Cordova, Alaska

Warren Miller has taken you to Alaska’s Chugach range before but, this year, see it from the heli guides’ perspective with the crew from Points North Heli Adventures. The Chugach range is “Disneyland on steroids,” and the Points North guides are a unique breed. This group from Northern California has Alaska in their blood, and when they’re thrown into its dwarfing terrain, they become a true band of bothers. Jessica explains, “[There aren’t] better people to learn the tricks of the trade by…I feel really protected and lucky to be with such a tight-knit group of people out there when we are guiding because…it is a family and we’re all watching each other’s backs.” The usual suspects are Kevin and Jessica Quinn, the owners and operators of Points North, but all of the guides in this operation have contributed equally to this couple’s success and safety in the field over the past 11 years. It is 15 men and Jessica, and she blends in perfectly when thrown onto Alaska’s steep faces, powder-lined chutes and endless lines. Jessica puts it best when she adds, “There is a reason it’s called the Super Bowl of skiing. I was addicted to Alaska and the feeling it made me have right from the beginning. It is just so massive and huge and the mountains jet out all around you with lines dancing in front of your face…It is truly a magical place that leaves an imprint on your heart. Once you get hooked, you’re hooked for life.”