Zone Report

April 23, 2005

10:00 am
Today is changeover day as we enter Week 9 of our season.  The skies are parting and it is shaping up to be the best closing week ever with sunshine all week long.  We are expecting to see 4-5 feet of snow out there when we venture out.

11:45 am
The Warren Miller crew is out getting some shots of Dan Treadway going big off of the docks out front.

April 22, 2005

The rains are pretty heavy outside this morning and it is going to be a down day.  Pilot Nik and his crew are going to be giving his increasingly popular helicopter ground school.  This is a great opportunity for guests to obtain an understanding of how these aircraft work.  It really gives you much more respect for these pilots as they are in complete control of everything going on with the machines.  It really makes us proud to be working with the best in business.  These guys really make it all happen!

April 21, 2005

Today is was a bit brighter day as a hole passed that signified the one storm system ending.  However, another has quickly taken its place and should be leaving us with great amounts of fresh snow out in the Zone by the beginning of next week.  Our predictions are estimating 2-3 feet of fresh snow out there with more on the way tomorrow.

April 20, 2005

We are getting a ton of new snow out in the Zone.  It is really coming down here at Orca and we can't wait to see what it leaves us up high!  This could shape up to be the best end to a season at PNH!

April 19, 2005

Glacier Day!  Most everyone headed out to the Glacier today for some exploring and ice climbing.  People hiked into the toe of the glacier and then did some ice climbing and tramping around the area.  It is always amazing to see how much the glaciers change each season.  The pure power and beauty of the ice is a must see.

April 18, 2005

It looks like we have a bit of a storm on us today and it will be around for a few days.  However, this comes at a great time as we could use some fresh snow out there to replenish the Chugach a bit.  We have been skiing so hard that a down day is actually inviting at this time for everyone.  It is going to be great after this storm passes through.

April 17, 2005

A great day out in the Zone.  Most every group headed out to the Super Bowl region this morning.  Although the tops of the peaks were wind affected, once you dropped off the tops, the snow was fantastic.

April 16, 2005

Today is changeover day which means we have to say goodbye to new friends from this past week.  Some great memories were made and experiences shared that will last a lifetime.  A few groups were out in the morning and then headed in to catch a flight this afternoon.  Straight from the Chugach to the airport and heading home...what a way to end a great week!

There were also three film crews out in the Zone today.  Quinner was out this morning shooting with Dan Treadway for the Warren Miller segment for next year's movie.  They came back in for lunch and picked up Hugo Harrison and then headed back out for more!  We expect to see them around 8:00pm this evening with some great stories.

Seppi Darbringer and Myriam Lang-Willar were out shooting Seth Wescott and Ueli Kestenholz for Seppi's upcoming dvd "Circle of Friends."  Myriam also gave an incredible slideshow last night.  You are sure to see her great work in publications next winter!

Of special note was a birthday experience of a lifetime for our friend Miles Daisher.  Miles was with a film crew from 60 Minutes Australia.  With some careful scouting by Guide Jimbo and Pilot Nik, they were able to find a great ski base out near Trailer Park.  Miles was able to jump twice and the entire crew came in talking about how it had all felt like a dream.  In fact, the crew has filmed all over the world and they felt that the scenery alone was the most beautiful that they had seen anywhere!

April 15, 2005

Today is Friday and we headed out into the Zone for both the Jumbo Jumbo and Full Support Valley areas.  There was a bit of fresh snow that had also been moved around by the increased winds that we saw today.  This made for some incredible runs in the protected areas.

April 14, 2005

We awoke today to a pretty thick marine layer out over the Orca Bay.  It continued to build up into the mountains and it looks like we are going to get some good snow out there through the day and into the night.  This down day was well appreciated as people had been skiing each day that they all wanted a bit of a break.

People headed out to the Big Tree hike in the Heney Range as well as out to the Haystack Trail.  This was a great way to get out into the wilderness and keep the legs mobile.  People also hired out a bush plane and flew around the region for some fantastic views.

April 13, 2005

9:15 am
On our way out to the Zone again as the skies are crystal clear today.  We are looking to get out to Oz and Red Light, as well as out towards the Jumbo Jumbo area.  All groups are heading out again for their third straight day in the Chugach!

