I’d heard of Champagne powder, the light, fluffy snow of skiers’ dreams, and Japan’s legendary dry and deep “Japow.” But “moss pow” was a condition I didn’t know of until I traversed the peaks around Alaska’s Prince William Sound.
My co-guide for this adventure, Brooke Edwards, a tall blond with a penchant for bright, sparkly gear, had coined the term to describe the slushy snow found in the transition area between the sound’s rocky shores and the squishy, moss-carpeted temperate rainforest floor that we had to bushwhack through to begin our ski tour. It’s not a situation the average skier would seek out. But this wasn’t a trip for your typical skier. This was adventure skiing in its purest form: remote, self-powered, and full of the unknown. It was, quite simply, the ultimate ski safari.
A last frontier within America’s last frontier, the Prince William Sound area spans almost 10,000 square miles of roadless wilderness under the chin of Alaska. Its network of fjords, bays, glaciers, and 200-some islands is surrounded by thousands of peaks offering terrain ranging from steep to mellow, low-angle runs, all accessible only by boat.
Nick D’Alessio is the founder of the guide outfit Remarkable Adventures, based in Girdwood, Alaska—just off the sound. He was familiar with boat-based ski trips in Norway and Iceland and started looking for a vessel willing to take skiers here. In 2018 he met captains Alex and Brad von Wichman, sibling owners of Babkin Charters LLC who were running fishing and wildlife viewing boat tours in the local waters. After two years of scouting missions, the trio started offering a guided backcountry boat trip called Sea and Ski.
Bu hikaye Bloomberg Businessweek US dergisinin October 17 - 24, 2022 (Double Issue) sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Bloomberg Businessweek US dergisinin October 17 - 24, 2022 (Double Issue) sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts
Running in Circles
A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.
How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto
The best restaurant in the world just began its second pop-up in Japan. Here's what's cooking
The Last-Mover Problem
A startup called Sennder is trying to bring an extremely tech-resistant industry into the age of apps
Tick Tock, TikTok
The US thinks the Chinese-owned social media app is a major national security risk. TikTok is running out of ways to avoid a ban
Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria
A UK company produces colors with less water than conventional methods and no toxic chemicals
Pumping Heat in Hamburg
The German port city plans to store hot water underground and bring it up to heat homes in the winter
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment
New Money, New Problems
In Naples, an influx of wealthy is displacing out-of-towners lower-income workers