Alaska in April: A Three-Week Ski Odyssey

All ski trips require some planning. Others take a life of their own, morphing into annual traditions. For Renoun athletes M-C and Vinny, their annual pilgrimage to Alaska is firmly in the latter category. It’s a three-week camper-based adventure spent chasing big lines, endless daylight, and the core, kindred ski community you only find when you’re camped on the side of a remote highway.

Vinny is an apprentice ski guide certified through the Canadian Ski Guide Association with years of backcountry experience in Revelstoke, British Columbia and beyond. M-C works in a gold and silver mine in northern BC as a geotechnical engineer on a two-weeks-on, two-weeks-off rotation. It’s a schedule he’s found to make plenty of room for grander adventure.

The athlete duo met in Revelstoke, where M-C’s love for pushing her skiing into bigger terrain found the perfect partner in Vinny’s deep backcountry knowledge. Together, they’ve built a life that revolves around seasons, snowpacks, and planning their next mission.

This year’s Alaska trip started after Vinny finished a guiding course then drove 17 hours north to pick up M-C right at the base of her mine site. From there, they pushed on to the Yukon and into Alaska, setting up base first at Haines Pass before venturing farther to Valdez.

The couple traveled in a pop-up camper bolted to Vinny’s truck and parked in pull-offs and parking lots along the passes. Where the rig lacks in glamor (and wind-proofing), it delivered M-C and Vinny right where they wanted to be.

The zones M-C and Vinny sought out had little-to-no tree skiing, which meant visibility was top priority. When bluebird days did appear, the couple focused on big objectives. Lower visibility days were spent on rope practice, meeting fellow travelers, and making the most of the camper’s shelter from the wind.

“The terrain is just so vast and endless,” M-C says. “You could go to the same area every year and never ski the same zone twice.” Long valleys, broad glaciers, and peaks that roll straight into the ocean create an unmatched backdrop. While you can tour from the highway, having sleds allowed M-C and Vinny to travel 10 to 15 kilometers from camp and reach bigger lines faster.

Alaska skiing comes alive in the spring. It’s when the snowpack stabilizes enough to tackle bigger steeper lines, and the long days add extra hours of sunlight to explore in. 

This past year’s conditions, however, brought their own challenges. The snowpack was more complex than usual, with weak layers and frequent new wind slabs forming after each small system passed through. Patience and conservative line-picking became part of the rhythm.

Luckily, the light remained in their favor. “You can still be skiing at 9 p.m.,” says Vinny. “It means you can wait out the clouds in the morning and still have a full day.”

• Nadahini at Sunset : A thousand-meter, 35-degree face revealed itself just as they were heading back from another zone. They skinned up and skied it in the alpenglow, with perfect snow top to bottom.
  
  

• Valdez Exploration : New terrain, an ice cave side mission, and the potential for bigger lines on a future trip.
  
  

• FPV Drone Footage : Friends brought a racing drone to film some of their lines, adding a whole new perspective to the trip.

• Shared Camp Life : From swapping condition reports with other crews to impromptu parking-lot hangouts, the social side of the trip was as big of a draw as the skiing.

Each year, M-C and Vinny refine their setup. This season’s win was M-C’s pressure-canned meals; instead of pasta for three weeks , the duo dined on hearty, protein-packed dinners. Next year, they’ll return with a fully built-out van, better wind protection, and a little more comfort for the long weather windows.

For M-C and Vinny, the Alaska trip is the perfect season closer. It’s a chance to keep skiing powder into April, explore terrain they can’t find anywhere else, and share long days in the mountains together. “Every year we learn more, meet new people, and find new zones,” M-C says. “It never gets old.”

Stay tuned for Part Two of their Alaska story: an epic, multi-day sled recovery mission best read with a warm drink in hand. 

Renoun Skis Reviews team has over a decade of ski design and manufacturing experience, and decades of combined ski-industry experience ranging from certified PSIA ski instructors to shop technicians, racers, and coaches. We also have a deep passion for and love of all things skiing. The team utilizes this experience to provide unparalleled reviews that dive deep to help guide your purchase for just about any ski-related item and help inform you of any ski-focused tips and tricks about maintenance, on-hill performance, and even the best places to enjoy your Après-Ski. Through written and video content, the Renoun Skis Reviews team is here to help inform you on all things ski-related.

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