NETJETS US VOLUME 12 2020

“Hollywood has its own version of
heli-skiing. People forget the point of
the helicopter is to access perfect terrain—
that includes glaciers and powder bowls.”
MIKE STONER
Fraser admits, however, that most of his guests still pay for the
steeps. It has taken some serious marketing to convince competent
resort skiers they can hold their own in a place known for 3,500-foot
descents and 40-degree pitches. Tsaina Lodge is set atop Thompson
Pass, a gap in the Chugach that averages over 500 inches of snow
annually. Located by the coast, just northeast of Valdez, the area is
blessed with a maritime snowpack that clings to near-vertical ridges,
providing skiers unfathomable stability. And freezing temperatures
transform that heavy maritime snow into pillowy powder.
“It’s initially intimidating as hell,” says VHSG client Doug George.
A resident of Jackson Hole, George is a seasoned skier of steeps.
“When you’re on a 40-plus degree slope with that much snow, you
expect it to give way any minute and slide. But the snowpack is
different. It takes time to trust, but the guides give you 100% peace
BIRD’S-EYE VIEW
The journey to the slopes
can be as spectacular as
the skiing itself.
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