9:00 pm
Once again people are back in here with smiling faces.  Groups were out grabbing the goods in the Red Light district and Full Support Valley.

April 12, 2005

10:00 am
Groups are out in the Zone and already finding epic conditions again today.  We will be going a bit deeper into the zone today to continue clocking run after run of awesome Chugach riding!

9:45 pm
The place is alive again tonight!  Most groups headed straight up the middle to access the zone today.  Whether it was Quinner rapping his guests into new runs or people exploring new routes through the ice...it was another stellar day in the mountains.  I have heard from a number of people tonight that they skied the steepest run of their life this afternoon.  Congrats to everyone and to all of the guides, pilots and ground crew for making it happen!

11:55pm
I just wanted to include this email that came in today from a guest of ours last week.  Thank you for the kind words Mark...we enjoyed sharing the days and memories with you also!

EMAIL SUBJECT: Thanks for Sharing Your Dream

Dear Kevin, Jessica, Jimbo and the entire PNH crew,

I just want to thank you again for a truly incredible experience and for sharing your dream. The entire staff was friendly, helpful and above all a real pleasure to be around. I have been skiing my entire life, spent the last 20 years chasing the storm, been on five heli trips in the states and Canada and last year had the trip of a life time skiing 8 really deep powder days at the Bird, Alta, Powder Mountain Fernie and Big Mountain (killer road trip). But that didn’t even begin to compare to the best ski day of my life last Sunday. Skiing big steep mountains, sick couloir’s and sluffing faces with great powder is what I came for and you did not let me down. As a matter of fact you ruined everything because now there is nowhere left to go! Nothing can compare to the shear magnitude of the Chugach and the quality of your operation. Even when standing on top of X-Rated or Jeanie’s or Full Support you still couldn’t grasp the enormous magnitude until you skied it top to bottom, or watched your buddy disappear only to come shooting out onto the glacier as a little dot several thousand feet below you. And those aren’t even your really big lines.

Probably the best thing about PNH though was the people. Everyone including the staff was different, with different jobs and life styles, but yet everyone was exactly the same. They all had a deep seated passion for skiing/riding or maybe a better way to put it, is we all have soul.

Thanks again for sharing your dream.  See you next year!

Mark Harper

April 11, 2005

7:45 am
Here we go with the start to what is shaping up to be a great week.  Groups are ready to fire out into the zone in the next 30 minutes.  We will be back this afternoon with an update of images!

7:15 pm
Most groups are back in from a fantastic day out in the Zone.  The last few are trickling in now.  Groups are returning with 10-12 runs on the day and the energy around here is infectious.  On top of that, it is absolutely gorgeous outside right now.  I'll be posting some photos as people provide them to me...stay tuned!

10:15pm
Max Bervy, Director of Marketing and Executive Producer/Director of Warren Miller Entertainment, was out with Quinner today on his birthday.  Not only did they get 12 runs in...but they skied a first descent that they named "Seven Year Itch."  The name stems from a line that Kevin has been looking at for the past seven years and they skied it today!

April 10, 2005

9:00 am
Everyone is weighed in and heading out to heli orientation class.  This is where all new guests have a course in the procedures of the helicopter; loading and unloading operations, safety and familiarization of the aircraft.  Once that is complete, we are ready to head for the Zone.  It looks as though the skies are going to clear up for us this afternoon.  In any case, the forecast is shaping up to give us one of the best weeks so far!

9:30pm
A big day today as people were exploring the region in and around Cordova.  We had a multitude of skydives today from the boys and Miles D. showed up this afternoon to fall from the sky with them.  A crew headed out to the Heney Range trail and ventured into the "Big Tree."  People also hiked up the back ridge here to AJ's and found some great snow to ski back down.

April 9, 2005

10:00 pm
Today was another turnover day here at Points North.  We had to say good bye to friend old and new...28 in total flew back home today.  That means a new crew in house this week!  We picked up 34 people this afternoon and there is a great new energy filling the NEFCO tonight.  Everyone has been through beacon class and tomorrow morning we will be busy going through helicopter training after breakfast.  After that, we are hopeful that the skies will part and allow for a great afternoon and evening of playing on the fresh snow in the Zone.

