Tsaina Rebirth
Chester Runs for the Mountains (1986-87) : Tsaina Lodge Abandoned
Over time the Plane Skiing word spread. Folks
from
We would just keep reaching out farther and farther. Over time we got better at moving skiers via the plane. Chuck would begin to fly fuel into the new areas he knew we wanted to reach. When we moved deep into the range he wouldn’t have to fly out for fuel wasting valuable daylight. Some days we would be 40 miles into the Chugach from the Tsaina landing strip. Today we hear rumors skiers think they are getting first descents in areas that had been skied with Chuck over two decades earlier. The mountains felt pristine on every trip so we understand how and why skiers today are convinced they are first even today. We felt this way on every trip we ever made with Chuck. If Chuck could land his Cub on the peak we landed. Chuck could get his Cub into some amazing areas. Many times we would have to turn the plane around manually because the only way out was the way in. This was Alaska Skiing.
The Snow Ball Rolls (1988)
The Tsaina has now been closed winter and summer for over a years. Chester has been attempting to sell the lodge the best he could. In that decade it isn’t that easy to get the word out when you are living as a Hermit in the middle of nowhere.
On one particular ski lift in early April Michael Cozad was seated directly behind Chuck in the Supercub. They had been flying together for years. They were flying directly over the lodge which was 15 feet under snow when Cozad said to Chuck over the roar of the engine and pointing down 4000 feet in a tight turn over the lodge, “Let’s buy the Tsaina, the skiing potential here can be capitalized on”.
Michael Cozad went to Chester to purchase the lodge. Chuck and Michael put up the escrow money to purchase the lodge. The price was a handsome $60,000 for the Lodge and 6 acres. Chuck and Michael traveled to Anchorage to get financing. After being rejected by a half dozen banks they met with Key Bank. Key Bank was a “no go” but Key said the US Small Business Administration (SBA) had loans. Off Michael and Chuck went SBA.
That was the beginning of putting Alaska on the map for not just skiing but winter tourism in the State of Alaska. What was to follow for the next 7 years would bring more winter coverage to Alaska than in its history before or since.
SBA made the loan but with some interesting requirements. The company had to have a Vietnam Veteran and the Vet must own 51% of the company at the time of the loan. That is a whole story in itself. We only knew one Vet and wish we knew more. SBA made the loan in late fall of 1988 to the Tsaina Expeditions Inc. Snow was on the ground at Tsaina when the loan was made and there no way to start construction. Planning began. There were four partners in Tsaina Expeditions Inc. Chuck, Michael, Van Kitagawa and Chet Simmons. Each had the specific job to perform to open the lodge. Van Kitagawa and Chet Simmons disappeared
Skiing is becoming much more of a pass time for Valdez residents. More Alaskan skiers from throughout the state are showing up were using Thompson Pass than before because of Chuck’s Supercub. It worked out great in retrospect. People would take a few runs with Chuck and then enjoy the Road skiing for free. We would have Chuck bring his plane down when the weather looked promising and when it had snowed. Chuck would start in March and stop taking skiers when he headed off for Big Game Guiding April.
Exxon Valdez Destruction (1989)
On March 21st 1989, Tsaina Expeditions hired Billygoat, a local Valdez resident to remove snow from the lodge to start the planned construction that spring. That date didn’t work so well. 3 days later, while Billygoat was still removing snow, the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill occurred. On March 24th Billygoat, his loader and all the Tsaina contractors left for the Gold Rush of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. Chet and Van were unable to return to Tsaina for 2 years until the day of the World Extreme skiing Championships started. Bringing Tsaina to life would have to wait. The financial planning was out the window and wages went up 100% in a 10 hour period.
On the right is a picture of Tom Jones who was the
employee who actually ended up working with Michael on a daily basis
during the oil spill. Chet and Van were too busy to
help with construction during the spill so we were lucky to have
Tom. If anyone knows where Tom is please have
him reach us through this website.
Below is Martin Guinane who arrived in Valdez for the Gold Rush from upper state New York. Martin met Michael who was running evening operations for VECO in the Valdez harbor for the oil spill. Martin, from that point forward, would spend many days, nights and years at the Tsaina. Martin became the Lodge’s manager for years to come and played a major role in the lodge’s success and WESBC .
The spill was still having a major impact on Valdez and the Tsaina progress. There was progress. An opening date was slated for the spring of 1991. Michael’s night job at the Valdez Harbor enable him to work at the Tsaina during the day with the contractors. Progress was being made but it was slow. Michael had assembled a crew but not the size required to get the job done quickly.
It was during the summer of 1990 that Michael Cozad began to cultivate The World Extreme Skiing Championships that would change winter tourism in the area and even the State of Alaska forever.
To read about the history of WESC and WESBC visit www.worldextremeskiingchampioships.com and www.worldextremesnowboardingchampionships.com
The Chugach Beginning...
The spill was still having a major impact on
It was during the summer of 1990 that Michael Cozad began to cultivate The World Extreme Skiing Championships that would change winter tourism in the area and even the State of Alaska forever.
The following are stories written by
professionals and their views of the Tsaina and Chugach. From this
point we will let the professional writers started in 1991. We hope
all enjoy these memories. We hope to add to these stories and hope
these are great resources. We now turn the history over to the
writing professionals who experienced and witnessed the birth of an
industry in
To read about the history of WESC and WESBC visit www.worldextremeskiingchampionships.com and www.worldextremesnowboardingchampionships.com
This is a picture with the original helicopter Alaska West Air tried to fly at Tsaina. Chef Simmons, their pilot, would crash this helicopter with three people in it overloaded. Alaska West Air would then give Chet another helicopter which he then crash several years later on Mt. Spur. (link to Anchorage times story). Tsaina lodge fired Alaska West Air after one year of operating at the Tsaina.
