– The Backcountry Ski Site
  • Avalanches
  • Gear Reviews
    • Ski Reviews
    • Boot Reviews
    • Binding Reviews
    • Snowboard Splitboard
    • Book Reviews
    • Avalanche Beacon Reviews
    • Airbag Backpacks
    • Backcountry Electronics
    • Misc Gear Reviews
  • Podcast
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Ski Touring Basics
    • Boot Fitting
    • Fitness & Health
    • Gear Mods
  • Trip Reports
    • Fourteeners
    • Huts – Cabins – Lodges
    • Denali McKinley
    • 8,000 Meter Skiing
  • Stories
    • History
    • Humor
    • Land Use Issues
    • Evergreen Ski Touring
    • Poetry
  • Resources
    • All Posts Listed
    • 100 Recent Comments
    • Backcountry Skiing & Ski Touring Webcams
    • Ski Weights Comparison
    • Archives of WildSnow.com
    • Authors Page
    • Ski Touring Bindings
      • Trab TR2 Index and FAQ
      • Salomon Guardian & Tracker
      • Naxo Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Silvretta Pure Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Marker F10-12 Duke Baron
      • G3 Onyx Ski Binding FAQ
      • G3 ION Ski Touring Binding
      • Fritschi Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Fritschi Diamir Frame Bindings Mount DIY
      • Fritschi Diamir Bindings FAQ
      • Fritschi Tecton FAQ
      • Atomic Salomon Backland MTN
      • Dynafit Tri-Step Binding 2001-2003
      • Naxo randonnee alpine touring AT ski binding FAQ
      • Dynafit Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Dynafit Binding Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Review 1
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Page Two
    • History
      • Ski Touring Binding Museum
      • Trooper Traverse Intro & Index
      • Randonnee Ski Touring “AT” ski gear — What is Hip?
      • Chronology
    • Backcountry Skiing Core Glossary
    • Gear Review Policy & Disclosures

– The Backcountry Ski Site

  • Avalanches
  • Gear Reviews
    • Ski Reviews
    • Boot Reviews
    • Binding Reviews
    • Snowboard Splitboard
    • Book Reviews
    • Avalanche Beacon Reviews
    • Airbag Backpacks
    • Backcountry Electronics
    • Misc Gear Reviews
  • Podcast
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Ski Touring Basics
    • Boot Fitting
    • Fitness & Health
    • Gear Mods
  • Trip Reports
    • Fourteeners
    • Huts – Cabins – Lodges
    • Denali McKinley
    • 8,000 Meter Skiing
  • Stories
    • History
    • Humor
    • Land Use Issues
    • Evergreen Ski Touring
    • Poetry
  • Resources
    • All Posts Listed
    • 100 Recent Comments
    • Backcountry Skiing & Ski Touring Webcams
    • Ski Weights Comparison
    • Archives of WildSnow.com
    • Authors Page
    • Ski Touring Bindings
      • Trab TR2 Index and FAQ
      • Salomon Guardian & Tracker
      • Naxo Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Silvretta Pure Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Marker F10-12 Duke Baron
      • G3 Onyx Ski Binding FAQ
      • G3 ION Ski Touring Binding
      • Fritschi Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Fritschi Diamir Frame Bindings Mount DIY
      • Fritschi Diamir Bindings FAQ
      • Fritschi Tecton FAQ
      • Atomic Salomon Backland MTN
      • Dynafit Tri-Step Binding 2001-2003
      • Naxo randonnee alpine touring AT ski binding FAQ
      • Dynafit Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Dynafit Binding Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Review 1
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Page Two
    • History
      • Ski Touring Binding Museum
      • Trooper Traverse Intro & Index
      • Randonnee Ski Touring “AT” ski gear — What is Hip?
      • Chronology
    • Backcountry Skiing Core Glossary
    • Gear Review Policy & Disclosures
   

Moving Alaskan Snow — Matt Shares Some Truck Stoke

by Matt Kinney August 28, 2007
written by Matt Kinney August 28, 2007

After ten years of hiking, walking, skiing, and snowmachining to our Thompson Pass home each winter, my wife Tabitha and I decided our guests (and us!) needed more time to ski incredible Chugach snow and less time dealing with the one-mile of snowed-in access road each winter. Solution: A plow truck picked for just the right mix of power and size, combined with a super efficient snow blade.

