Alyeska

 

Ken met me up in Anchorage at the end of my conference to go skiing for a couple days at the Alyeska ski lodge.

It dumped 8 inches of fresh snow the night we got there, and the next two days we skiid in sunny, clear, beautiful (cold!) conditions. These pictures show the great view of Turnagain Arm from Alyeska.

 

The base of the resort is only 250' above sea level, and the ski areas aren't too high in altitude (the summit is about 3900'), but it is an enormous area (1000 acres of skiing!), and the terrain is steep. Check out the chair lift to the right... that's only half-way up the mountain.

 
This gondola takes you from the hotel directly to the summit in just a few minutes.

 
View of the surrounding mountains from the summit
(well, indoors at the cafe at the summit)

 
Snowy peaks in the sunlight

 
Self-portrait: Ken and me

 
View of the lodge from the lowest run... coming "home"

 
Slightly askew

 
Leaving Alyeska

 
At the head of Turnagain Arm is Portage Glacier, which sheds huge amounts of ice and sediment, which flow with the tidal currents in the Arm and collects at the edges.

 
Wildlife encounter... moose in the road!


Wildlife encounter #2... there are 5 mountain goats in this picture.... can you find them all?


Here's 4


The 5th one (he was at the top left of the first photo)


Here's another... one-horned?

 
Beautiful, sunny view of ice in Turnagain Arm.

 
As the sun set, we saw this glorious vertical rainbow... almost as good as Northern Lights.