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Back on the Glenn Highway, we started the 250-mile journey to Thompson Pass, in the Chugach Range, home of the 55-degree powder slope phenomenon. We traveled the weavey, two laner east along ' the Matanuska River, occasionally getting a glimpse of an immense glacier or giant mountain. We passed the occasional gas station, with snowmobiles, homemade snowcats and small airplanes parked at the pumps. We finally stopped some where near the heart of North America's most extreme range: the Chugach. It was cold and the sun was going down. We gazed around in a scenery-induced stupor. Stacks of steep peaks made a half circle around us, like a giant prehistoric spiny reptile who curled up for a nap, then froze under 60 feet of snow. An orange stream of sun highlighted the peaks. A raven flew by overhead. In a moment of clear peace, this vision of Alaska made us forget the cold. Being wel l-prepared mountaineers, we decided to camp and proud- ly pul led out our four-season expedition-sty le tents. Then we went to visit our neighbors. Glacier SnowCats had offered us a ride from Motherlode Lodge to hompson Pass if we would help set up camp upon arriva l. They had set up ir three- layer, insulated, heated, stand-up-in-and-cook-on-a-gas-stove tents. Rus, the snowcat pi lot, had surrounded their superstructure with lO-foot walls of snow. "Hey Rus, think you got enough protection there around portable palace?" I asked him. Rus paused, looking thoughtful. "I don't know," he said. "Hope so. I've been trapped here for days with winds exceeding 80 miles per hour." We looked at each other and, without a word, turned around and started back to camp. Rus stopped by later to find us cutting and stacking snow bricks. The next day, Rus drove us from Thompson Pass to the top of a moun tain called litt le Odyssey, one of the venues for the 1998 Extreme Championship. All day we hiked in the backcountry, gliding through wide-open powder fields, acquainting ourselves with the extraordinary snow. Standing on summit of Odyssey, we watched the sun plunge into Prince William Sound. Satisfaction replaced desire. For our final run, we pushed off into the air and al lowed our bodies to accelerate into terminal velocity, arms poised out like wings of a raven. BACKCOUNTRY GEAR LIST: ALASKA SPECI FIC Basic necessities: Four-season tents, zero-or-below rated sleeping bags, polypropylene, fleece, goose feath ers and Gore-Tex. Glacial travel gear: Climbing harnesses, ropes, pulleys, helmet, mountaineering axes and crampons. Avalanche rescue gear: Shovel, extendible probe, radio and a high-frequency transceiver. Fun stuff: Skis, snowboards and associated parapher nalia including a repair kit. A portable kitchen and all the klinky-klangy knicknacks. A big pack and a sled to carry it all. A transceiver (or avalanche beacon) is the fastest way to locate someone trapped under snow. Time is critica l: 9 out of 10 buried victims survive if they are found within 15 minutes. The buried person's transceiver projects a signal that is picked up by rescuers' transceivers to deter mine their location. Remember to switch the transceiver to "send" before you set out! Mountain Ice Cream: Combine the following ingredients in a cup: 1.5 cups snow, preferably powder 2 tablespoons powdered milk (or soy milk) 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla (