The Tordrillo Chronicles—Part One: The Build-Up

March 29, 2025

By John Coleman

My trip to Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, Alaska, is so fresh that my legs are still sore—and I’m still grinning. It’s hard to fathom that, a little over a week ago, I was staring out over sprawling glaciers and endless snow-packed peaks. To my left, Mount Spurr coughed up primordial volcanic ash. To my right, the highest mountain in North America—Denali—dominated the horizon. And just below my ski tips… the deepest powder run of my life.

It's one of those moments you want to let sink in. To let the view etch itself deep in your mind so you can recall it at will years down the road.

It was a dream come true and it all began two weeks prior, when I got a call from Mountain Gazette Editor Mike Rogge. It went something like this:

“Hey, want to go heli-skiing in Alaska?”

I laughed.

“Are you serious?”

“Yep,” he replied, and explained that Mountain Gazette received an invitation to spend a week at Tordrillo Mountain Lodge (TML), a luxury multi-sport lodge 60 miles northwest Anchorage with unmatched access to some of the best skiing on the planet. There were two seats available: one for me and one for Mountain Gazette VP of Sales Conor Sedmak.

My mind began conducting a feasibility study: Do I have any pre-standing commitments? Who will watch the dog? Do I have any work deadlines?

Which prompted my next question:

“So, Mike—what about (MG issue) 203? It’s due to the printer in two weeks?”

“It’s all good,” he reassured me. “We’ll be waiting on print proofs anyway.”

Things were—dare I say—lining up. But the trip was just 14 days out and it all still seemed a little crazy.

I texted Conor. “Holy shit, dude. I don’t think we can pass this up.”

“I’m in if you’re in!” he replied.

We both slept on it. But let’s be honest, we didn’t sleep much. We were reading up on all things Alaska, drooling over images of TML, and watching clips of THE FIFTY, Art of Flight, and other films featuring segments from the legendary Tordrillo range.

The next day it was decided: We were all in.

The next big question: Do I have the gear for Alaska pow? I live in upstate New York where deep powder is a bit of a luxury. The widest ski I own is a 100-mm Nordica Enforcer, and even that is too much camber for hard-pack days at Gore Mountain. Thankfully, Mountain Gazette has generous friends, and, with a wave of his wand, Rogge arranged for me to be sent arguably the most Alaska ski of all, the Atomic Bent Chetler 120, and a Flylow jacket/pant kit to boot. I was beyond stoked. (You’re a genie, Rogge.)

The skis and coat came with three days to spare. My local ski shop, The Sports Page, had the skis mounted the next day—bindings 2cm back from the factory line, just as Atomic instructed for optimal balance in deep snow.

I was fully geared up and this East Coast boy was ready to shred Alaska pow.

A special thank you to Rogge, Chris Denny, Drew Simmons, Matt Strickland/VERT Outdoors, and Matt Fuller/Fountain Square Outfitters for the gear hook-up!

Next week: Conor fills us in on his experience at Tordrillo Mountain Lodge.