Since he first tasted Alaskan heli pow in 1999, First Ascent ski guide Zach Crist has kept his priorities straight in an effort to migrate north each spring. This is his report, 14 seasons deep.

Lexi duPont left home with a truck full of Costco, two jerry cans and 48 hours to cover 2,238 miles of lonely road to Haines, Alaska. Her motivation was a seat in the SEABA Heli if she could get there in time.

With the snow season still in full swing from Alaska to the Alps, First Ascent athlete Lynsey Dyer checks in from the road for her recap of a season spent chasing storms, scoring helis, getting creative and just skiing with the girls.

The knife-edge ridge leading to the summit of Rainbow Peak arcs into the sky overlooking the brilliant blue ocean and the small town of Haines, Alaska. My ski partner, Sunny, pulls out his rope and feeds it through an anchor system called a ‘dead-man’ as I prepare to walk the fine line to the top.

By Tom Wayes Throughout my guiding career, I have been on a quest for the ultimate day—whether it’s with friends on a personal trip or with clients. As a guide, you are trying to balance taking people where you want to go and where they should go

By Erik Leidecker Throughout my heli-ski guiding career, I’ve had a few opportunities to work with film, video and still photography production teams. My responsibilities usually include snow stability evaluation, assistance in run selection and emergency back-up.