A couple days of skiing long runs of thousands of feet of powder above the Lake George Glacier started as what looked to be a day of getting shut down in the Western Chugach:
Our mountains (and souls) had been through several rough weeks of cruddy weather and wind when late March finally brought a period of sun. With a rare forecast for sun and calm in the Prince William Sound, we pointed for the long aesthetic runs dropping from the Meares Glacier plateau to the toe of the Yale that we skied years ago.
Photo: John Hermus
The zone was as dramatically beautiful as always, but the snow was dust on crust. John:
After a lap we jumped back into the expensive old piles of metal and avgas and pointed towards the Eagle Glacier. From the air above the Eagle it was clear the snow was likely wind affected here too, so we turned east again to check out a cool skintrack zigzagging up from the Lake George Glacier.
Photo: John Hermus
The zone was as dramatically beautiful as always, but the snow was dust on crust. John:
After a lap we jumped back into the expensive old piles of metal and avgas and pointed towards the Eagle Glacier. From the air above the Eagle it was clear the snow was likely wind affected here too, so we turned east again to check out a cool skintrack zigzagging up from the Lake George Glacier.
It was afternoon by the time we were parked next to Chris and Jon and were climbing their beautiful skinner - thanks a lot guys. The sense of scale was warped around this huge coastal glacier, and what looked like a quick lap turned out to be 3,000 feet of vert - it reminded me a lot of the east face of Twin Peaks in terms of pitch, length, and consistency minus the messed up terrain trap at the bottom. Trish and Shira:
The long lap to the bottom was hundreds of turns through smooth, shallow, old pow capped with glittering surface hoar crystals and finished at the bottom with a serving of steep turns down a convex pitch that rolled over to the glacier.
The long lap to the bottom was hundreds of turns through smooth, shallow, old pow capped with glittering surface hoar crystals and finished at the bottom with a serving of steep turns down a convex pitch that rolled over to the glacier.
Photo: John Hermus
Trish, Shira, and Dan had to head back for a house shopping, but John and I couldn't resist another long lap. Now all alone in this huge zone, John and I enjoyed the peace and atmosphere of the land of ice as we climbed to the top.
Photo: John Hermus
For the second lap, we tried out a different descent. It was just as lovely like the first one.
Photo: John Hermus
For the second lap, we tried out a different descent. It was just as lovely like the first one.
Photo: John Hermus
The next day, Nyssa and I couldn't wait to go back. Coasting to a stop, there were already seven or eight planes parked on the glacier - the secret was out. Sarah, Chris, and Shasta were taking a break between laps and came over to say hi then Peter joined us and we all started up together. I don't get to see any of these awesome folks enough, and was really stoked to skin with them for a bit.
The next day, Nyssa and I couldn't wait to go back. Coasting to a stop, there were already seven or eight planes parked on the glacier - the secret was out. Sarah, Chris, and Shasta were taking a break between laps and came over to say hi then Peter joined us and we all started up together. I don't get to see any of these awesome folks enough, and was really stoked to skin with them for a bit.
We decided to space out the groups by checking out the northernmost skinner. As we climbed, we saw Dana and Adam arrive on the glacier below. The lap was a bit more rolling than the others and it was fun to slash the drifted terrain as we skied endless turns to the huge river of ice below. Peter:
Then we met up with Adam for seconds, this time checking out the southernmost of the three skinners that Chris and company had put in. Although maybe not quite as steep, this lap was longest of the three with aesthetic turns adjacent to the crevasses and blocks tumbling down from a big feeder glacier.
With the glorious sun leaving us on the shaded east face, we went up for one last long lap down the middle of the face.
Knowing that with the strengthening spring sun, this face would cooked for the year, we watched Ken and his family ski their run, then joined what was now 80 tracks on the face.
Knowing that with the strengthening spring sun, this face would cooked for the year, we watched Ken and his family ski their run, then joined what was now 80 tracks on the face.
I wonder if we will ever ski this particular face again - with the infinite options to explore around the Lake George Glacier alone, I feel lucky to have skied two days here. Adam:
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