Isthmus Peak Ski - March 2020

Jutting like a giant tooth of ice into the sky above the the Spencer Glacier, Isthmus is seared into the mind of every Turnagain skier. And, like every Turnagain skier who likes a slog, I've been dreaming about Isthmus. The challenge of Isthmus is its allure: its 20 miles from the trailhead, a giant wind tunnel, and in the middle of a rainforest of snow.

Last week Nyssa saw the upcoming break in the winds, and realized it was time for Isthmus. Hard snow conditions would make the approach manageable and stability was good. Firm skiing conditions were simply the cost of entry.

After parking at the quiet visitor center we cruised across the firm crust of the frozen lake.


Once past Portage Glacier, we took a hard right south and followed the lateral gully onto the river of ice.


Free for the constraints of a rope, travel was fast on the windbuffed and smooth lower glacier. Just short of the icefall, we turned left up a tributary and for a pass to the Burns Glacier.

Carpathian Peak Skiing - 3.29.2014

Updated 3.29.2020 to include another great day.

Carpathian, the name is filled with intensity and intrigue, but where does it come from? Does it come from the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, perhaps the mythical super humans that inhabit them, or maybe an Indo-European root word for rock? No one seems to know. Regardless, the mysterious power of the name embodies the mountain. Storms pouring into Turnagain Arm from the Prince William Sound pound the mountain with precipitation – rain, snow, ice. The extreme weather and the seracs, avalanches, and glacier hazards that come with it mean that it often takes two, three, even four attempts to get up and down Carpathian.

Back in late March, Malcolm and I decided to check it out. Due to my usual early morning grogginess, the day started out as a bit of a circus. I forgot the appropriate allen key to adjust my crampons for my new boots, and my camera was definitely missing its SD card. But, after a refueling stop for power rings (donuts), we were on our way across Portage Lake. Due to its proximity to the coast, the lake is often a nightmare – a wind tunnel of ice fog and ground blizzards. We got lucky, finding calm wind and fast, firm snow.

Three miles later, our faces covered in a fresh layer of rime, we were across the lake and at the base of the Portage Glacier:


Following the advice of a friend, we continued past the toe of the glacier, then climbed one of the lateral moraines which brought us past the terminal ice fall. As we moved up the Portage more glaciers came spilling down towards us.