Sunset On Pontoon

PNH, Chugach Mountains, Cordova, Alaska

Athletes: Kevin Quinn, Dean Conway, Jason Mack

Camera: Hasselblad XPan

The story:  "Life is good.

After over a decade of skiing these mountains, I am still blown away by my friends, the high angle guides, who show us how. Their calm, cool demeanor allows them to fly into the range day in and day out and bring their clients back home safe. Their success lies in their seemingly effortless ability to juggle a gamut of unpredictable variables.

It starts with the conditions, the ever-changing palette of weather, the temperature shifts, wind, snowfall, and all the critical elements that define the stability of snow and the guides' ability to read what it's going to do.

Then there is the human factor; supporting and balancing the various clients true capabilities with their perceived abilities driven by ego. Guiding, supporting, nudging and even pushing a client is a daily practice in their safety regimen. It's an incredibly daunting job with extreme risk and minimal pay.

They do it for the love of their everyday. If they ever have any doubts, they are reminded of what they get to do on the job and the long list of capable candidates that would kill for their position. My friends, the guides at Point North, are amazing.

Pontoon is the largest peak in the Chugach Range. It can be seen from miles and miles away, a majestic pyramid, standing out with authority, calling the brave to come test their limits on her slopes. There is a nice, flat, football field-sized landing on the top of Pontoon that makes for an easy, stress-free drop-off. The flat peak top generously offers endless views out to the Pacific and deep into the range. It is an amazing place to land, have lunch and call home; yes, there's even cell service.

But, make no mistake, this peak is not for the weak at heart. There is no easy way down. The hardest part is getting in; you have to work your way down a 600-yard, highly exposed ridge line just to get into the main slope. Scoured by high winds, it is a rock hard, blue ice runway dividing huge cliffs to the North and West. The only other way down is to admit overwhelming fear and defeat and beg the guide to call back the bird. They say that once you make it down the ridge, skiing Pontoon is a cakewalk.

Looking out of the chopper as Kevin and his team gingerly work their way down the precarious ramp, with thousand-foot cliffs to sure death on both sides, I can't help but think that anything would be easy after that entry.

The view from the sky is stunning. I try to find a focal length that rides the delicate balance between doing justice to Pontoon's massive scale and at the same time being tight enough to highlight the tiny team as their silhouettes move slowly downward. The late light tones shift from a warm orange to pink and then to deep crimson, all the while refracting off the snow-covered peaks and the water, then bouncing back to heaven.

I again remember where I am, who I am with, and what we get to do."