Alyeska: Top Reasons to Visit or Skip it

Alyeska Resort is a ski and snowboard destination 40 minutes outside of Anchorage, Alaska. Here are top reasons to plan a ski or snowboard trip there, along with top reasons not to visit Alyeska.

Reasons to Visit:

1) It's Alaska. Skiing or snowboarding the rugged and untamed mountains of Alaska is a dream. Alaska has the allure of being the last frontier. It's a bucket list item.

2) It's Not that Crowded. Because Alaska is separated from the lower 48 states, less people tend to go there for a quick ski or snowboard trip, so locals and a smaller number of travelers equal smaller crowds.

3) It's Predominantly Advanced Terrain. Alyeska is 40% expert terrain and 90% intermediate to expert terrain. If you're an advanced skier or snowboarder, that's a great ratio.

4) High Annual Snowfall. Alyeska receives 600+ inches of snow per year. That beats resorts in Utah and Washington, which tend to receive the most snow in the lower 48 states.

5) Christmas Chute. Alyeska has the longest double black diamond slope in the U.S.

6) Heliskiing. If you visit Alyeska, you can spend a day or more heliskiing the incredible terrain of the Chugach mountains.

7) Ikon Pass. If you have the Ikon Pass, you can now use it at Alyeska.

8) Girdwood. If you like resorts that have low-key no-nonsense towns, Alyeska has you covered with Girdwood, which is small and has no frills.

Reasons NOT to Visit:

1) It's Alaska. It takes longer to get to Alyeska from the lower 48 because it's all the way in Alaska. It's much easier just to go to Colorado, Utah or anywhere else if don't live in Alaska.

2) It's Small. It is not as large as major resorts in the lower 48 states, and only has two basic ways up the mountain that take you to essentially the same spot.

3) Shorter Ski Day. Because Alaska is so far north, the days are shorter. The sun rises as late as 10 am, so the chairlifts don't open as early as they do in the lower 48 states. To compensate, Alyeska does offer night skiing on some nights.

4) Ikon Pass. The fact that Alyeska is now part of the Ikon Pass can be a bad development. It may become more crowded over time and more expensive. Because it's such a small mountain, it won't take much for chairlift lines to be affected. Development of new condominiums may price out locals and change the character of the town.

5) Girdwood. It's small. If you like to party and have a lot of things to do, Girdwood currently may be a negative for you.