Following the news of your town has made it apparent that although you live in a beautiful part of the world it is a difficult place to live. With the harsh weather and ebb and flow of seasonal work one must be creative and hard working. But it is also apparent that living where you live is […]
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Heli-ski requests pass cap
Alaska Mountain Guides, a company that has previously conducted its heli-ski operations mainly out of Skagway, is looking to move those operations to Haines. According to its 2013 permit application to the Haines Borough, AMG is seeking 450 skier days. Last year, the company requested and was allocated 200 days, but only used five. AMG is […]
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National heli-ski group focuses on standards
The Haines Borough’s heli-ski season is just around the corner, and in the wake of an accident that killed two people last spring, concerns about safety aren’t going away. Like much of the recreation industry, heli-skiing falls largely outside most state and federal regulations concerning occupational safety and health. Similarly, the borough, which requires heli-ski […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
How do skiers know if guide is stoned?
In response to the statement from state trooper spokesman Lt. Dial (Dec. 13 CVN, “Troopers Won’t Re-visit Heli-ski Probe”): “If Liberman survived, he could potentially be held criminally liable, but the company is not criminally liable by extension.” Had Rob survived, who would have known THC was in his bloodstream? It was the result of […]
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2012: The Year in Review
The earth moved in 2012 and the shift wasn’t only the “slump” on the side of Mount Ripinsky that cleaved a house and split Lutak Road. Four-term incumbent state Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Haines, aiming to become Speaker of the House, lost his seat to Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a 23-year-old Sitkan seeking his first political office. Klukwan, Inc., once among the wealthiest Native […]
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Troopers won’t revisit heli-ski probe
Alaska State Troopers will not reopen an investigation into the heli-ski accident that killed two people in Haines last spring, Lt. Rodney Dial said this week. Natalia and Alex Dodov filed an employee conduct complaint in mid-November against Trooper Josh Bentz, who conducted the investigation into the deaths of Alaska Heliskiing client Nikolay Dodov and […]
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Heli-ski safety claim in question
Until Tuesday evening, Haines-based Alaska Heliskiing claimed on its website to be a member of the Alaska Helicopter Skiing Association, which does not exist, according to numerous industry operators. In the safety section of the company’s website, under the heading “Our Safety Program,” Alaska Heliskiing claimed membership in an organization called the Alaska Helicopter Skiing […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Borough could adopt heli-ski standards
Is our borough being mistaken for a federal bureau? While our borough policies may help us regulate the heli-ski industry’s impact on local resources and residents, it is beyond the scope and responsibility of our community to evaluate a heli-ski company’s adherence to their own safety policies as the Dodovs and Davis suggest. If we do take […]
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Borough considers heli-skiing safety
Haines Borough officials last week addressed the topic of safety in relation to management of heli-skiing, following concerns raised by the family of a heli-skier killed in an avalanche during a tour in March. Borough officials said the municipality isn’t responsible for ensuring safety during heli-tours, but they consider a company’s safety record in evaluating […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Company’s guides are well-respected
On March 13, 2012, there was an avalanche which claimed the lives of a guest Nickolay Dodov, 26, of Truckee, Calif. and an Alaska Heliskiing guide, Rob Liberman,35, of Telluride, Colo. The avalanche was the first ever in the 26 years of operation of Alaska Heliskiing and its predecessor operation. Alaska Heliskiing is a professional […]