FEATURED ATHLETE: Jessica Quinn

 

What is your biggest fear?

Heights, believe it or not.

What are you rockin’ to on your music player?

This is a tough question I always get asked, as I like so much different music. I am a big playlister! 

How would your friends describe you in one word?  

Vivacious.

What’s your favorite drink? Favorite food?

I used to be obsessed with purple Gatorade but I got a bit upset when my buddy Ingrid pointed out that there is high fructose corn syrup in it so not sure now. Fav food... so many. I love Sushi, Mex, Thai and Italian.

If you weren't a pro skier what would you be doing?

Making lot's of $$$$.

What is your most treasured possession?

My bear I have had since I was born, "bearbe".

Of Warren Miller’s 60 ski films, which one is your favorite?  

I really liked Impact.

Describe a day in the life of a PNH guide.

Day in my life as a PNH guide: Go to bed well after midnight as my husband, partner in crime, Kevin is still looking at weather for the next day. Wake up at 5pm, as once again, weather needs to be looked at. 6:30am guide meeting, 7am: get my group together and go over the day. 7:30: inhale an egg sandwich standing up. 7:30: get ready (the night before I have set everything out, and made sure I am ready for the next fly day!) 8am go to office and organize the radio duties for the day and make sure the PNH staff staying at base are set for the day. 8:30: meet my group, give them their lunch, go over order of loading once more, check their beacons (I have long since made sure their bindings, equipment and backpacks are ready for the day) and get ready for the best day ever. 9ish - 5ish work together with the other guides in the helicopter, access snow and snow-pack, dig snow-pits, test slopes, make sure every member in my group is safe, load and unload the helicopter 24 plus times, talk to the pilots, check in on base, make sure everything is going well, make sure my group is getting the terrain they came after, eat lunch on a peak, fly home to the most amazing sunset over Prince William Sound you will ever see, get out of the heli, high 5 everyone. 8-9ish: have dinner with the most energetic, electric group ever. 9-10ish: make sure the office is packed up for the day. Midnight: pass out with dreams of the Chugach and doing the same thing tomorrow! 

When would be the best time of year to take a PNH heli-skiing trip and why?

Honestly, the Alaska season is so short that there is not a "best week" to come. February / March has shorter daylight hours and colder temps. You are able to ski most aspects and the snow tends to be lighter deep powder. Late March / April has longer daylight hours which optimizes your time in the helicopter. There are days when it clears at 2pm and we are able to launch groups into the field, as the sun does not set until 10pm. The temps are warmer at this time limiting the aspects you can get on. The snow is still amazing (we had a 4ft storm last April 23) and it's classic Chugach! I tell people that if they have never been to Alaska, come late March / April so you can truly experience Alaska and all it has to offer with the long daylight hours! We have a pretty cool feature on our website "zone report". It's a report from our days in the zone and at base camp. It allows guests to see what we are up to, how the weather and conditions are and to go back to the archives and see what weeks had more sunshine, snow, etc. Check it out! http://www.alaskaheliski.com/blog/