Mt Eccles Ski

4/19/25

Uncertainty about my summer plans, I found myself in Cordova for a SERVS course and due to the ferry schedule, I had a day to kill on either end of the trip. Without a ski connection in Cordova, I wasn’t sure what the conditions looked like, but I ran into Madison Ostergren while skiing Alyeska and began talking to her about her recent trip to Cordova where she skied the Sphinx. She told me they skied Heney Peak and had a blast, and even though I would be there weeks later than her, that was all I needed to hear to pack my skis. Along with my skis, I packed a tent and had intentions to relight the flame that used to be Hippie Cove. 

I arrived in Cordova on the evening of the 18th and slogged my recklessly heavy packs towards the science center. As I was approaching Hippie Cove, a kind soul saw my skis on the side of my pack and offered a ride to Orca Lodge, where Points North operates a heli skiing operation throughout the winter. When I explained I wasn’t heli skiing but instead ski touring, her demeanor turned to one of curiosity. I continued to explain that I was only heading to Hippie Cove and that I’d be using it as a basecamp for the time I was in town. She then told me how excited she was to hear this as she lived in Hippie Cove and hadn’t seen anyone throw a tent down and move in for the better part of a decade. This shocked me as I had heard many stories of the days when people used to live in countless treehouses and semi-permanent structures on the hillside. Later in my trip I had the opportunity to meet the few people who have turned Hippie Cove into their permanent home, and while the hayday of the area seems to be behind us, they all were unbelievably supportive in both my time spent over the long weekend and in my interest in the history of Hippie Cove. While I could talk about the unique and historic camping location for fishermen of years prior, this blog is meant to focus on my times in the hills. If there is any interest expressed in Hippie Cove and its current position, I can expand on it in another post. 

Following a pleasant night of typical Cordova showers, I awoke and began to get ready to ski either Eccles or Heney peak. I started down the road with my ski gear in-tow and on my way to town was passed by two friends who provided endless help for my travels. They were the ones who got me on the SERVS course, so when they passed they offered a ride. I happily took the offer and had them drop me off at The Little Cordova Bakery for their famous biscuits and gravy and coffee. After that, I began walking to the reservoir where I would have multiple miles of slogging through bog with Xtra Tuffs before I would transition to ski boots. On my way through town, everyone I passed asked what I was doing as they were not used to seeing people walking with skis on their back miles through a town that hadn’t seen snow at sea level for many weeks. After nearly a dozen interactions explaining where I was going, one gentleman was kind enough to offer me ride to the reservoir. He used this as an excuse to figure out what the hell I was doing with skis on my back in downtown Cordova, and after I explained, I was pleased to find out he was an avid backcountry skier who spent his winters skiing in California. He dropped me off at the base of the reservoir and I began my hike to snow.

After a few miles of navigating through soft bog and uncertain patches of snow, I found myself at the last creek crossing guarding me from snow. Soon after finding a way through the creek while still keeping my feet dry, I was transitioning into ski boots. Low down, I found unsupportable isothermal snow often, but as I gained elevation the snow began to present better signs of stability. It remained wet with a propensity to sluff the entire way up which informed my decision to remain on the shoulder of Eccles where I could better manage my exposure to avalanche slopes. As I neared the top of the shoulder, I was in a field of amazing 25 degree corn. A hasty snack preceded an eager transition into downhill mode.

My first lap found me skiing the shoulder proper towards Heney Peak. The snow was sublime, allowing for an enjoyable amount of penetration without ever slogging me down. As I descended, the snow quality began to deteriorate. Before the skiing became unenjoyable, I transitioned to get another go at the snow that I enjoyed so much. I quickly regained the shoulder and for my second lap enjoyed a front side lap looking right down on town. It was surreal feeling great snow under my feet while looking down on a lush, green rainforest. The lap was nice enough to inspire a third. The third lap mimicked the second, skiing towards town. I was hopeful that if I put enough turns down the face I’d be able to see them from town. On the third lap, rain began falling on the snow and the quality of the skiing showed signs of degradation. I cut my losses at the bottom of the third lap and began the adventure ski down to dry land.

I enjoyed what I could, but soon was making precise turns on the last bits of available snow. I reached my Xtra Tuffs and threw my skis and boots on my back to begin the walk back to town. Following my approach, I found my way back to the reservoir and then eventually back to town. While most would call the amount of walking I did for a bit of skiing ridiculous, this day stuck with me as one of the most important of my season. Skiing an unfamiliar snowpack solo allowed for me to practice decision making, and I was pleased to find such nice snow on a shot in the dark.