Build My Own FeedBD employee Dan Caruso reports on his season of Alaskan heli-ski guiding
Black Diamond’s European Ski Line Promoter, Dan Caruso, spends a good chunk of March and April working as a heli guide in Alaska with Alaska Backcountry Adventures. Although this year the powder gods were a little stingy, leaving conditions less-than epic, DC still got into some sweet vert. Below is his season-end report.
From: Daniel Caruso (dc@blackdiamond.eu)
Sent: Donnerstag, 14. April 2011 23:16
Subject: AW: DC
The heli-ski season in Valdez, Alaska was off to a horrible start as March was coming to an end. The steep slopes of the Chugach Mountains had been ravaged by high winds and were left hard and icy. But as April rolled in, a few massive low-pressure systems rolled in off the Gulf of Alaska and lots of fresh snow came with it.
Our concerns were if the new snow would bond to the steep icy under-layers, and sure enough it did. After a few days of super cold temperatures, the fresh snow settled and stuck—it was time to ski the Alaska that everyone had come for.
As the rotors began to spin yesterday, we flew up into the friendly skies, deep into the ridiculously steep faces of the Chugach. Snow stability proved to be bomber, and we were able to get back onto the lines that make this place what it is: the Mecca of big-mountain skiing.
Thanks to the ultra-wide body and rockered-tip of the newest member of the BD Power Series, the Gigawatt, it's all about staying afloat and charging hard. The combination of the snow conditions that allowed us to get out on these insane runs and the advancement of the ski design allowed us to charge harder than ever before; I'm stoked to report that we are definitely back in the business of “stepping it up a notch”! We're all about the down in a big way.
Come on up to AK next week and step it up for yourself!
— DC
United States / English 
