Have you noticed? It's getting lighter outside. It's 5:11 p.m. and the sun is still high in the sky. OK -- maybe not high. But definitely in the sky.
March is the glorious month when Alaskans really love playing in the snow. In Anchorage, we give it a jump start with Fur Rendezvous, the Tour of Anchorage and the start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. In Fairbanks, there are world champion ice carvers at Ice Alaska's park. That's a big deal in the Golden Heart City.
Just over the mountains in Valdez, March is high season for backcountry skiing. And the short 50-minute flight from Anchorage on Era Alaska proves the point: peak after peak boasting miles of untracked terrain.
Of course, not all of it is skiable. But several operators, including Valdez Heli-Camps, set up operations near Thompson Pass for helicopter skiing and snow cat skiing. Skiers typically stay downtown at the Best Western Valdez Harbor Inn. The heli-camp folks own the Wheelhouse Restaurant on-site.
If you're not a backcountry skier, stay closer to town on the Mineral Creek Nordic Trails. They're just west of downtown and the trails are professionally groomed. It's part of the 22-mile network of groomed cross-country trails.
I brought my own skis with me, but there is a program in Valdez that will provide you with rental skis (or snowshoes) at no charge. The Wellness Center at Prince William Sound Community College offers the loaner skis/snowshoes, plus boots, poles, headlamps and gaiters!
Right now, we've got snowshoes in the truck. We're waiting for the wind to die down a little bit so we can hike out on Valdez Glacier to the ice caves. To get to the glacier, just head out to the airport and keep going to the end of the road. See the icebergs? You're there.
There are other awesome snowshoe treks up on Thompson Pass. Other glaciers, including the Tsaina Glacier, also have caves that are worth exploring, according to Colleen Stephens of Stan Stephens Cruises.
Stephens is busier in the summer running the family fleet of sightseeing boats out to Columbia and Mears Glaciers. But she's an evangelist for the community as a year-round playground -- and she has a long checklist.
Of course, skiing and snowshoeing are near the top of the list. But snowmachine enthusiasts flock to Thompson Pass each spring for the Mountain Man Hill Climb. This three-day event (April 15, 16 and 17, 2011) features all varieties of modified sleds that participate in the event. It's basically running a snowmachine straight up the mountain. Spectators and riders set up shop each day at Thompson Pass. Last time I witnessed the event, we took off on the other side of the highway to do a little exploring in the backcountry. The sky was blue and it's a good thing I brought the sunscreen!
Another big Valdez snow event is Tailgate Alaska, March 25 through April 10, 2011. The event is set at Thompson Pass and is designed for snowboarders and skiers of all abilities to get out and ski in the backcountry. Whether you access the backcountry slopes by snowmachine, by helicopter or by strapping some climbing skins on your skis and hiking up -- there are events each day to keep you enthused about exploring new country. There is a heated base camp at the pass to warm up. It's even got Wi-Fi access!
Tailgate Alaska host Nick Perata writes, "Sixty percent of the terrain is intermediate and you don't have to be an expert."
Check with Alaska Snow Safaris for guided snowmachine trips in and around the Thompson Pass area. Typically, the machines are new and they're in good shape.
So get out and enjoy the snow. Don't forget to put that sunscreen on the bottom of your nose -- all that sunshine bouncing off the snow! See you on the slopes.
Online resources:
Best Western Valdez Harbor Inn
Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based travel marketing consultant who has lived in Alaska for three decades, spending much of that time traveling the far-flung corners of the state. Visit his website at www.alaskatravelgram.com.