New Year's to Max's

Kruser, Dr. Snow, TK Snow, and yours truly covered the extremities of our favorite ski resort, the very best ski resort at the 61st parallel, and the world's only ski resort overlooking the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet. Today we skied only Max's and New Year's the extreme skiers' left and extreme skiers' right lines at Girdwood's best ski area. Both had great snow with lots of untracked lines.

Max's had an arduous, uphill traverse, but no complaints - it kept the traffic down and the powder pure. Max's offers excellent glades and meadows, with some nice steeps. Max's open meadows are a nice contrast to the rock-walled New Year's Chute.

New Year's Chute is a real treat because it's not often open due to it's avalanche hazard; it's a steep, narrow chute that gathers an incredible amount of snow at its starting zone. Max's is open to skiing from the lifts a little more often, but definitely not the norm. New Year's is a great line, the type that I wouldn't dare in the backcountry. Its steep pitch is sustained and jogs, not a good place to fall. And tooday both Max's and New Year's had fabulous conditions!

Friends, sunshine and powder - a great combination.