Exclusive Discounts to Heli-Ski Alaska in Spring 2024 With Pulseline Adventure and SnowBrains It’s been nuking snow in the Chugach Mountains surrounding Valdez, Alaska, for weeks and the alpine heli-skiing zones above 2,500’ are plastered with above-average snowpack (and winter officially starts today). At sea level, Valdez averages more than 27 feet of snowfall annually. Related: Valdez, AK Report: My 1st Ever Day as an Alaskan Heli-Ski Guide with Pulseline Adventures March and […] SnowBrains | December 21, 2023 0 Comments
Alyeska Resort, AK, First Ski Resort to Reach 300″ Snowfall for 2023/24 Season No stranger to receiving the most snow in North America, Alyeska Resort, Alaska, is at it again, with yesterday’s 12″ dump taking the ski area passed 300″ for the season. The resort has seen 302″ of fresh snow this season and has a 100″ base. Related: Top 9 Biggest Snowfalls in North America This Season Considering it’s still mid-December, that’s an […] Industry News SnowBrains | December 20, 2023 0 Comments
Valdez Heli-Ski Guides Announces Purchase of Alaska Rendezvous Lodge In a stunning move, two of the premier Heli-Ski guiding companies in Alaska are consolidating ownership, as Valdez Heli-Ski Guides (‘VHSG’) announced its acquisition of Alaska Rendezvous Lodge (‘ARL’) on November 24, 2023. Founded in 1993 by industry legends Doug and Emily Coombs, VHSG offers a cadre of expertly trained and experienced guides, a plethora of untouched powder in Alaska’s […] Industry News Jared Roberts | November 27, 2023 1 Comment
SnowBrains Alaska Highlight Video 2023 | My Year #2 of Heli-Ski Guiding Some of the Best Terrain on Earth This past April I spent the month heli-ski guiding for Pulseline Adventure in Valdez, Alaska. This was my 2nd season heli-ski guiding in Alaska and we got a bit of everything this year. When we did get good snow, we were on it and had some spectacular days out there. I can’t wait to get back up there this April […] Featured Video Liam Abbott | November 20, 2023 0 Comments
Anchorage, AK, in Midst of Snowiest November Since Records Began Anchorage, Alaska, is currently experiencing its snowiest November since records began in 1953. The city has seen 39.1 inches of snowfall so far, with 11 days of the month still to go. The previous record was 38.8″, set in 1994. Related: Evacuation Ordered in Anchorage, Alaska After 80-Foot Deep Avalanche Rips Through Suburb Beginning with an early November storm, the […] SnowBrains | November 19, 2023 0 Comments
The Sun is About to Set in Barrow, AK, and Will Not be Seen Until 2024 Imagine sitting on your porch at midnight in midsummer, drinking a glass of beer, with the sun shining in the sky and lighting up the land. What an incredible daydream. Well, for Barrow, Alaska, this is not much of a dream but an annual reality. However, on the flip side, they experience two months of ominous darkness every winter. This […] Brains Riley McDonald | November 15, 2023 1 Comment
Dreaming Of Alaska – Winter Is Coming to Alyeska Resort Have you ever dreamed of Alaska? Well, Alyeska Resort could be the perfect ski-in ski-out base camp to head to the land of endless winter adventures. Alaska’s top ski destination, Alyeska Resort, has a steep and deep reputation that is ready for you to explore. Mount Alyeska is home to the world’s longest double black diamond run. The steeps straight […] Featured Article Rouchelle Gilmore | October 30, 2023 0 Comments
Alyeska Resort, AK, Unveils Bold Expansion Plans Including Employee Housing and a Resort Village Alyeska Resort in Alaska unveiled its ambitious expansion plans to the Girdwood community at the Sitzmark Bar & Grill last month, taking a forward-thinking approach to updating the Resort Master Plan developed by previous ownership in 2007. Related: Alyeska Resort in Alaska Joins the Ikon Pass Community for Winter 23/24 Ryan Pomeroy, CEO of Pomeroy Lodging and the driving force […] Industry News SnowBrains | October 6, 2023 0 Comments
First Significant Snowfall Closes 3,886′ Hatcher Pass, AK, Until July The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities announced yesterday that the summit of Hatcher Pass is now closed for the season. The road will likely stay closed through July, depending on this season’s snowfall. “Well, you knew it was going to happen any time! Hatcher Pass Rd over the Pass is closed for the winter. Archangel Rd will stay open […] SnowBrains | September 21, 2023 0 Comments
Biden Administration Cancels Arctic Oil Leases, Proposes More Protections in Alaska The Biden administration yesterday announced the cancellation of the last seven oil and gas leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The decision reverses sales carried out in the final days of the Trump administration and proposes amplified protections for vast areas of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Related: Biden-Harris Administration Announces $44 Million to Restore and Strengthen Climate Resilience Across […] SnowBrains | September 7, 2023 0 Comments
