AK Powder Pursuit – Women’s Snowmachine Clinic Feb 28 – Mar 1

📅 February 28 – March 1, 2025
📍 Valdez, Alaska
💲 $150 for the weekend + Alaska Safe Rider Membership
👥 26 Rider Limit

If you’re ready to build confidence on the mountain — with hands-on coaching, supportive instruction, and a community of women who ride — this two-day clinic is for you.

This first course in the Alaska Powder Pursuit series is designed specifically for Beginners and Advanced Beginners, focusing on the fundamentals that make you a safer, smoother, and more intentional backcountry rider. The Alaska Powder Pursuit team meets you at your skill level, helping you progress with clarity and confidence.

Over the weekend, you’ll learn to:
❄️ Control your sled through balance, throttle management, and body positioning
❄️ Use countersteering and carving to move fluidly through varied terrain
❄️ Read terrain and understand foundational avalanche awareness
❄️ Work through stuck situations efficiently and safely

Additional topics include:
❄️ Gear that supports progression
❄️ Sled setup for improved handling
❄️ Safe travel habits and communication practices
❄️ Preventative Sled Maintenance

By the end of the weekend, you’ll ride with more confidence, more skill, and a deeper understanding of safe backcountry travel.

Rider Levels
True Beginner – You are brand new to snowmachines. You may have never ridden or only ridden once or twice. You’re still learning basic controls, throttle/brake feel, balance, and how the machine responds on snow.
Beginner – You are comfortable operating a sled at slow to moderate speeds on groomed trails. You can start, stop, and turn with confidence but are still developing body positioning, throttle control, and understanding terrain.
Advanced Beginner – You ride groomed and ungroomed terrain with growing confidence. You’re beginning to explore off-trail riding, sidehilling basics, climbing small features, and navigating variable snow, while still refining balance, technique, and recovery skills.
Intermediate – You ride on- and off-trail regularly and can manage varied terrain, deeper snow, and moderate sidehills. You understand line choice, machine control, and terrain hazards and are ready to work on advanced techniques, efficiency, and riding bigger features.

👉 This clinic is best suited for Beginners to Advanced Beginners. 

Meet the Founders of Alaska Powder Pursuit
✨ Teslin Hoyem — Born and raised in remote Alaska, Teslin brings deep wilderness knowledge, racing experience, and a passion for empowering others to explore wild terrain safely and confidently.
✨ Galen Bridgewater — A lifelong mountain athlete who transitioned from competitive snowboarding to mountain riding; Galen is known for her approachable teaching style and commitment to helping women build mountain confidence.
✨ MoAnna Bradshaw — A Valdez local and podium finisher at Arctic Man and the Valdez Hill Climb. MoAnna blends technical riding skill, storm-season terrain understanding, and a grounded, supportive leadership style.

These women created Alaska Powder Pursuit to help riders explore Alaska’s mountains with confidence, community, and respect for the terrain.

Registration Details
📝 Pre-Registration Required: Complete our questionnaire, select your clinic date, and submit payment.

🚗 Transportation, Lodging & Machines:
All participants are responsible for their own transportation, lodging, and snowmachine. If you’d like support with transportation resources or options to rent a sled (including options in the Mat-Su Valley through AK Toy Rentals), please contact Galen for guidance.

🏨 Book lodging early — Valdez fills quickly in winter.

🔁 Cancellation Policy:
– 72+ hours → Full refund
– Under 72 hours → 50% refund

Community Support
A big thank-you to the Valdez Snowmachine Club for their support and for helping grow the AK Powder Pursuit programs in Valdez and beyond.

Questions?
📧 Contact Galen Bridgewater at [email protected]

Please Note:
Membership is required to participate in this course. The course price has been set with membership in mind, which means coupon codes and discounts will not apply to this program.

Your annual ASR membership unlocks training opportunities, rider resources, and community benefits that support safety across Alaska.

✨ ASR Basic — $25/yr: Members-only training events; networking; merch offers; automatic prize entries
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 ASR Family — $50/yr: Up to 6 family members; group networking; merch offers; prize entries
🏫 ASR Schools — $100/yr: School recognition; priority training reservations; special school offers
🏢 ASR Business — $500+/yr: Business recognition; industry networking; visibility at events/workshops; website/newsletter recognition