Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Site Summit

I finally got to tag a line that has been a long time waiting.

Marc and I arrived at the Arctic Valley Ski Area around 4:30PM for some after work turns.  The Denali Patrol was working on the finicky T-Bar.  Maybe they'll get it working for the Merry Marmot Festival.

We made it to the saddle below Site Summit in about 30 minutes and were prepared to shred the goods.

Conditions were variable, but we found some softer snow in the gullies that were north facing, and a breakable "pizza-box" like crust everywhere else, combined with boilerplate wind hammered snow on the ridges.

Marc schralping the gnar.

Site Summit actually has a lot of very interesting history.  The former site of a Nike Missle silo, and a military ski area.  Check out this site, for some more interesting information.

I think this dude has Marc beat in "Schralp" status.
This is a picture of an actual Nike Hercules Missle launch.  This is the last Nike Missle site in Alaska. (Photos courtesy of www.alsap.org)

We made two runs down "Grezelka Couloir" and "KD Couloir".  Tracks are visible from the Glenn Highway...check it.

3 Comments:

Blogger Marc_Hoffmeister said...

That dude may have me out shralped, but this here schralpinist has that Nike missile cold smoked, no question! Up in a flash, down with a bang!

March 26, 2010 at 7:23 AM  
Blogger S said...

congrats on descending another line on military property and not getting caught

March 26, 2010 at 8:24 AM  
Blogger Matt J said...

touche...

March 26, 2010 at 9:26 PM  

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