrain which is the formation of depth hoar on the glacier surfaces.  Nearby ridges and other areas may have this heinous weak layer in supply, but the cold base of a glacier negates the formation of this basal facet and so we are primarily focused on surface layering which in the past has primarily consisted of sloughing on the steep slopes we visit.

Dropped into the Pika Glacier by our partners at Talkeetna Air Taxi, this was another amazing week of skiing in North America's greatest mountain range and we had the place to ourselves.  Powder stayed deep and cold while the corn cycle on south slopes started and ended late in the day for a range of predictable options with LOW avi danger and a well covered glacier system.

We can't wait to return in April of 2013- maybe you should join us?

ClimbingLife Guides Alaska Ski Expedtion

Seth finding deep powder in the Hobbit Hop Couloir (45 degree powder, 300m).

Climbing up from the base of the Hobbit Hop with the Royal Tower in the near distance.

An amazing ascent and descent of the Bella Couloir (45 degree corn, 600m) on Italy's Boot.

Perry, Jim, Eli, Dave, Seth, and Mike on our 2012 April trip into the Pika Glacier.

Mike ripping it up in the lower half of the quickly warming Bella Couloir on the south face of Italy's Boot.

Seth dropping a knee in the lower narrow of the Bella Couloir.  Our up track stretches across the valley to skirt around the ice fall to the Pika.

Jim the Flyin' Hawaiian impressed us all with his smooth skiing and true Aloha spirit.

Headng up above camp towards telephone col and another 200m high lap of silk powder in the 35-45 degree range.

Jim, Perry, and Dave reaching the top of the Hobbit Hop Couloir.

Mt. Foraker rising up to 17,400' and only behind Denali and St. Elias as the highest peaks in the United States.  Foraker is one of the most difficult in the Alaska Range with only a handful of ascents and many accidents and deaths on its windswept heights.

Sweet lines above camp on the Pika.

TAT is the top rated flight service in Alaska and flying in their beautifully restored Otters and Beaver  ski equipped planes is a highlight of any trip to the Alaska Range.

Jim finding sweet powder in the center of the Hobbit Hop Couloir.

Dave resting up for the next lap of sunny powder and blue skies, no wind skiing on the Pika in April.

Dave, Perry, and Mike getting ready for another run down the Sunset Couloir, just 30 minutes above base camp and with corn conditions in the 5-7pm time frame on this trip.

Jim jump turning in the 48 degree steeps of the Flyin' Hawaiian Couloir on the south face of Italy's Boot.

The TAT otter with chief pilot Richard Olmstead dropping us off on the Pika.  Eli and Richard first flew together in 1994 at midnight on a summer solstice and have been connecting regularly in the Alaska Range since that time.

Dave enjoying some soft corn in the later afternoon of the Sunset Couloir (40 degree, 200m)

Typical roomy and well insulated camp tent.  Temperatures inside the tents reach 80F in the day with nighttime lows reaching the single digits but quickly warming up with the early sunrise at this time of year.

After too many years of yearning for cheeseburgers mid-trip, we've adopted a regular cheeseburger (or tofu) diet along with fresh omelets, toasted bagels, drip coffee, burritos, and other non-typical camping cuisine.  The only thing we miss is pizza and luckily some of the best in the world is available at the  Moose's Tooth Pub  in Anchorage to take care of that need before we jump on the plane home.

Mike Arnold has been training for a few seasons in AK with Eli while preparing for his upcoming AMGA Ski Mountaineering Guide Exams.  Mike has already passed his Aspirant Exams in Ski Mountaineering, Alpine and Rock Guiding and so is only one more set of exams away from full IFMGA Licensing.  Eli "enjoyed' his exams in the Thompson Pass area of AK in the springs of 2002 and 2003 under the tutelage of senior IFMGA Ski Guides.

Seth staying warm on the long, steep climb up the Bella Couloir on the south face of Italy's Boot.  Who thought we'd be so warm in mid-April in the middle of the Alaska Range.  Global warming?