Like almost anyone visiting Seward, Jason Scheben couldn't help but be transfixed by the summit of Mount Marathon, which looms over the city on Resurrection Bay like a 3,022-foot tall security guard.
A project manager for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Scheben, 43, is also an accomplished backcountry skier who is sponsored by Alyeska Resort. When the state sent him to Seward this spring to work on a construction project, Scheben said he became fascinated with the idea of skiing the mountain's famous face.
"I've been eyeballing it for a while now," Scheben said Thursday from Seward.
He said the mountain isn't particularly challenging by backcountry standards, but because of its status as an Alaska icon – the annual Mount Marathon race up and down the slope is a summertime sports staple and billed as the world's oldest mountain race – the slope held a special allure.
"It's just a hit list kind of thing," he said.
Another reason Scheben wanted to ski the mountain was the wow factor he knew he'd get if he could capture a perfect photo from near the top. The view overlooking Resurrection Bay is one of the most spectacular in Alaska, and Scheben figured a springtime photo would be more than worth the effort.
"It is just the most amazing view," he said.
Scheben watched the mountain for weeks, waiting for the perfect combination of spring sunshine and skiable conditions. That day arrived on May 1, which featured low overnight temperatures and sunny skies in the morning.
After eating breakfast and asking for a half-day off from work, Scheben hiked up to the "race" summit. Although not the true summit, the point appears to be the top of the mountain when looking from downtown Seward and is where racers turn around to make their descent in the July 4 race. After spending about 45 minutes on the top enjoying the view, Scheben strapped on his skis and began carving turns. He said conditions were ideal, with corn snow covering the mountain's eastern face.
"It was just like carpet," he said.
After a couple of turns, Scheben arrived at a point directly overlooking the city, Resurrection Bay and the mountains beyond. Using a helmet-mounted GoPro camera set to take photos once a second, he turned his gaze toward the ocean below. With sunny blue skies lighting the incredible scene, he said knew he'd shot something special.
"All the stars aligned," he said.
Skiing Mount Marathon isn't a new phenomenon. Skiers were hitting the slopes there in the 1930s, according to an article from the 1947 Alaska Sportsman Magazine. And Scheben said he saw one set of tracks on the mountain when he skied it.
"I think there's a few quiet guys who hit it on the right day," he said.
But the biggest reason he wanted to ski the mountain was to simply capture a view very few people ever get to see.
"That's what I was envisioning this whole ski trip," he said. "And I nailed it."