April 8, 2005

10:00 pm
We woke to a mixture of rain and snow showers this morning.  However, that made for a great day out at the Glacier.  Three groups, each with their own private heli, headed out to the glacier to do some ice climbing and sightseeing.  As a good number of people are coming to their end of their stay and will be leaving tomorrow, we ended the evening with a classic PNH bonfire.

April 7, 2005

10:00 am
the Chugach is full of surprises this year.  We wake up to what we thought was going to be a down day...only to find the sky inviting us to go skiing!  Groups are firing off right now on one of the best down days ever!

10:50 pm
Another great day out there in the Chugach.  Tons of new snow...some of the deepest snow we have seen all season!  the photos directly below here are from Guide Jimbo and his group.

Client Perspective
Today was epic!  Never thought chest deep powder on a 50+ degree slope was possible...until today.  Guide Alsy showed us the way.  Donkey Kong, The Wave, The Hole, Ate the Worm...the list goes on.  Each run better than the last.  This place is for real - Crank down your bindings!  This place is truly "Alaska Action Adventure Camp."
- Boys Trip '05 - Nick Mast and his crew!

April 6, 2005

10:30 am
Its really coming down outside today.  This means great things for our next ski day.  With the amounts of precipitation we are receiving outside the NEFCO, it is sure to be piling up in the zone.  There are a number of groups heading out with a local fisherman here in hopes of bringing home some sushi appetizers for us all this evening.  Dodgeball was put off until today and people are warming up by watching the movie and then we will be headed to the gym to see who picked up any skills from the flick.

April 5, 2005

9:45 am
The zone is being replenished today as it is currently raining outside the NEFCO.  Pilot Nik is going to be having a ground clinic course on helicopter operations and procedures.  Last time he did this, the place was absolutely packed.  You can bet it will be a hit again this time.  After that, there are plans to have a yoga class and a large vanload heading into the gym to play dodgeball!

April 4, 2005

8:45 am
The sky is broken this morning and the forecast is calling for a system to move in this afternoon.  Most people in house were "hopeful" for a down day as they have been skiing so much that they want to refresh their legs.  So, today you can expect to see people out fishing the rivers, out trolling for Halibut, taking to the trails, skiing up the ridge in the backyard or just relaxing in the lodge and NEFCO.

9:30 pm
It was a pretty busy down day here at Points North.  A group went out the the McKinley Lakes trail and hiked all the way to the abandoned mine.  Film and Photo crews were out and about in and around town for lifestyle shots.  A number of people went out into the backyard during the most beautiful part of the day for some incredible scenery and earned turns.  And, of course, a substantially sized group headed to the Reluctant Fisherman for the NCAA Championship game.  After dinner in the NEFCO, people were huddled around laptops taking in the slideshows of the images they had captured during the previous few days.  Most of them arrived a mere 48 hours ago, and already have memories that will last a lifetime!

April 3, 2005

7:45 am
It's crystal clear out there now and we are expecting something to move in this afternoon so we are firing off for the zone early.  Groups are headed over to the Sam Adams area, as well as out to Oz, the Red Light District and the Worm Glacier.  We'll be back with images from the day later this afternoon!

7:00 pm
Wow, the Chugach is delivering the goods this season.  Today was yet another epic day.  I'm running out of ways to explain how good things are out in the zone!  People are ecstatic in here this evening...and a little worn out from skiing so hard all day long!

April 2, 2005

8:15 am
BLUEBIRD!  Although we usually reserve Saturday's for a full turnover day, the snow is just too good not to head out today!  Groups are heading out right now and will return to catch their afternoon flights.  The people that are arriving at noon don't know how good they are going to have it as we will be taking them directly from the plane to the heart of the Chugach.  Turnover day has new meaning today!

8:00 pm
We have a full house of extremely happy people in house tonight.  Those that just showed up today got out for 4 to 5 runs and they didn't even leave base until 3:00 pm.  It was alive here at base this afternoon as helicopters were bringing people in from the zone to get changed and head the airport, while others were fresh from the airport and jumping in the helicopters to go skiing.  People who woke up in the lower 48 this morning, were skiing deep, light, incredible Chugach powder by 3:30.

