Valdez, the only check on this season's list

     So expecting a normal ski-season I had allotted time off work in March and April for spring ski trips to reap the rewards of the previous investments(vert banked, snow accumulation, more daylight, etc).  I was thinking local stuff like big tours in Turnagain Pass, prolonged traverses such as Eklutna and Bomber, Front Range lesser-skied-regions, and my list went on.  Well, March is here and you know how the season has been going, so I headed to Valdez.
     Notorious for massive amounts of snow, steeps and vertical, Valdez is arguably the dream destination for any skier.  Think Doug Coombs and Dean Cummings, think heli-ski HQ, think TGR, etc.  Now, I live in AK, just a short road-trip away from all this and I still haven't been and therefore, I must, it would be criminal not to.
     I headed out there to meet up with a buddy who just established residence there but had been frequenting the location for some time on the North side of the Pass.  We skied mellow stuff day 1 as a good introduction and warm-up in prime weather.  The prime weather continued so day 2 was the stuff dreams are made of.  Day 3 was somewhere in between, yet an excellent sample of what the area offers.  I'll keep it short, but if you're in AK and like to ski, Valdez is a must.  I would advise checking in with a local.  See pics below, videos and follow-up post to come(time permitting) as I have elected for a second visit on the latter portion of my time off.

Driving out I saw the best northern lights display ever.  I burned up more than an hour outside of GlenAllen mouth-gaping the best display I've seen yet.

Entering skiers' heaven.

 The view from Iguana Back's approach on the North side of Thompson Pass

Pristine.

I earned a new respect for booters and verts after this one.

The only limitation is the size of your gas tank.

The line of the trip.  Spicy but addictive.

Can't top the views.