Thursday, May 5, 2011

Crust Skiing Pics

Since crust skiing in the mountains is my absolute favorite activity, I wanted to share a few shots from skinny ski outings in AK this past spring.
Portage glacier area was primo this year. Blue skies, blue glacier, and sparkling crusty snow.
The Patrick Stinsonator
He tries not to tell anyone, but he still does tele too...
Hbrooks and I on our ski over to Blackstone Bay. On skinny skis and perfect conditions the trek over can be done super quickly and the views are unbelievable.
Dylan Watts. This guy can put down some serious wattage on skis.


Das ist Ronsse in Deutchland spandex.


Early morning sunrise.

Rob rippin. We just held our poles on the downhills just in case we would punch through and brake one when descending.
HBrooks with her contagious smile and laugh.
Holly, a happy birthday girl at the top of Ship Pass.
Exploring on the way to Indian

It was great to see the spin-off of an already silent sport get some exposure in the media (ADN's 61 degrees north magazine) even though I almost always cringe and laugh when reading my own comments in newspapers or magazines. But I absolutely love spreading the word and seeing more people taking advantage of the Portage crust than I've ever seen before. It really can be a fun activity for skiers of all ages and levels. If you're trying to figure out where the conditions might be good, you can always check the trail conditions forum on the CCAK website.
Overlooking Whittier

It was great to get in some good adventures with friends during my final weeks and months in Alaska for the next while. I'll miss AK but am also looking forward to new ventures in Utah too as I start the 3-year dPT program this spring.

If you have any good tips on places to crust cruise down there, let me know!