Question for Alyeska skiers

I moved to Anchorage this summer and I’m deciding if I should get an Alyeska season pass, Ikon, or nothing at all. I ski 80%+ in the backcountry but I still enjoy occasional resort days. My work schedule is pretty mellow in the afternoons this year and Alyeska is open late several days a week and I would probably take advantage of that. My question is, does Alyeska regularly open the steeper terrain? I know the very steep stuff is very rarely open, I’m just talking about basic off piste stuff that is steep enough to slide. I don’t want to buy a pass just to ski chopped up groomers and bumps on the frontside.

fuck Alyeska
buy a pass to Arctic Valley
better yet, volunteer at AV and get their pass for free

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If the north face isn’t open the rest of the resort pretty much sucks. Conversely it’s really hard to tour unless it’s a sunny day so backcountry days are limited. It just doesn’t snow below tree line that much any more.


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Originally Posted by altacoup

If the north face isn’t open the rest of the resort pretty much sucks. Conversely it’s really hard to tour unless it’s a sunny day so backcountry days are limited. It just doesn’t snow below tree line that much any more.


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Thank you this is what I needed to hear.

yeah Alyeska sucks!

Rule #1) Never trust a skier that says they ONLY ski the backcountry

#2) you have to treat Alyeska like the gym, perfect for flat light/ bad weather days to keep the legs strong.

This is pretty typical representation of a winter in Girdwood. Lots of dark mountain shredding followed by glorious bluebird days in the big mountains.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt6VSGBEryc

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Originally Posted by carpathian

yeah Alyeska sucks!

Rule #1) Never trust a skier that says they ONLY ski the backcountry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt6VSGBEryc

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A skier who only skis backcountry in Alaska is a skier who doesn’t ski many days. But will get some all time best days ever days in those days. Bennteke is coming from Utah, the terrain at Alyeska is underwhelming in comparison. Unless the north face is open. That shit is good. Alyeska is basically Brighton if the Milly chair was closed for half of operating days.


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Originally Posted by altacoup

A skier who only skis backcountry in Alaska is a skier who doesn’t ski many days. But will get some all time best days ever days in those days. Bennteke is coming from Utah, the terrain at Alyeska is underwhelming in comparison. Unless the north face is open. That shit is good. Alyeska is basically Brighton if the Milly chair was closed for half of operating days.

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Thanks for putting this in terms I can understand. Brighton is my least favorite cottonwoods resort since jumps aren't my thing. I'll skip the pass

Invest in a good headlamp. My son kept plenty busy in the front range. Screw driving the Seward highway for a couple hours of skiing

Rule #3

There is an irrefutable, inverse correlation between the amount of complaining/ comparison of snow conditions from Outside skier transplants and their actual ski ability.

Rule #1 is stupid, several of the best skiers I know never go to the resort. I spend time riding lifts because I want to improve my skills not because I think its the most fun activity ever, although on the right days it certainly can be

I appreciate Rule #2, but it is one expensive gym!

Rule #3 can fuck off, I'm not complaining just trying to do some research before spending $1500 on a ski pass

Already got a collection of very bright lights and I am used to skiing every day in the dark all winter

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Originally Posted by Benneke10

Rule #1 is stupid, several of the best skiers I know never go to the resort. I spend time riding lifts because I want to improve my skills not because I think its the most fun activity ever, although on the right days it certainly can be

I appreciate Rule #2, but it is one expensive gym!

Rule #3 can fuck off, I'm not complaining just trying to do some research before spending $1500 on a ski pass

Already got a collection of very bright lights and I am used to skiing every day in the dark all winter

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lol its all good just giving you shit...welcome to Alaska! I'm gonna be hosting epic dance party/movie showing here in a couple months come on down!

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Originally Posted by Benneke10

Rule #1 is stupid, several of the best skiers I know never go to the resort. I spend time riding lifts because I want to improve my skills not because I think its the most fun activity ever, although on the right days it certainly can be

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I’d assume that they did spend a lot of time at a resort at some point in their life though if they’re that good of a skier.

