Arctic to Indian (Ski)

Arctic to Indian is a class ski traverse following two watersheds that divide the Chugach Front Range from the Western Chugach.  Rugged mountains along the way--Tanaina, Williwaw, Avalanche, the Suicides--appear even steeper in contrast to the mellow valleys you’ll follow for the ski tour. There aren’t many long routes through our mountains that offer smooth travelling with such extravagant views.

March or April are likely to have the best conditions for the traverse, so this is a good time to block off a couple possible days on your calendar for the traverse. Since making the trip is dependent on adequate snow bridges and you probably will want to ski it when there is good visibility, it’s a good idea to have at least a couple of options open in March or April. In a normal snow year April might be nicer, but with a thin snowpack March could be better this year.

The trip begins with a descent to Ship Creek from a trailhead about a mile below Arctic Valley ski area. There is a network of formal and informal trails here, including one that parallels the road to Arctic Valley. For the traverse route, head downhill toward the creek and then look for a skin track heading upvalley.

For the next eight to ten miles, the skin track wanders gently uphill, generally following the path of least resistance or whatever other route skiers took who broke the trail. Be aware that day trippers in the area may have made loops, so make sure you continue to head upstream. Ship Creek meanders down the valley in serpentine braids, and sizable cottonwood trees obscure views, so the route can be confusing and it’s worth keeping a compass or GPS handy to make sure you’re heading the right way.

If nobody has broken the trail, this section probably will be the slowest part of the traverse, since it is necessary to cross Ship Creek several times and snow bridges may only exist in some places.  The creek swings up against the sides of the valleys in several places, preventing a straightforward ascent that stays on one side of the creek.

After a couple hours you’ll begin to emerge from the trees near the confluence of Ship Creek’s North and South Forks. In clear weather, this confluence should be a pretty obvious landmark. A mountain called The Sail divides the two forks of the creek. To your left, the gentle ridge that heads east from Rendezvous Peak becomes more rugged near Triangle Peak. On your right, Tanaina Peak rises very abruptly out of the valley. Looking due south, a broad valley continues to the low saddle called Indian Pass, which marks the end of the climb for Arctic to Indian.

Skiing up the South Fork of Ship Creek feels like a passage through a wild and remote wilderness even though it is only about 15 miles from town. The broad valley, now above treeline, provides expansive views of the Western Chugach and the Front Range. When the weather is nice, it’s hard to imagine a better place for a ski tour.

Directly east of Mount Williwaw, three sub-forks of Ship Creek converge.  For the Arctic to Indian route, continue due south on the center tributary. Another option is to turn right, head to Ship Lake, then climb the pass and ski out to Glen Alps. This route has the potential for avalanches climbing out of Ship Lake, but is a shorter car shuttle.

Skiing on toward Indian Pass, Avalanche Peak looms high on the right, and will cast a long shadow over the valley if it is late afternoon.  Indian Pass is a very low, gentle saddle in the ridge. In clear weather, you’ll see Alpenglow Peak on the other side of Turnagain Arm. The water looks very close, but there’s still six miles a couple thousand feet downhill to the Indian trailhead.

Descending from the pass, there seems to be a fairly clear trail through spruce on the east side of the valley. Farther down, it is harder to tell what the easiest descent is, particularly once you enter the alder zone. Continue downhill, looking for the trail that is close to and on the west side of the creek once you hit treeline. Unless it just snowed heavily, this trail is usually well used and will provide a relatively fast ski out as long as there’s snow on it.

I recommend leaving a car at Indian Creek trailhead to avoid walking back down the road to Seward Highway. If you have time, set shuttle the night before to get an earlier start from Arctic Valley. Remember that the military locks the Arctic Valley gate at night, so if you’re not back to the starting trailhead by 9:45 or so you’ll have to get that car the next day. Joe Stock’s book The Alaska Factor has a map and description of the tour.

A particular type of skis are perfect for Arctic to Indian: wide, with scales, metal edges, and lightweight telemark or NNN BC bindings. Karhu Guides, Madshus Annums, Alpina X Terrain, and Rosignol BCs are some examples. If you don’t own some like these, you can probably pick up a cheap used pair at Play it Again Sports in Midtown. These wide touring skis are perfect for the trip since there’s not enough downhill to justify ATs, and narrow cross country skis will not provide support if the skin track hasn’t been heavily used.

Most of us don’t ski 22 miles in an average day. This trip can take a while, so bring plenty of food, water, firestarter, and some form of emergency shelter.

From the snow bridges arcing over Ship Creek to the wide open valleys around The Sail, there’s almost too much scenery to remember. As you’re skiing down toward Turnagain Arm, the alpenglow and then the alders will take all your attention. But later this cascade of images will be a reminder of how a full day’s crossing is an immersion in the mountains, and leaves a deeper imprint in your memory than shorter trips.