If you’ve seen just about any ski movie in the last 20 years, you’ve likely witnessed helicopters buzzing around the legendary Chugach Range, depositing skiers on all-time spine lines. The Chugach is a place of dreams, and Cordova, AK-based Points North Heli-Adventures has been making those dreams a reality since 1998.

The operation is owned and run by ex-professional hockey player turned big-mountain skier and all around badass Kevin Quinn and his equally accomplished and ripping wife Jessica Sobolowski-Quinn. It’s based on the southeastern edge of the famed Chugach Range and offers over 2,000 square miles of skiable terrain right out the door of its waterfront lodge. As the only heli outfit in this part of the Chugach, Points North doesn’t have to compete for lines with other operations as can be the case in busier heli hotbeds. And with twice-daily flights from both Seattle and Anchorage, Points North is one of the easier Alaskan heli-ski operations to get to.

With the terrain being featured in each of the last 12 Warren Miller films, many have seen exactly what this place has to offer. The Points North tenure ranges from beautiful ramps of AK powder for the upper-intermediate level skier to face-melting spines for the experienced ripper. Since weather is always a factor in Alaska, PNH guides work hard to maximize your skiing each day the helis can fly, and rather than offering guaranteed vertical feet or number of runs per day, Points North charges by the heli hour during their weeklong trips. When it lines up, it’s go time, and in good conditions, it’s not uncommon to log eight to twelve runs a day and garner up to 40,000 vertical feet.

As an all-inclusive heli operation, you can expect Points North to take great care of you from the moment you land in Cordova to the moment you head home. Weeklong packages include lodging, chef-prepared meals, transportation around town and skiing, taking much of the headache out of planning a heli trip. Because of the full-service approach, in addition to the phenomenal skiing around Cordova, nearly 85-percent of clients return year after year.

Even if the weather doesn’t cooperate, you can expect to stay busy. Down-day activities include sea kayaking, ice climbing, fishing, glacier tours and skiing at the local hill, Mount Eyak, a funky little ski area right in Cordova.

Making turns in Alaska should be on just about everyone’s bucket list. The big mountains, deep snow, steep spines and frontier vibe of Alaska are an undeniable draw, and it’s exceedingly rare to meet someone who wasn’t completely blown away by the place. It’s this life-altering heli-ski experience that Points North Heli- Adventures looks to deliver to each and every client that shows up.

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