Like almost every ONC Overnight Trip, there are always unexpected events that challenge even the best planners/leaders. This was no exception, but it always adds to the adventure!
Two days before leaving for Anchorage, one of our lodging options became unreachable due to avalanches closing the access road to Hatcher Pass.
Luckily, I was able to replace the lodging. This meant we stayed in Anchorage every night and traveled to our ski destinations each day. We skied six days and used two rented SUVs for our transportation. The first day was blustery as we skied up a big glacial valley called Powerline Pass. The snow was soft and easy to ski.
Unfortunately, the next day’s plan was thwarted by rain, heavy snow & high risk avalanche warnings. I had worked out a meetup with the Anchorage Nordic Ski Association, who had a trip planned to Skookum Glacier, but the leader canceled due to weather. Instead we headed north where it would be drier & less steep.
We skied a very nice lake area with sometimes groomed trails, near Talkeetna. After 8 miles of skiing loops & skies clearing we were able to see the peak of Denali floating above the clouds & other mountains in the foreground. After which we all enjoyed walking around historic Talkeetna & having a beer.
We spent our third day skiing in Anchorage at the excellent groomed area called Kincaid Park. This is a very extensive and well-maintained Nordic ski area and we barely sampled the abundant trails available. Two in the group rented fat bikes and toured Anchorage & the coastal trail, which they thoroughly enjoyed.
From Kincaid some of us ventured across the frozen flats to the edge of Turnagain Sound where frozen blocks of ice build up on the shore. It was a fascinating place to hang out, eat lunch, and marvel at the scenery where mountains meet the sea!
Our next ski destination was Girdwood where we did a loop on some nordic trails near the famous Alyeska downhill ski area. It was very damp and by lunchtime we happily skied over to the beautiful Alyeska lodge and ate our lunches inside while drying out. A big meadow loop topped off the day.
On the 5th day the group split up and three skiers went to another groomed ski area in Anchorage where they enjoyed the trails, less driving, and good views. Some of us went north to Eklutna Lake and tried skiing on a frozen lake. When there’s a thin crust of snow on top of hardpack or ice, Alaskans seem to really like this spring “crust skiing”. There was no one else on the lake and we skied onto the ice and proceeded out the middle of the lake, which is about 6 miles long.
We noticed big cracks in the ice but it seemed thick enough. Then we started hearing very unusual sounds, (hard to describe). After pausing to listen better we determined this sound was coming from the ice beneath us. That was spooky and we retreated quickly to the edge.
After consulting with locals and watching others come across the frozen lake we determined it was safe and proceeded to ski 10 miles RT down the lake with towering peaks all around us and blue skies above. This crust skiing is really fast and primo for skate skiing. Since it’s a lake, it’s flat with no hills to climb or descend, and you can cover miles quickly!
Our final ski day was another lake ski. We drove down scenic Turnagain Arm and started the day cold at Portage Lake. Our ski was 3 miles down the lake to Portage Glacier at the far end and return. This was in a bowl of surrounding peaks and an abundance of snow blanketed everything in a soft velvety white layer! Stunning it was and we approached the glacier as close as we felt safe.
After many photos, we sat on the lake and had our lunch before skiing back. I really noticed wide swings in temperature, while we started cold, by lunch we were putting on sunscreen & down to our undershirts.
That evening was supposed to be clear and the Aurora Borealis visible. We were all excited for this event and we drove up into the Chugach Mtns above Anchorage and by 10pm it was very cold with high winds up there. We set our sights on the skies and huddled to keep warm. Eventually we did see a band of milky sky (looked like a thin band of clouds) which others said was it. Photos showed more distinct color than the naked eye could see and it probably got better as the night wore on but we were frozen by then and returned to town.
It was a memorable trip for me and I was very glad I went to the effort to research and organize it even though it was somewhere I had never skied before. Everyone else enjoyed the skiing in such a scenic place and I was grateful for their flexibility, patience, and willingness to go along! It has a similar feel to Norway or the Canadian Rockies with many steep peaks close to each other and covered in snow even though they’re at sea level and are low elevations compared to our Cascade Peaks.
Here’s a link to our trip photos album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/BwRtpnJniUeEyRpg8