Question for Alyeska skiers

[carpathian]

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.

New Years was open I think 2 years ago for a few days and three years ago the opened the Monies for first time in 20 years. The Headwall is usually open a few days a year but always dependent on staffing and weather windows. I joke that they finally gonna put a tram to top of the headwall when I'm like 80

last year the Knuckles were closed a bunch because unfortunate glide cracks made traverse impassable. The few years before though Knuckles and Xmas were open every day for a couple months

Alyeska is small by most standards but makes up for it with almost daily snow for months at a time and steep terrain that is conducive to high octane shredding

[FigureELEVEN11]

New Years was open I think 2 years ago for a few days and three years ago the opened the Monies for first time in 20 years. The Headwall is usually open a few days a year but always dependent on staffing and weather windows. I joke that they finally gonna put a tram to top of the headwall when I'm like 80

last year the Knuckles were closed a bunch because unfortunate glide cracks made traverse impassable. The few years before though Knuckles and Xmas were open every day for a couple months

Alyeska is small by most standards but makes up for it with almost daily snow for months at a time and steep terrain that is conducive to high octane shredding

Yeah I had daily snow and then some bluebird April 22 was great. Every day they said maybe tomorrow we'll open New Years but didn't. How few Patrollers work on a given day?

Has Ikon changed much? Didn't seem like there were many other tourists when I went and it was nearly all Alaskans. Liked how small it was off the hill and that you end up knowing everyone after a week. Was looking forward to going back and paying extra to stay in the big hotel but Ikon definitely made them raise their prices. I think I was going to stay there but didn't bc I found something in the $80/night range.

[Alaska-RWC]

I've ridden up with a few Ikoners, but I'd say overall it's had a negligible impact as there aren't any more people from the L48 in general than what I'm used to. The hotel prices weren't just Ikon though, it was Pomeroy's overall strategy: they want to make it a year-round destination resort, but in doing so forgot that the locals are its lifeblood and it's a ski hill. We had top-to-bottom coverage going into May and lots of us were looking forward to spring skiing, but they killed it. My wife and I liked staying there when her company would have their holiday party, but due to increased prices the company stopped holding the party there and we now can't typically afford a normal getaway. Last year they provided a last-minute locals deal for spring break and we did take the kids for two nights, and we got lucky on snow. I was first in Christmas (1 patroller ahead of me who had set off charges) after a week+ closure and around 20" of total snow fall in the time!

I also make the drive from town, and if there are 6" or more and I can get out of work that day, I'm on the road regardless of weather (in addition to nearly every weekend). But I also remember driving the "old road" in the '90s. Just make sure you have studs and turn your headlights on. I'd be willing to carpool mid-week but if it's a pow day I try to get there close to opening.

I haven't been able to make it on a headwall opening yet. A couple years ago I was able to go standby with CPG and missed the Headwall. I did get New Years three years ago, and missed the Monies by less than 5 minutes that season too. I did another last-minute day trip with CPG in April, and our heli was delayed a couple minutes because they were running patrollers up for a planned Headwall opening, but apparently they didn't like what they saw in the snow pack.

[Chugachjed]

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.

There is some serious bullshit in this thread. Really hard to tour unless it's sunny? Since fucking when? The hundreds if not thousands of days I've toured in AK in the clouds and flat light were mostly awesome. The north face is open pretty much the whole winter, there might be days it's closed but for the most part I've been skiing at Alyeska for a long time and the default is that the north face will be open.

As far as snow below treeline, good thing treeline is like 800' above sea level...

To Romeo Tango, just because AV is better than any of the skiing around fucking spokane doesn't mean that Alyeska sucks. I've been stuck in spokane for the last two winters and I've skiied all the local areas. meh. I'll be crossing the border into Canada to ski this winter so maybe I can get on some terrain that is actually worth the time/money, keeping my finger's crossed. Schweitzer isn't terrible but I'd take Alyeska even with the stupid fucking pass price over any ski area in the "inland northwest" flat fucking southeast is a more apt description.

Welcome to AK, be willing to ski when the weather sucks and you'll have a great time. People at trailheads are friendly and more often than not will let you tag along or at least give you beta, drastically different vibes than trying to tour in the lesser 48 IME.

[romeo tango]

show me where I said "alyeska sucks ...."

yeah, that's what I thought
.

[Chugachjed]

show me where I said "alyeska sucks ...."

yeah, that's what I thought
.

True, you said "fuck Alyeska" I'm just bitter because I'm in law school and don't get to ski much, stressed about finals, and getting divorced. carry on.

[romeo tango]

no harm, no foul ....

go hang with the Idaho boys,
drink some kool-aid,
you'll feel better!
.

[m2711c]

[TAFKALVS]

True, you said "fuck Alyeska" I'm just bitter because I'm in law school and don't get to ski much, stressed about finals, and getting divorced. carry on.

Sounds like you’ll have more time to ski. PM me, happy to show you around Schweitzer anytime.

[Chugachjed]

I will definitely hit you up. My one day at Schweitzer last winter was pretty good but visibility was terrible and I didn't know where to go. I ended up going mach stupid off a (small) cliff in the fog, which wasn't terrible but I was really gunshy after.

[Truckee Joe]

How’s the skiing up there right now?

[BFD]

Hasn't snowed in two weeks. Stability is great if you want to ski big lines. Things will be back to normal next week and it will be raining at sea level. I am not there but report from a reliable source.

[carpathian]

ummm, wind scoured and coldish on the resort. Backcountry might have decent snow here and there... I just got back from Hawaii yesterday, hard to say not knowing.

[Truckee Joe]

Thanks. Ill be up there next week. If anyone wants to take a lap.

[DeathVan]

Storm incoming all week, starting this afternoon.
Temps on the rise again…
Blue on blue, “change for a nickel “

[Benneke10]

I'll be at the resort this weekend, multi-colored Heritage Labs FR110 skis, red and black jacket

[Truckee Joe]

Skied up on Tincan today. It was fairly good skiing up there. Heavy of course down low but good overall. I’ll be at the resort tomorrow, I’ll be on bro models.