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Originally Posted by Leshphilling77

I’d assume that they did spend a lot of time at a resort at some point in their life though if they’re that good of a skier.

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Its the only way! Nothing funnier then when you see the hard core backcountry bro come to the resort for a 'powder day' and they can barely ski. For the most part you are skiing pretty nice snow in the backcountry, that's why people go there. We judge fresh snow to be nice because it is the most fun and easy as compared to tracked out refrozen chunder gnar you might find on a resort. If you can get good skiing the chunder then the pow is even easier, duh!

Yes there can be bad snow in the backcountry, then it becomes a volume thing. Unless you are ripping 15-20 laps a day with a sled or helicopter, hard to beat a chairlift for 'practice makes perfect'

On the other hand you can usually get in to some super-gnar in the back country that you would not find on a resort as that is a skill in itself coupled with reading avy terrain and mountain travel. In the end the best skiers compile training miles at the resort then translate those skills to the 'real mountains'.

Sounds like you’ve got it figured out.
If you don’t just “love” skiing in every shit condition multiplied by the lowest viz, a pass may not be worth it.

But my recommendation would be to buy the Alyeska pass.
-I had 22 of 102 days with 10-25” inches of snow last season at the resort.

If you only want to ski the North Face gates, I don’t even know…, I’d pick my days.
There is no real way of knowing if/when any of the NF gates will be open…

The resort is sweet for hauling ass through steep chop, even on pow days.
I prefer the heaviest of skis for our typical conditions.
Lots of low viz, I wear night lenses everyday until March.

Whichever way you choose, I imagine that we will see you, along with seemingly every other backcountry skier in the State, in the lineup on 4 for the Big Pow days.
-Stem Christie tech binding resort assault!

Welcome!
-already snowed in town this week!
Attachment 501920

I had friends in PG who did zero hill time but they walked around out in the BC with ill fitting shitty tele gear, i told one of them that doing some hill time would be good for her skiing

which was obviously bad cuz she promptly broke her wrist, I felt a little guilty

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Originally Posted by DeathVan

Sounds like you’ve got it figured out.
If you don’t just “love” skiing in every shit condition multiplied by the lowest viz, a pass may not be worth it.

But my recommendation would be to buy the Alyeska pass.
-I had 22 of 102 days with 10-25” inches of snow last season at the resort.

If you only want to ski the North Face gates, I don’t even know…, I’d pick my days.
There is no real way of knowing if/when any of the NF gates will be open…

The resort is sweet for hauling ass through steep chop, even on pow days.
I prefer the heaviest of skis for our typical conditions.
Lots of low viz, I wear night lenses everyday until March.

Whichever way you choose, I imagine that we will see you, along with seemingly every other backcountry skier in the State, in the lineup on 4 for the Big Pow days.
-Stem Christie tech binding resort assault!

Welcome!
-already snowed in town this week!
Attachment 501920

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Deathvan who are you? I'd guess we know each other irl...

I remember back in late Feb 2002 I got caught poaching North Face during night skiing and got kicked off the mountain for 2 years and fired from the Pond cafe at the hotel. Bummer to say the least but I told myself "This is fine, I'll just go backcountry the rest of the year and it will be great!" Too bad it snowed fucking 300" that march and the best I could do half ass tree skiing while all my bros power lapped the resort.

On the contrary in 2001 it stopped snowing in mid Feb and stayed clear with NO WIND through all of March and the backcountry just got better and better ie more stable. It was 6 weeks of backcountry every fucking day... good times!

Its funny, when everything breaks open bluebird the resort seems so small and stupid way to spend time, but when that weather rolls in its like the played out ex-girlfriend that you just keep going back to .

Carpathian and DeathVan, I really appreciate your comments. I am leaning towards getting a pass because I want to maximize my skiing opportunities and am typically free in the afternoons to get to the resort mid week. How bad can the road get on stormy days? I've spent the past 5 years in Utah where you can ski in the backcountry every single day from November to June and typically find good conditions so this will be an adjustment. Over the past 3 seasons I spent over 300 days touring in the backcountry, almost all of them awesome, and I know that will not be possible here.

