THE VALUE OF IMMENSE WILDNESS
AND RENEWABLE RESOURCES E V O L V I N G P R O T E C T I N G
T E R R A I N
M A N A G E M E N T
R E S O U R C E S ,
A C C E S S
A N D
P R O T O C O L S E N V I R O N M E N T
Pioneering the Terrain
15,000
YEARS
AGO
The first people came to Alaska across the Bering Land Bridge. Alaskan Natives developed protocols to survive in the ultra-extreme conditions of the Prince William Sound region.
UPS
&
DOWNS
Valdez has a long history of booms and busts. 1872 Gold discovered near Sitka. Klondike Gold Rush. Valdez All-American route.
The volatile cycle of booms and busts continues....
NON-SUSTAINABLE
OIL
INDUSTRY
Alyeska Pipeline and the Alaska oil economy begins in 1977. Exxon Valdez environmental disaster hits Prince William Sound near Valdez in 1989. Oil is a gravy train that temporarily boosts economies but does not foster diversification, quality lifestyles, or healthy communities.
THE
NEW
BUST
Today Alaska's oil-based economy is crashing. State ran 100% on oil tax revenue. Diversification based on vast renewable resources, recreation and eco-tourism is paramount.
VAST
The Chugach Mountains of southern Alaska are the northernmost of several mountain ranges that comprise the Pacific Coast ranges of the western edge of North America. 300 miles long, 60 miles wide, 98% unexplored. Alaska's deepest snow and greatest concentration of glacial ice
IMMENSE
WILDNESS
Port Valdez is a glacial fjord that reaches inland 11 miles from Prince William Sound in the northern Gulf of Alaska. The greatest annual snowfall in all of Alaska and perhaps the world falls in the surrounding Chugach Mountains, and this has resulted in the greatest concentration of separate glaciers in the state. Glaciers such as the Woodworth and the Schwan are advancing.
Fruit of the Earth RAW
&
UNTOUCHED
Immense immaculate wilderness. Mountains, rivers, lakes, ocean, glaciers, islands, waterfalls. Diverse abundance of wildlife.
VAST SPACE TO
ROAM
Infinite recreational opportunities: skiing, snowboarding, ice climbing, rock climbing, mountaineering, hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, kayaking, rafting, camping, cross country skiing and film production
Top-Down Terrain Management Protocols
A
NEW
WESC
ERA: 1991
1 The World Extreme Skiing Championships put Valdez on the map and showed the Chugach Mountains to the world.
2 WESC was the birth of big mountain freeride skiing and launched a whole new era.
3 Alaska heli-skiing begins, opening up the Chugach to skiers and boarders from around the world.
SKIING THE CHUGACH
DEMANDED THE EVOLUTION OF PROTOCOL
Strike 3 Methodology Top-down terrain management Visual-verbal route selection On-the-go assessment Team-group dynamics
GIVING BACK
Education & Training North America Mechanized Ski Guide Course (15th Annual Course, April 21-28, 2018, Valdez, Alaska) Winter Wilderness Medicine & Rescue Course (2nd Annual Continuing Medical Education course, April 14-21, 2018, Valdez, Alaska) Dean Cummings' Big Mountain/Powder Camps (Locations have included Las LeĂąas, Argentina, Snowbird, Utah, and Niseko, Japan).
GIVING BACK
Steep Life Protocols Tour Annual avalanche education and mountain risk assessment seminars and presentations held at ski shops, resorts, theaters and ski areas in the U.S. Engaging the public, retailers, media, athletes and equipment manufacturers. Sharing the passion, commitment, drive and protocols for Living The Steep Life! Enjoying the friendships, connections, and common bonds of those who live The Steep Life; benefiting from the healthy lifestyle; getting after it; achieving bigger things; protecting the environment, wildlife, and access to the mountains.
ALASKA'S CHUGACH MOUNTAINS: THE HOLY GRAIL OF SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING
PROVING GROUNDS
Jack Wolfskin and H2O Guides team up on outdoors equipment research, testing, and development in the extreme elements of Alaska's Chugach Mountains.