Alaska Backcountry Skiing

Valdez & Thompson Pass

by Matt Kinney

Prince William Sound Books. ISBN: 1-877900-16-8. 118 pages. Soft cover. 6" x 9" x .25". 5 Charts, 53 B&W photos, 34 Maps.

Retail $15.95  >>Our price $15.95!

From the back cover:  A Backcountry Skier's Paradise.  Not only does the Valdez and Thompson Pass area offer some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the world, it offers unparalleled backcountry skiing.  Situated between the warm Pacific Ocean and the cold Alaska interior, the area receives as much as 1000" of snow during a typical winter.  By traveling farther inland, the skier can chose not only the temperatures but snow conditions he wishes to ski. 

Bisected by the Richardson Highway, the area offers quick access to unlimited remote terrain where 3000 - 5000' runs are the rule rather than the exception.  Skiing opportunities vary from casual touring to truly "big mountain" skiing.  Although most of the routes described in this book can be done in a day, there are ample opportunities for extended skiing expeditions.  The skiing season lasts from October to late June with long spring and summer skiing days.

About the Author: Matt Kinney has been skiing Valdez and Thompson Pass since 1979. He has pioneered many of the routes described in this book and lays claim to numerous first ski accents-descents. Presently, he lives in the Thompson Pass area operating Thompson Pass Mt. Chalet and a ski guiding service. He is a staunch advocate for quiet and safety in the backcountry and protecting Thompson Pass for future backcountry skiers.

Click on the images for an enlarged view of representative pages from inside this book.  

Table of Contents

Part I: Introduction
Keep it Simple
Guidebook Format
Names of Places
Safety Notes
Avalanche Safety
Weather and Sun
Glacier Skiing
Rivers, Lakes & Creeks
Transportation

Part II: Routes
Basic Definitions

Port Valdez Arena Summary
Snow Dome
Benzene Alley
Sugarloaf Mountain
Mount Francis
Our Lady of the Square Rock
Matthu Pichu
Hogback Ridge
Meteorite Mountain
Wortmanns Arena
Wortmanns Gulley
Stone Mountain
Bench Glacier

Odessey Arena Summary
Moonlight Basin
Little Odessey
School Bus
Gulley One
Gulley Two
Nicks Happy Valley

Sapphire Arena Summary
Loveland Basin
Sapphire Peak
Catchers Mitt
Girls Mountain

Dimond Arena Summary
RFS
Mount Dimond
Crudbusters
Mount Billy Mitchell

Chugach Traverse Summary
Chugach Traverse

Tables
Significant Peaks over 7000' near Valdez
Average Snowdepths/SWE
Cloudy and Clear Days
Average Monthly Snowfall
Valdez Annual Snowfall
Thompson Pass Snowfall
Average Monthly Temperatures
Sunrise/Sunset
 

Click to order Alaska Backcountry Skiing

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