Snow Machining - Valdez Alaska

Have you ever thought of Snow Machining in Valdez, Alaska?  No, well you should. 2017 was a lower than normal snow year so the snow looks a bit sparse in the pictures.  Normal snow years the snow is still very good, even in late spring the snow is ridable and the scenery can't be beaten. The temps hover around 20 plus degrees and the sun rises at 7:30 am and sets around 8:30 pm this time of year.  It's a great time of year to get out and do some backcountry riding.  These pictures are of Solomon Lake in Valdez, Alaska and a ridge knows as the "Hogsback". 

Always make sure you ride with someone who is experienced as this area is not for novice riders.  Also, it is always a good idea to bring a locator beacon or the Garmin inReach Explorer+ or Garmin inReach SE+ both have locator capabilities and allow you to broadcast your location and signal an SOS if needed or send a text asking for help. 

If you are lucky this time of year you will run across animal tracks like, bear, wolf, moose and other small animals as they also inhabit the high country and are active in the spring.

Solomon Lake, AK

Solomon Lake is a Reservoir in Valdez-Cordova, Alaska. It has an elevation of 709 meters or 2,326 feet.

Degrees Minutes Seconds:
Latitude: 61-04'24'' N Longitude: 146-18'06'' W   

Decimal Degrees: 
Latitude: 61.0733333 Longitude: -146.3016667

Above Valdez looking across the lake

 Along the Hogsback

More from the Hogsback

Alaska has many, many glaciers 1000's of them have no name. You can see a glacier in this picture; it's towards the back of this picture.

Dangerous Dave grabbing a little air with the "Summer Sucks" racing team on his 800 Renegade.  

 Maniac Mike also from the "Summer Sucks" racing team grabbing air on his 900 M1. 

These are some very large wolf tracks.  This goes to show you that even the predators of Alaska will travel the higher routes to hunt for food.  Always be on the lookout for wildlife, and never approach it.