January 09, 2007
Helly Hansen Alta Jacket
Ski Jackets
By Megan Michelson
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Megan Michelson in action with Helly Hansen's Alta Jacket
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It was a frigid day at Copper Mountain, temperatures hovering just above zero degrees with wind chill. Over a warm mug of tea, I mentally debated the day's most difficult predicament: What to wear? Too many layers and you suffocate from heat; too few and you risk frostbite. Finally, I settled on a storm day's best option, Helly Hansen's Alta Jacket.
Thanks to its goose down fill, this is the kind of parka that feels as warm and cozy as a sleeping bag—but it's way more stylish. I zipped it up tight around my face and felt the chill leave my body. Riding the American Eagle and Excelerator chairlifts to the top of the mountain, I tucked my helmeted head inside the storm hood—peripheral vision was slightly impaired, but the stretch fabric on the hood proved wind-and-cold resistant. The hood also zips off entirely for warmer days, but that day, I needed all the protection I could get.
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I dropped into Drain Pipe and Cabin Chute, then skied laps off the Resolution chair. By mid-morning, I was starting to warm up. After a few runs on the back bowls off 12,441-foot Copper Peak, I was beginning to regret the sleeping bag draped over my shoulders. But then, a moment of brilliance: Pit zips! Fortunately, the Alta Jacket has generous underarm ventilation and within no time, the cool breeze had lowered my core temperature.
A few weeks later, I took the Alta on day of backcountry skiing. It was another cold day, but as soon as I started hiking, I realized I had overdressed. The coat is bulky, so stuffing it in my pack, which was already crammed with a shovel, probe, water, and food, wasn't easy. At the top of the climb, the wind picked up and the softshell layer I was wearing clearly wasn't enough. The Alta reemerged from the pack. It was perfectly cozy for the ride down, but I'd say this is a jacket best suited for chairlift rides and heli-trips with ski porn companies, not backcountry hikes. The coat also comes with bonus features like a fleece-lined goggle pocket, and compartments for your iPod and cell phone. Now that's one flashy sleeping bag.
$275, www.hellyhansen.com
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