NETJETS US VOLUME 12 2020

ON THE EDGE
hot doggers have matured into some of the most knowledgeable,
highly respected ski guides and helicopter pilots on the planet. And
they excel at finding terrain to match their clients’ goals and abilities.
“When I started everyone wanted the apex,” says Kirsten Kremer,
who has been guiding with Valdez Heli-Ski Guides (VHSG), the
pioneer of commercial heli-skiing in Alaska, since 1997. “But if your
comfort level is blue and green runs, that’s where we’ll take you.”
When Kevin Quinn started Points North Heli-Adventures in
Cordova in 1998, he wanted to show people that between the gnarly
lines was terrain mellow enough for his 4-year-old daughter to ski.
“For decades the movies and magazines have made Alaska out to
be this scary place, and it can be if that’s what you’re looking for,”
says his wife and business partner, Jessica Quinn. A lot of guests
arrive scared, she says. The “whop, whop, whop” of the helicopter
rotors only adds to the intimidation factor. But just because James
Bond jumps out of a helicopter on skis doesn’t mean you do. (The
helicopter always lands. You safely step out. The chopper scoops
you up at the bottom of your run.) “Hollywood has its own version
of heli-skiing,” she says. “People forget the point of the helicopter is
to access perfect terrain—that includes glaciers and powder bowls.”
OVER THE YEARS, more operators have followed the Quinns’ lead and
are dropping their extreme façade and instead promoting Alaska’s
accessibility. And in the age of COVID-19, a heli-trip to remote
Alaska is the perfect prescription for a pandemic ski vacation. Why
deal with lift lines and resort reservations or the crowds in the
backcountry when you and your pod of ski pals can take lap after
lap of totally untracked powder? No operator has done more to
cater to a new clientele than Jeff Fraser. When the former tech
executive bought Tsaina Lodge in 2011, he ushered in a new
era and bulldozed what was widely regarded as the birthplace
of Alaska’s freeskiing scene. The no-frills lodge where rowdy
ski bums could grab $1 beers after hitching a $15 Super Cub
airplane drop atop harrowing peaks is now a 24-room boutique
stay. And after Fraser purchased VHSG in 2018, those helidrops
now cost guests between $500 to nearly $5,000 per day.
When Fraser purchased VHSG he got rid of the “experts
only” warnings on the website and instead touted, “any skier
who is confident in-bounds at a ski resort can have a world
of fun at VHSG. We’ve got more blue and black runs than
any dozen resorts in North America put together, and ours
are always covered in fresh snow.” He is clear that this isn’t
terrain for beginners or first-time powder skiers. But if you’re
confident shredding six inches of powder top-to-bottom on a run
at Alta or Jackson, he promises the trip of your life in Valdez.
TUCKER PATTON/TRIPLE POINT EXPEDITIONS
ALL DOWNHILL
The Chugach range has a
seemingly endless number
of descents to take on.
52 NetJets