Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Hot Ski Vacations in Alaska

By Emery Noile

Alaska has been a source of awe and mystery for ages. It also has some of the best skiing in the world. Of all the ski destinations in Alaska, the Alyeska Resort is among the best. The area gets an average of 631 inches of snow each year, with a maximum elevation of 2,751 feet and a 2,501 foot vertical drop.

Although the Alyeska Resort offers some of the world's best skiing, you won't find the slopes overly crowded and you won't have to wait in long lineups to use the lifts. There are nine lifts including six chair lifts, two surface lifts and one cable car line. Most of the 68 trails are designed for intermediate skiers, but there are also beginners' and experts' trails available.

Night time skiing is certainly permitted, which makes your ski experience more adventurous and thrilling. You will see snow capped mountains, hanging glaciers, and most notably, the famous Northern Lights. This resort is ranked number nine on the list of the top twenty-five killer ski trips by Skiing Magazine.

The season begins at the Alyeska Resort in the middle of November, and runs through the middle of April. This region of Alaska boasts the longest daytime areas in the United States, with approximately sixteen hours of daylight each day during April. Throughout December, though, there are only about seven hours of daylight -- which makes night time skiing necessary if you are going to get in the time that you want to spend on the slopes.

If you enjoy luxurious rooms and fine dining, the Alyeska Prince Hotel is the place to be. There is nightly entertainment available on site, with more nightlife spots located nearby.

If tubing is your idea of fun, be sure to visit the Glacier Tubing Park. With two lanes of terrain and a surface lift, everyone in the family will have a blast at the tubing park. For snowboarding devotees, there is the Alyeska Terrain Park.

There are more winter activities to enjoy in and around the Alyeska Resort including heli-skiing, ice climbing, ocean cruising tours, flight seeing, dog sledding, back country skiing, mountaineering and polar bear watching.

If you're looking for the ultimate winter vacation, you'll find it at the Alyeska Resort. Dress warm and brave the elements, then head back to the hotel for some truly luxurious pampering. It's a fabulous taste of Alaska, and it's a great way to find out how thrilling skiing can really be.

Alyeska Resort has activities for the entire family to enjoy and countless unique sights and attractions. It really is the ultimate Alaskan ski getaway.

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