The Chugach Mountains give Black Ops Valdez clients miles of scenery and plenty of snow. Joshua Swierk
“We strive to take everybody, young or old. We can accommodate just about anyone,” says guide Justin Siemens; although guests must be over the age of sixteen to operate a snowmachine, younger travelers can ride with someone older. Glacier City Snowmobile Tours also provides a range of experiences, including the Real Deal tour, which takes clients to a “blue ice paradise” of glaciers, icebergs, and ice caves, and the Scenic Mountain tour, which transports guests deep into the Chugach Mountains. Jack Bonney is Visit Anchorage’s director of content and engagement, and he regularly directs interested parties to Glacier City Snowmobile Tours, Alaska Backcountry Adventure Tours, and Snowhook Adventure Guides. “It’s definitely an option we recommend when people are here,” says Bonney. “The primary driver still tends to be the Northern Lights and things more general to Alaska like wildlife, parklands, and glaciers. Those stay true regardless of the season. But in winter, we layer on what else visitors can do.” About 10 percent of Alaska visitation occurs in the winter, “but more tours are being offered in winter compared to ten years ago. It’s still an area of growth,” says Bonney. Alaska Backcountry Adventure Tours launched in 2000. Owners Dan and Matti Wilcock bought the business in 2015 and offer ATV tours in the summer and snowmachine tours that keep them busy four to five days a week throughout the winter. Most of their clients are out-of-state visitors, but they do “get the occasional Alaskans trying to decide if they want to ride 68 | January 2020
snowmachines or have only gone out a few times and want to know the area better,” says Matti Wilcock. Cottages at their Palmer location are perfect for close-to-home, multi-day excursions. The most popular tour they offer is a 60-mile all-day ride to Nelchina Glacier, complete with hot cocoa and snacks along the way and a hot meal at a lodge when the ride’s done. Snowhook Adventure Guides’ owner Justin Savidis of Willow is relatively new to the snowmachine tour business, but not to Alaska’s backcountry. “We started last year as a little experiment to see what kind of interest there was and it turned out to be pretty popular,” says Savidis. “We had clients from thirty-three countries. I think the furthest away was Mongolia.” Armed with a parks, recreation, and tourism degree from the University of Utah and the dream of running a dog team, Savidis, along with his wife Rebecca, came to Alaska in 2004. He’s competed in multiple races, including six times in the Iditarod, and has earned multiple awards for his time and the care he gives his dogs. “We have two types of snowmachine tours. One is a three-hour tour combining trail, a little powder, some trees and hills, a little bit of everything to capture all the riding abilities. And we’re starting to do overnights into the Yentna River area,” he says. “One more tour that’s gaining a lot of popularity is dog sledding in the morning and in the afternoon going on a snowmachine trip.” The experience of riding the historic Iditarod trail is made even more rich as Savidis shares stories from his experience. “I never have a lack of
things to say about wherever we are,” he says. Northern Exposure Adventure Tours, established in 2018, is a new tour operation looking forward to its second winter season. Owner Robert Rodamer has been riding snowmachines in the Wasilla and Trapper Creek areas since he was a youngster. As a student in University of Alaska Anchorage’s outdoor program, Rodamer completed an internship at Gate Creek Cabins in Trapper Creek. His graduation coincided with the lodge owner’s decision not to continue offering snowmachine tours, “So that’s where I started my business,” says Rodamer. In addition to client-designed tours, Rodamer offers a four-hour Cheechako tour geared toward beginners that takes advantage of the area’s maintained trails. The Boondocker tour allows experienced riders to travel off-trail onto untouched snow. Rodamer’s clients are typically Alaskans who want visiting friends and family to experience the state’s backcountry. He can comfortably guide groups of up to six and adds additional guides for larger parties. For riders who don’t want to operate their own machines, Rodamer has “two-ups” available, machines designed for an operator and a passenger. No matter the level of experience, before each tour Rodamer thoroughly goes over “every single control and function” of snowmachine operation. When it comes to braving outdoor temperatures, he leaves that decision to his clients. “I just make sure everyone in the group understands that as soon as it’s not fun
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