Snowboarding Zone - Alyeska, Alaska:
Riders Guide – Alyeska gets a completely mind-blowing 782 inches per year, and has 9 lifts including a high speed quad to take over 10,000 people per hour to the top, 68 trails, and a longest run of 10,560 feet. The runs are rated 11% for Beginner, 52% Intermediate and 37% Advanced. Alpenglow gets 250inches per year, and has 4 lifts, 25 trails, and a longest run of 4,545 feet. The runs are rated 20% for Beginner, 50% Intermediate and 30% Advanced. Valdez has to be the Holy Grail for rabid extreme snowboarders. The home of the World Extreme Snowboard Championships, the Chugach Mountains receive between 600 and 900 inches of that great white powder so that there is always virgin snow to slice through.
Parks and Pipes - Alpenglow has the first Terrain Park in south-central Alaska with lots of kickers and rails to play on. Valdez is hardly your average resort full of families and little kids trying to ski. When you want to snowboard Valdez you don't stand in line for a lame chairlift ride, you fly up with a helicopter! Dean Cummings H2O Heli Guides and Alaska Backcountry Adventures are two of the services to contact to make the arrangements to experience the most astounding mountain vistas you've ever imagined while flying to the ultimate snowboard ride in history.
Out of Bounds – Anchorage is the launch point for all your Alaskan adventures from dog sledding to tandem paragliding to snowcatting as well as fjord and wildlife tours. The Columbia and Meares Glacier Cruise on the crystal clear waters of Prince William Sound will take you to two of the continent's most amazing glaciers where you'll witness the neon-turquoise color of truly pure ice. All of the Valdez area is ripe for exploring on snowmobile or snowcat with the Valdez Snow Machine Club, and you'll never experience gnarlier ice climbing than on Valdez's frozen waterfalls. And everywhere in Alaska is perfect for viewing the Northern Lights.
Hangout & Hookup – In Alyeska, The Aurora Bar and Lounge in the Hotel Alyeska has a fun, lively atmosphere and the Sitzmark Bar has live bands weekend nights during ski season. For après-ski, head to the Double Musky and Chair 5 taverns. However, if you are looking for blowouts, you're 40 miles away from Anchorage's great bars. If you're a country music fan, go to Last Frontier Bar or Buckaroo Club. For ear-splitting rock and dancing try Chilkoot Charlie’s, with two stages, six bars and about 30 beers on tap. The ladies have their pick as the men outnumber the women by a fair number. Check out Mr. Whitekeys’ Fly by Night Club for Spam appetizers the crazy "Christmas in Spenard" show. Unfortunately Whitekeys closes in January for the rest of the winter. Over in Valdez the Totem Inn is the place to stock up on a reindeer sausage breakfast while Old Town Burgers will serve you a hand-formed patty from a Fifties Drive-Inn. The Club Valdez has some really great nights, check for their schedule.
The Deal – Anchorage is a major international airport and easy to get to from anywhere. Era Aviation will fly you to Valdez from Anchorage, but if you really want to experience the amazing Alaskan coastal scenery, you want to take the Alaska Marine Highway with connections to Whittier, Seward, Cordova and Juneau. If you have your own wheels or want to rent some you won't want to miss some of the most spectacular views in North America no matter where you go in Alaska!
