UPDATE! Due to the short notice on this trip, the price has been reduced to $6,750. The dates are April 19-25th.
This sounds too good to be true – a week long steep skiing camp in the greatest mountains on earth, the Wrangell-Saint Elias range. This is being put together by Eli Potter of Alaska Wild Alpine and will be based out of the Ultima Thule Lodge where we will be flying with Paul Claus in his Turbine Otter. In conjunction with Eli and the Ultima Thule crew, I’ll be guiding for the entire outing and space is limited to a small group.
It’s hard to know where to even start describing a trip like this as there are so many cool aspects to it. To begin with, the Wrangell-St.Elias (WSE) range is the largest National Park & Preserve in the U.S. and it is known as “the mountain kingdom” for good reason – it is packed with an endless vista of skiable mountains. As if that isn’t enough, it is right next to Canada’s Kluane National Park, and between the two of them there are roughly 24 million square acres of skiing to be had. That is like having an entire New England state to yourselves. WSE has nine of the 16 highest peaks in the United States, including Mount St. Elias, the second highest in the U.S. and home of the longest potential ski descent in the world at 18,000′ from the peak to the ocean shore. For size and scale reference, the entire Chugach Mountains (of which the famed Valdez big-mountain skiing is only a small part) is just one of four ranges that make up the Wrangell-St. Elias Park. The place defines “immense.”
All of this hugeness would we wasted if you didn’t have some way of getting to it, which is where Paul’s Turbine Otter comes in. The original Otter was described to me as a “ground loving airplane,” but by chopping off the stock engine and replacing it with a turbine, it can fly far, fast and high. Paul’s Turbine Otter was one of the first ever made (if not the first..?) and it is equipped with skis and wheels so it can land almost anywhere. The plane is worth about a million dollars, and with a ten-million dollar pilot like Paul, you can land just about anywhere. The skiing is amazing, but the plane flights are almost better.
This will be my third trip to the WSE’s and I can’t wait. Eli and Paul know the mountains much better than I do, so between the three of us, I’m sure we will find some amazing skiing. First descents are the norm in this area and there is no shortage of them. At night, we will be flying back to the warm, spacious Ultima Thule Lodge where Donna Claus & Company prepare the meals.
The price tag is not for the faint of heart, but if you are looking for the be-all, end-all backcountry skiing experience, this is it. Space is limited to five people for the first year and skiers/riders should be comfortable with skinning, riding off-piste terrain and traveling through various types of snow. There will be at least two guides for the group (Eli and myself), and perhaps more. For more information, check out Eli’s website, Alaska Wild Alpine or email me directly at amclean@xmission.com
Wrangell-Saint Elias Websites:
National Park Service Wrangell-Saint Elias Website
Wikipedia Entry on the Wrangell-Saint Elias Wilderness
Photos from a previous trip to the Bagley Ice Field in the WSE Park
I hope you can make it!
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Help support StraightChuter.com and get a Wrangell-St.Elias approved Black Diamond Alpine Bod Harness from Backcountry.com. Click on the photo below…
Checked out their site and um, what does “exclusive access to Andrew” mean?!
I thought I was the only one with that kind of access :)
It means I’ll change diapers after a particularly steep descent. ;)
sounds like a rad trip….kinda short notice tho for any potential Black Card holders…
How many hours of babysitting would we have to arrange to get another contest going?
Hi Gringo – Yes, that’s true.
I wish I had 8k for this trip..
Wonder if you get stuck with a big group of rich douche bags? Still worth your free trip to Alaska?
what happened to pink pine?
What if a five day storm pins ya down out there and Paul can’t fly ya back for dinner? Better bring your bivy! :)
An ultralight bivy with andrew. Now we are talking up close and personal. Just don’t believe him when he tells you that you sleep warmer without clothes on.
IF ONLY YOU WANNABES COULD SKI
Hey, Andrew this sounds incredible! I posted it to my blog, Skiing in the Shower, hope it helps! Someday when I don’t live on granola I’d love to join you… Have a great trip!
Hey y’all,
Just wanted to give you the heads-up that we slashed the cost of the Steeps Camp by nearly 20% for those of you who want to jump on board last-minute. Check us out again at alaskawildalpine.com.
Hope to see you out there!
I’m kind of bummed.. because of the short notice I have other plans then but I would love to go on this trip. Is it happening again next year? I can’t wait to see the trip report.
Hi BP – I think/hope/assume it will be held next year, so I hope to see you then and there.
St Elias Range… always worth the cost and effort if you have a little time to wait for a break in the weather. Have fun! After looking off the summit of Logan in 78 I’ve always wanted to go back with a back pack full of cash for multiple flights to a variety of base camps and two months to ski! I hope that one flies Andrew!
Good one!
Looks like the adventure never stops….
Giver…..