Points North Heli-Adventures
Family owned and operated for 20 years, PNG is all about heart and soul
WORDS • SAM TAGGART | FEATURED IMAGE • RICHARD HALLMAN/WME
If you sleep too late at Points North Heli-Adventures (PNH), they’ll turn the helicopters on to wake you. “That usually gets people going pretty quickly,” notes Jessica Quinn, one of the owners at the Cordova, Alaska-based heli-skiing outfitter. Located in the heart of the Chugach Range, where glistening powder snow lies untouched on some of the most magnificent, 12,000-foot mountains in North America, PNH has access to 2,000 square miles of skiable terrain. In itself, that’s usually enough to get folks out of bed in the morning.
“The first time you’re out there, it’s the most awe-inspiring, mind-blowing thing. It’s the most spiritual experience, just being able to be part of the Chugach National Forest and Chugach Range. There are these massive mountains and snow sticks to places you can only imagine,” explains Quinn, with a sense of wonderment in her voice. “The topography, the terrain, the visuals—being in a helicopter in the middle of the Chugach—it’s really sensory overload.”
20 years ago, Jessica’s husband, Kevin, saw potential in running a heli-skiing operation elsewhere than Valdez, which is still a major hub of adventure outfitters in the state. With the expansiveness of the mountains in this area of the United States, it’s surprising that others weren’t recognizing this opportunity, too. “[Kevin] just wanted a place that was separate—he loved Valdez, but there were so many operations there,” describes Jessica. “He wanted something that was in the Chugach Range, but to have it be on its own.”
Visiting Points North is a different kind of heli-skiing experience, one that brings staffers, guides, the Quinns and clients together, community style. Operating out of the small town of Cordova, located just three hours south of Valdez by ferry, PNH pilots the only helicopters in the area, allowing for a truly solitary experience in the mountains. The terrain accessible by PNH’s three, A-Star helicopters varies from puckering steeps to seemingly endless glacial cruisers, all of which provide visitors countless turns through pristine snow.
Undoubtedly, skiing reigns supreme at Points North. From the people who are hired to work in the lodge, as guides, chefs, pilots, whatever their role, everyone is there because of a commitment to exploring the outdoors. Professional film crews, including Warren Miller Entertainment, frequent the destination while everyday clients seek similar rewards: powder snow, and lots of it.
Beyond the skiing, lodge life at PNH is also uniquely important. Operating out of an old cannery—one of the largest in Alaska—all of PNH’s employees, the Quinn family, including their young son and daughter, who have been raised on the property every winter season of their lives, and guests all occupy the same compound. Meals are eaten in true “family style” at long, wooden tables where everyone can mingle, share stories and spread their love of sliding effortlessly through snow.
“Just the heart and soul we’ve put in to it,” says Jessica, commenting on what sets Points North apart from the rest of the hundreds of heli-skiing operations in North America. “We’ve had marriages on top of peaks; we’ve had relationships blossom. A lot of special things have happened here because it gets into people’s souls. The allure of Alaska is like nothing else.”
