Kachemak Bay (Ski)

Khalial at the top of Brokenknife's west-facing couloir

For sheer decadence, nothing can beat spring skiing and camping above Kachemak Bay. The peaks harbor north-facing powder, while southern and western slopes turn to corn in the afternoon. Treeline camping is warm and sheltered, with easterly views of Jackolof and Tutka Bays and sunset views of the Alaska Range’s massive volcanoes. By April, daylight is so long that you can ski till or past dinnertime, then hang out in daylight until it is time to sleep.

Near the top of Brokenknife's couloir

 Of course, the great irony of Homer is that it’s the prettiest town in Alaska with zero road access to its mountains. Skiing across the bay requires a boat or plane drop off. Fortunately, and unlike in Whittier, there are affordable water taxis that leave from Homer. Mako’s is extremely convenient and affordable, departing from the small boat harbor multiple times per day on a generally flexible schedule. It only costs $80 per person round trip to be dropped off at Jackolof Bay, which is the most convenient place for those of us who don’t have personal boats or planes to use for ski access.

Near treeline on Lazy Mountain

While there are miles of mountains and glaciers in the Kachemak Bay State Park area, the easiest to access is near Jackolof. On a map, it is the mountain complex connected to Red Mountain. For local skiers, the area is known as Lazy Mountain and Broken Knife. It is visible from Homer: Lazy Mountain is a long, mellow ridgeline to the west of Grace Ridge, and Broken Knife is the adjacent jagged promontory. Both rise right out of the water above Jackolof Bay.

Improbably, a local Seldovia skier named Craig “Chunk” Barnard meticulously maintains access to them. Approximately one and a quarter miles west of Jackolof Bay along the road to Seldovia, there is a small pull off at the toe of the Lazy Mountain ridge. From here, Chunk maintains a trail that climbs gradually up the ridge to treeline. This short tour of approximately one mile and one thousand feet of climbing passes through large, moss-draped spruce reminiscent of Southeast’s rainforest. A good place to camp is amidst the last sizeable stand of trees, with a direct view of the Yukon Island, the mouth of Tutka Bay, and the Homer spit.

Camping at treeline is convenient because it avoids repeating the sloggy part of accessing Kachemak Bay’s backcountry. Instead, you’re right at the backdoor of good skiing. Climbing Lazy Mountain’s gradual ridge, there are obvious west and north facing bowls to ski. From Lazy Mountain’s summit--really just a noticeable high point on the ridge--Broken Knife and its west-facing double couloir beckons skiers. To access them, bootpack up Broken Knife’s north ridge (which does have some exposure) after making a short south-facing descent from Lazy Mountain and climbing a northwest-facing bowl below Broken Knife. There are numerous south facing corn runs into the valley below Broken Knife.

This area is dominated by avalanche terrain. There is no avalanche forecast for the region, so safety is up to the skier. If you know which skin tracks are Chunk’s, you can see how they assiduously minimize avalanche hazard. Keep in mind that a skin track on a hot south face may be fine in the morning but unsafe in the afternoon. In spring’s long daylight, the south slopes can go isothermal and present serious avalanche risks.

Three days is a fine length of time to tour across the bay. It is sufficient for driving down, taking a water taxi, climbing to treeline, ski touring, and getting back across the bay. Of course, there is a major difference between car and boat access: Wind and waves can leave you stuck across the bay waiting for small boat-suitable weather. Make sure the marine forecast is appropriate for getting out and getting back. If it’s really nasty on the water, it probably isn’t too pleasant for skiing up in the mountains either.

The best ski terrain is back off Broken Knife, a few miles from camp, though there are also fun lines in the large north and west facing bowl near Lazy Mountain. If you go out there, say hi to Chunk and thank him for maintaining such a sweet ski zone for us Anchorage interlopers.