SnowBrains 2022 Alaska Highlight Video – Feasting on Spines… 3-minutes of me ripping around Alaska with a 30+ pound pack! 2022 was our 1st ever season heli-ski guiding in Alaska for Pulseline Adventure in Valdez. We were up there for 2 months and we got to guide in the Tordrillo Mountains as well as in the Valdez zone. Skiing Alaska is like skiing a whole other world… This was […] Featured Video Miles Clark | September 4, 2023 1 Comment
[VIDEO] Houses Washed Away by Historic Glacial Flooding in Juneau, AK Record-breaking glacial flooding in Juneau, Alaska’s state capital, has led to a state of emergency after waters from the Mendenhall River caused unprecedented damage, destroying at least two buildings and prompting urgent evacuations. The surge occurred Saturday after a significant glacial dam outburst from Suicide Basin, a compartment of the 3,000-year-old Mendenhall Glacier, located roughly 12 miles north of Alaska’s […] Steven Agar | August 7, 2023 0 Comments
Alyeska Resort, AK, Opens New Skybridges Suspended 2,500 Feet Above the Valley Floor Alyeska Resort, AK, has unveiled its latest attraction, the Veilbreaker Skybridges. Offering an unparalleled adventure, visitors can now pay to traverse two narrow bridges suspended a heart-stopping 2,500 feet above the valley floor. Since its grand opening on July 10, demand for this exhilarating experience has soared. We’re thrilled to announce the opening of the spectacular Veilbreaker Skybridges. Come […] SnowBrains | July 24, 2023 0 Comments
The Science Behind Problematic Pink Snow An annual summertime sight in alpine environments, pink snow, also known as watermelon snow, often lingers on late-season snowpack and glaciers worldwide. Though it may be appealing to try and take a bite of the brightly colored snow, it may forecast a more sinister warning about our warming environment. The bacterial phenomenon behind pink snow helps to accelerate the melting […] Brains Lucas Gauthier | June 23, 2023 0 Comments
Valdez, AK Report: 4/20 = The Best Day of the Heli-Season Via 5 World Class Runs Report from April 20, 2023 On April 20, 2023, I paired up with lead guide Jess Baker and headed into Pulseline Adventure‘s coveted Forest Service terrain. The Pencil Glacier. This zone epitomizes Alaska heli-skiing. We rattled off seven runs in this zone, and everyone one of them was special. Five of these runs were world-class. We skied one of them twice […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | June 13, 2023 0 Comments
10h14m – Jack Kuenzle Sets ‘Fastest Known Time’ For Ascent/Descent of 20,310′ Mount Denali, AK On June 5th, 2023, Jack Kuenzle of Roxbury, CT, set a Fastest Known Time (FKT) for ascending and descending Mount Denali, AK. Kuenzle, a former Navy Seal, an ultrarunner, and an endurance coach, climbed from base camp at 7,200′ to the summit of Denali, and back down, in 10 hours and 14 minutes. “10:14:57 Round trip on Denali from the […] SnowBrains | June 13, 2023 0 Comments
Alaska Grants Preliminary Approval for New Valdez Ski Resort That Would Be Largest in the State Many people believe the best skiing and snowboarding in the world is in Alaska. The massive mountains, abundant snowfall, and expansive terrain are just a few reasons why. However, the number of actual lift-accessed ski areas is limited. Using snowmobiles and alpine touring are common ways to access the spacious area. Or you can pay for one of the many […] Industry News Brent Thomas | May 11, 2023 1 Comment
Crews Searching For 2 Climbers in Denali National Park & Preserve, AK, Missing Since May 5th Denali National Park and Preserve officials initiated an aerial and ground search on May 7 for two overdue climbers who were last known to be in the vicinity of the Moose’s Tooth, a 10,300-foot mountain in the Alaska park’s Ruth Gorge. Related: Avalanche in Denali National Park, AK, Kills Parks Employee Eli Michel, age 34, of Columbia City, IN, and […] CragBrains | May 9, 2023 1 Comment
Avalanche in Denali National Park, AK, Kills Parks Employee An avalanche killed a Denali National Park and Preserve employee while he was backcountry skiing within the park on a north-facing slope near Mile 10 on the Park Road on Thursday, May 4. Around 1 pm an individual reported to staff that they had observed a lone skier triggering an avalanche on an unnamed slope south of Jenny Creek and East of […] Avalanche AvyBrains | May 5, 2023 0 Comments
The Insane Logistics of Moving a Gondola Across the Atlantic: The Eaglecrest Gondola, AK Many of us have found a bargain on Craigslist and then were stumped when it turned out we had to disassemble and reassemble the item ourselves. The logistics of moving furniture, sheds, or other large purchases can be so daunting for some that they instead buy new so they have the logistics component taken out of the equation. How about […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | May 3, 2023 0 Comments