Points North Heli Skiing Alaska
The term “powder hound” refers to people who absolutely love to ski or snowboard powder, and the word originated because as hounds they are great at sniffing out and hunting down the powder. When heli skiing in Alaska however, powder hounds won’t just be sniffing the powder, they’ll be snorting powder (the snow kind!) and perhaps even inhaling it! The deep Alaska powder is one of the most addictive drugs on earth!
At Points North Heli Skiing, you can ride all the virgin powder you want. The super long runs are likely to build up plenty of lactic acid in the legs, and generate a huge smile on your dial.
Points North is a highly reputable operator with an emphasis on the safety aspects of heli skiing. Points North are proudly only one of three Alaska heli skiing operators that are members of the Heli Ski US Association, which requires high standards of safety to be reached.
If you’re a skiing or snowboarding fiend that relentlessly pursues fresh powder above all else, then Points North is for you. With over 20 metres of snowfall annually and an abundance of heliski terrain, PNH is highly likely to get an 11 out of 10 as a skiing or boarding experience.
When Does Points North Heli Skiing Operate?
The Points North season starts in mid February and goes until late April. Considering the Alaska heli skiing season is rather short, it’s very wise to book your heli trip early.
The giant weather maker of the Gulf of Alaska brings all the fabulous snow via storms. Unfortunately snow doesn’t fall from blue skies, so it’s not surprising that Alaskan heli skiing has lots of no fly days. An average week consists of 2-3 fly days, which is why the Points North pricing structure works well. If you’re lucky enough to fly every day, you can choose to pay for more heli flight hours.
Where is Points North Heli Skiing Located?
The heli skiing is within the dramatic Chugach Mountains, with Points North having exclusive access to the south-eastern side of the range.
Points North is based near the town of Cordova AK, which is 30 miles southeast of Valdez as the crow flies. Cordova is situated on the southeast corner of Prince William Sound, and accessible only by ferry or plane. Alaska Airlines flies into Cordova twice daily from Anchorage (28 minute flight) and Seattle (3 hour flight). The PNH staff provide transport between the Cordova airport and the lodge.
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Terrain & Snow
Points North has access to a massive 2,000 square miles of terrain and they don’t have to share this with any other heli skiing operators. The dramatically beautiful terrain is heavily glaciated and has lots of spectacular peaks. The terrain is treeless and runs span from about 3,000 to 4,000 feet of vertical on average.
The Chugach terrain has a world renowned reputation for really scary extreme faces. Just watching a Warren Miller movie is enough to make your armpits really sweaty (or get you overly excited!!). However the Chugach Mountains and Points North are not exactly as they are portrayed on Warren Miller. Sure when conditions permit, experts can tackle the super steeps, but at the other end of the spectrum, PNH also has lots of terrain for strong intermediates. So you don’t have to be a stunt skier or boarder to go heli skiing with Points North, especially if you’ve got a long board or big fat powder skis.
One aspect that sets Points North apart from other Alaska heli skiing operators is that they have 3 helicopters, so they can really group different guests according to ability. The chances are slim of being stuck with people that are way above or below your ability level or desire for speed.
And the most important facet of Points North heli skiing is the snow! Make sure you close up any zips in your jacket including the ones under your arms, because the Chugach Mountains receive over 20 metres of snow annually. That’s likely to get a powderhound’s tail wagging!