Chugach Magic

Yep, it's as big as it looks. The bottom 200' is obscured by a rock band in the foregroundThere's no hiding the fact that this winter has been somewhat grim in Alaska. We've been high and dry and occasionally oddly warm during the last couple of months. We knew the drought would end eventually and it did in grand fashion this past week. Not all the local ranges got snow, however, and, in my opinion, the Front Range and Western Chugach faired the best. I sampled both offerings this week.

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Billy Goat Ascent Plates

I was an alpinist long before I was a ski mountaineer. And, although I love skinning uphill, booting up steep couloirs still has an honored place in my heart. In the right conditions, booting is more efficient. There’s nothing I hate more than zigzagging up a narrow chute on skis doing kick turn after kick turn. On the other hand, conditions can dictate a skis-only approach rather than sink crotch deep and “trench” upwards.

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