Trucks for backcountry skiing
The truck.

Our 2006 Ford F-250SD with regular cab and eight-foot bed gives us a fairly short wheel base, which will come in handy for tight turns on our serpentine road to the Chalet. Packed with a 5.4L. V8 engine, gas mileage is ignored (bonus, it has get up and go power which is handy for passing RV caravans slow cruising our highways). This is a big truck parked alongside other trucks in Valdez. It came with the standard Super Duty suspension with the addition of the Snow Plow Package, to increase suspension beef in the front end for working the piles of white stuff. With no extras or frills this is about as light in weight as an F-250SD gets.

The best part of our setup is the plow. The BOSS Poly Power V-Blade (bossplow.com) comes in a variety of widths and we chose the nine foot blade to get just a few extra inches of snow off the road. The Poly-blade material is tough and much lighter than steel. With variable pitches available “on the fly�, I make less passes than a conventional plow. The V-position can be used for the first pass through deep snow or ramming those pesky snow berms back from difficult spots.


Black Diamond Verdict backcountry ski
The road.

During winter operations, the truck is fitted with studded tires and is able to actually plow uphill (10 degree grade) at times. I have been more than satisfied — last year was the first time the road to the Chalet was open all winter. With 250 inches a year in a remote coastal environment, the snow comes often and your plow must be easy to operate and reliable. This is essential to our livelyhood, as easier access to the Chalet translates to more business.

This truck and plow have exceeded our expectations and best of all, increased ski time for guests and of course, myself and Tabitha

Our rig meets the environmental mission of our operation. This truck/plow setup is the lightest and most efficient on the market for standard truck plows when considering power to blade width ratio. This maximizes fuel savings, and with our small GEO Metro as a daily driver, keeps overall transportation cost as low as possible. And like backcountry skiing, less weight is best as long as you’ve got the power to get where you want to go!


Matt Kinney is author of “Alaskan Backcountry Skiing – Valdez and Thompson Pass.”

Matt Kinney

Matt Kinney has been skiing Valdez Alaska and Thompson Pass since 1979. He works as a guide and avalanche hazard evaluator, as well as having authored a guidebook for backcountry skiing the Chugach.

www.thompsonpass.com
0
Email
previous post
Nice Event at a 10th Mountain Hut Honors Vet. Bob Lewis
next post
Davenport Fourteener Book on the Hot Track

Trip Reports

  • A Small Hut for Big Skiing in the San Juans: Aladdin’s Lamp

    April 23, 2024
  • Revisiting a 2011 Trip Report: Adventure in the Pickets — Thread of Ice Ski Descent

    December 9, 2022

Avalanche Department

  • Ask a Forecaster: Q&A with CAIC’s Andrew McWilliams

    March 10, 2024

Tips & Tricks

  • Transition Efficiencies 101 with Tech Binding Heel Units

    January 6, 2023
  • Visualizing the Backcountry as a Splitboarder: Minimizing the Challenges of Movement by Anticipating Terrain

    December 5, 2022
  • TURBOCHARGE YOUR TRAILHEAD BEACON CHECK

    November 15, 2022

Recent Comments

  • Daniel on Backcountry Ski Boots Buyer’s Guide: The Touring Boots Worth the Money
  • Jim Milstein on Best Touring Packs for Guides and Daytrippers
  • Bergen Tjossem on Much more than a steep ski: Fischer Transalp 92 CTI Long-Term Review
  • Maciej on Much more than a steep ski: Fischer Transalp 92 CTI Long-Term Review


  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • About Lou Dawson
  • Terms of Service
  • Authors Page
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Copyright & Legal
  • Website Security

@2025 - All Rights Reserved. Designed and Developed by WildSnow


Back To Top

Read alsox

Be Beacon Ready: Prepping the Avalanche...

November 7, 2022

Early Snow, Avalanche Fines, No More...

October 29, 2020

Wild and Foamy Camper Project —...

May 22, 2019