When I said that some of the best skiers I know never go to the resort, of course I'm talking about lifelong skiers who had spent time riding lifts. I learned to ski as an adult so I am always trying to work on my skills.

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Originally Posted by Benneke10

. How bad can the road get on stormy days?

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Be ready for some definite white knuckle driving but it is way more manageable in the last decade with the new road improvements. I always tell my kids stories about the old road where it goes up from Bird Point on the current bike Path route. No guardrail, wonky frost heaves over those cliffs. Ya know 20 mph driving with a foot of fresh at 2am, driving down center line type stuff. You will be fine, those steep mountain highway passes in the states are waay worse in my opinion.

We’ve chatted a few times, but we need to rip some laps!

I see you hauling ass, particularly tram lap nights through the fucking trees! and town league, I’m on the TailGators.

I’m mainly on a few Heritage Labs, old Line Motherships, Black Bodacious, Line Blades, and this season a Monoski!

It is going to be a Sick Season!
Ski ya up there

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Originally Posted by Benneke10

.... I know that will not be possible here...

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attitude is everything

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Originally Posted by Benneke10

Carpathian and DeathVan, I really appreciate your comments. I am leaning towards getting a pass because I want to maximize my skiing opportunities and am typically free in the afternoons to get to the resort mid week. How bad can the road get on stormy days? I've spent the past 5 years in Utah where you can ski in the backcountry every single day from November to June and typically find good conditions so this will be an adjustment. Over the past 3 seasons I spent over 300 days touring in the backcountry, almost all of them awesome, and I know that will not be possible here.

When I said that some of the best skiers I know never go to the resort, of course I'm talking about lifelong skiers who had spent time riding lifts. I learned to ski as an adult so I am always trying to work on my skills.

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Now, I will say you should fully get the pass.
-you will mainly be backcountry skiing in the Spring, when there is light.

I ski a ton of afternoons and love forgetting that I was ever even at work.
It is so great to have the option, also it’s mainly empty after 2 just about everyday, even really good days, and you can get a lot of charging vert late.
There are also a lot of really interesting and friendly locals with all sorts of stories and experiences.

On a real pow day there are more actual expert skiers at the resort than I have experienced anywhere else. But the majority just shred for a couple hours and head out when it’s tracked, which takes about 4 laps on 6…

Carpathian has way more insight on the bc, check out some of his Run of the Day videos, that’s what it is really like here both in and out of the resort.

The Arm is flat and well plowed but also pitch black in deep winter, I’m driving 55 everyday from town, just watch for high winds and blowing/obfuscating snow, but mainly for other drivers, as a lot of people will want to speed on their way to the mountain.
-you can see the old hwy in a spot near Bird, it looks Hairy AF!

Also, there are no real moguls here, this mountain is more for going very fast everywhere.

I just noticed that there is a mid-week pass option, so I will definitely be getting an Alyeska pass but not sure which yet. I work until 1 or 1:30 most days so I could make it there at least once a week all season. I'll be in a red and black jacket on psychedelic Heritage Labs FR110s. If anyone has a similar schedule and wants to carpool from town let me know!

Powder is way overrated and ski areas are total shit shows on pow days. Hot laps on shit fucked snow conditions and moguls is where its at these days. You won't be strong if you only ski the backcountry for soft snow.

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Originally Posted by Benneke10

I just noticed that there is a mid-week pass option, so I will definitely be getting an Alyeska pass but not sure which yet. I work until 1 or 1:30 most days so I could make it there at least once a week all season. I'll be in a red and black jacket on psychedelic Heritage Labs FR110s. If anyone has a similar schedule and wants to carpool from town let me know!

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Glad you are getting a pass. It's the right move I think. May hit you up when in town.

Is Alyeska getting any better opening up the outer areas?

I've heard New Years and beyond haven't opened in 5+ years. Would love to ski back there and hike the headwall at some point.

The late lift times are one of the best things about the resort with your work schedule you'd be crazy to not get some sort of pass.