Film / Photo Crew Perspective
The Mitch and Flo Show was in full effect today as they hit Gambler's first thing in the morning.  What a way to wake up in the morning!  From the stories that Quinner had this afternoon when he came in to the energy that Mitch and Flo have this evening...you know they had a day unlike any other.  They continue to raise the level of snowboarding out there.  Look for incredible lines, airs and absurd feats of humanity in next year's film from DOBE Productions and Seppi Dabringer.

April 1, 2005

7:00 am
Blue skies this morning!  We just finished the guide meeting and are planning on pulling power and firing up the helis in 1 hour.  First groups will be heading out at 8:00 am.  The Chugach awaits!

8:05 am
First groups are outbound.  Quinner just left with the Mitch & Flow show and Kip is heading out to find some great film lines with Bryce Phillips and Pete Meier.  We will be back in with images from the day later this afternoon.

7:00 pm
The Chugach Glow is alive and well!  Just one look at anyone's face and you know exactly how good it was today.  POWDER...and lots of it!  Photos coming as soon as I receive them from the groups still returning from the zone...the days are getting long and it is gorgeous outside right now.  The photo here is of the first snowboard descent of Whitechops - Jeff, Ed, Super Dave and Dean...with many thanks to Whitey!

9:45 pm
Images from the day provided by Guides Jimbo and CJ.

Photos from Client Hiro Nomura of Japan.

March 31, 2005

4:00 pm
What we anticipated was going to be a shorter day due to weather, turned out to be a full-on day at PNH.  We had 6 groups out in the zone today in the Super Bowl, Butter Bowl and Worm Glacier areas.  The photos below were provided by Guide Jimbo.

5:30 pm
Wow, has the weather changed quickly.  It is now snowing pretty hard outside as we prepare for dinner.  Looks like the Chugach is getting a fresh coat...again!

8:30 pm
Just finished dinner - meatloaf night!
"My mother is a great cook, but this meatloaf is by far the best I have ever eaten!" - Guest Eamon Briggs
Sorry Mom...

Looks like the forecast is looking pretty good for tomorrow.  Pilot Nik is calling breakfast at 7:30 tomorrow morning to get up and get moving if the weather cooperates.

March 30, 2005

There has been quite a bit going on around here lately and I apologize for the delay in getting the zone report updated.  We had some connection issues that didn't let us get online.  But, we are back up now and charging forward!

We flew today out to the zone early and then up here on the ridge behind the lodge in the afternoon.  It was a very unexpected clearing this morning after a huge storm that produced very light blower snow down here at sea level.  This provided incredible snow out in the zone and up on the ridge.  It also opened up Mt. Eyak for some late afternoon turns.

March 28, 2005

We woke to a continuing storm this morning.  After a bit of a break in the snow showers, it is now absolutely dumping outside the NEFCO!  It is going to be awesome in the next few days out in the Zone.

We have people exploring all parts of Cordova and its surroundings today.  Our local guru Jimbo is out at Haystack Butte with a vanload of people on a "shoot and release" excursion for moose.  The largest herd of moose is currently out on the Copper River Delta and they are out there trying to find them and and get a "shot" in with their cameras.  The Powder Magazine crew headed for the river and some fishing with Allen Riley (Alsy).  Hopefully, the bring back some fresh Dolly Varden for us have for dinner.  A number of people are hiking and skinning up the ridge in the backyard for some turns.  With this snow coming down, the turns are going to be pretty good up there!  Dave Marchi just headed down to the sauna to start the fire and get it cranking once again for some evening sessions.  Dinner is a few hours away...and it look as though there is a chance that we might get to venture into the mountains tomorrow!

March 27, 2005

We have quite a few new people in house this morning.  The boys from Powder Magazine are here and will be here to relish in the Chugach on our next fly day.  It is snowing here at base now and we expect it to be snowing again tomorrow.  However, people are currently in town at the Reluctant Fisherman and also over at the sauna in hippy cove.