Eaglecrest Ski Area has just enough snow to partially open to skiers on Saturday — its scheduled opening day. It marks the kick-off of the winter ski season in Juneau.
But, not everything is in operation quite yet — only the short Porcupine chairlift will be running. New Eaglecrest General Manager Craig Cimmons said that’s because there’s been too much rain and not enough snow for a full opening.
“Opening on our forecasted opening day is always a win,” he said. “But, the sad reality is we were buried in snow and it’s not all gone, but it’s mostly gone — which is sad. But I think that’s just a product of where we are.”
This is the first time in a while that the ski area has opened on time. The last two seasons were delayed for weeks because of heavy rain and warm temperatures.
Cimmons said last week’s dump of snow — paired with a stint of around-the-clock snow-making — means there is just enough to get skiers up at least some of the mountain.
“We need another cold snap to come through. We need more natural snow to come,” he said. “But, we’ll just do whatever we can do with natural and cold temperatures and keep making snow when we can.”
In October the ski area management team announced that the Black Bear lift would be out of commission this winter season because of a broken bearing. It’s one of four chairlifts at the ski area, and it services the east side of the mountain including the East Bowl Chutes and the Drifter, Marmot and Vertigo runs.
It’s unclear what the plan is for Black Bear Lift.
“The last several weeks, we’ve just been focusing on opening so we’ve just been focusing on the other lifts,” Cimmons said. “Blackbear is what it is, and we will get back into that once we get open and we know everything’s up and running.”
The ski area’s three other lifts — Ptarmigan, Hooter and Porcupine — are working and planned to run the entire season, once the area is fully open.
The Porcupine Lift will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and daily tickets will cost $22 for adults and kids this weekend. But, if skiers bring non-perishables or canned goods to donate to the Southeast Alaska Food Bank, they’ll halve the price. Kids under six who ride with their parents are free.
Beyond this week, the National Weather Service Juneau forecasts moderate to heavy rain in Juneau through at least the middle of next week. No new snow is expected. A flood watch is in effect through 9 a.m. Friday morning.
Eaglecrest’s regular schedule is Wednesday through Sunday with daily operations over Christmas. The winter season runs through mid-April.