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Never gets old. Photo: Blotto
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The metal bird, our transportation, access to tall peaks and sometimes a moving tripod when the doors come off and they strap in the filmer and photographer and let us hang from the side while shooting! Photo: Blotto
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Never gets old, part two. Rider: Frederik Kalbermatten Photo: Blotto
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Swiss snowboarder Frederik Kalbermatten closes out a long powder run through an oversized gully at the bottom of the mountain…everything is bigger in Alaska. Photo: Blotto
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Some of the mountain runs are four to five thousand vertical feet…you can definitely use a mellow powder field in the middle to cool down the legs! Rider: Frederik Kalbermatten Photo: Blotto
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On this day, the afternoon sun warmed up the snow a bit too for landing big jumps, so we resorted to the glacier fields and their natural transitions that sometimes provide perfect snowboarding opportunities. Rider: Gigi Rüf Photo: Blotto
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Gigi Rüf watching the first rays of light hit Birthday Bowl while planning his line. Photo: Blotto
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Stay low and hold down the gear while the helicopter lifts off. Photo: Blotto
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Finnish snowboarder Jussi Oksanen is a long way from the 500 vertical foot mountains he grew up on in Scandinavia, now it’s 500 feet covered every few seconds! Photo: Blotto
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Being a long time visitor to these mountains, Nicolas knows the snowpack and terrain well, but always double checks avalanche conditions before every descent. Photo: Blotto
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Finding the perfect drop in point. Rider: Nicolas Müller Photo: Blotto
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Nicolas Müller frontside 720 tailgrab log jam. Photo: Blotto
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Nicolas Müller messing around with a snowball prior to lift off into the tall mountains. Photo: Blotto
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Kevin Pearce in snowboarding heaven. Photo: Blotto
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What will this day bring? Photo: Blotto
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The start of a 4,000 vertical foot run called Buns of Steel. Rider: Kevin Pearce Photo: Blotto
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Guide, rider and pilot plotting the next landing zone. Guide: Ted Purdy Rider: Kevin Pearce Pilot: Al Holzman Photo: Blotto
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Photo: Blotto
Alaska is beautiful and gnarly and big… while being so inviting, good, and rewarding for those who trek onto the slopes in search of powdery turns and landings. For many many years I was traveling with the Absinthe and Burton film crews as they documented freestyle snowboarding in southeast Alaska out of a small town called Haines.
The Adventure Capitol of Alaska, as some say, lives up to the name one-hundred percent of the time, as 2,500 residents sit comfortably alongside Portage Cove, nestled in close proximity to the Takinsha, Takshanuk, Coast Mountains and Chilkat Range. One of those places that would keep you busy everyday of the year for your entire life exploring the waterways and mountain ranges of this area
I looked through a few years of riding and shooting photos in the Chilkat Range and pulled out some of my favorites for you today. Powder turns, mountain peaks, jumping and riders, and you’ll see a couple images of the helicopter, our metal bird that provided the lift to all these tall peaks, and our safe return at day’s end.
For those of you seeking adventure into the snow filled backcountry, please use knowledgeable guides, safety equipment and have a plan, you can’t mess around by taking safety for granted, maximum respect to Mother Nature at all times. Enjoy the flicks!
For more from Blotto, check out his site and see what he is offering up on 500px.com. And be sure to follow him on Instagram and Like him on Facebook.
