Despite snow and supply problems, ski organizers are optimistic about the rest of the season

Delays and uncertainty are the themes of this year’s ski season after drastic weather changes have wreaked havoc with the snowpack for downhill lovers, backcountry riders and cross country users alike. Combined with equipment and supply problems caused the COVID-related supply and shipping delays, it’s been an especially challenging season for the Valley-based community nonprofits that serve area snow enthusiasts.

Still, organizers say, they are ready to help skiers get outside and take advantage of the remaining months of winter.

“It’s been a really rough year for snow,” said Megan Justus. “My family are big snowmachiners, and they’re just as upset about it as I am.”

The primary source of Justus’s woes is the tenuous snowpack at Skeetawk, the downhill ski area and lift constructed in Hatcher Pass where she is the newly-hired general manager. Despite early snow up higher up the pass at Independence Mine, the area with the slopes had a late initial snowfall for the start of the 2021-2022 season, pushing back opening day. Then, when the snow did fall, it was impacted first by a wind event in the Pass, then by warming temperatures.

“Really any flake that will add to the pile is welcome at this point,” she said.

Skeetawk, which opened to skiers for the first time in late 2020, has been plagued by delays far out of the control of its managers since before it even got started. For example, its original opening season for 2019-2020 was delayed while the Mississippi-based lift manufacturer coped with major flooding. Then, early last year, the lift went down just over a month after the grand opening and operators were forced to wait for a part to be shipped in from California

Justus replaced previous general manager Scott Patridge. Information as to why Patridge left was not immediately available. She said one of her focuses is not just consistently communicating opening hours, but also the reasons behind any decisions to close.

“A lot of my closing messages have tried to explain why not just ‘oh, we’re closed,’” she said. “That’s the thing — we don’t want to be closed either.”

Despite those setbacks this season, Justus said she’s confident the area, which is owned and operated by the community-based nonprofit Hatcher Pass Alpine Xperience, has many days of great skiing in front of it before the spring melt starts. Her team is on the cusp of opening an equipment rental shop in an area constructed under the warming yurt — yet another amenity planned for early this season that was ultimately delayed due to supply shipping woes. And a team of instructors are offering small group lessons for users who want to improve their skills.

Skeetawk also has major plans to expand, including adding an expensive second lift farther up the mountain, buying snow making equipment and installing lighting along the runs, a requirement for the area to take part in hosting the Arctic Winter Games headed to the Borough in 2024. But all of that requires cash raised through grants, fundraising and continued lift day and season pass sales.

“Just come on up,” she said. “I think it’s cool we’ve had people just come up and stop in. Take your family, come up to Hatcher, and come up and see us.”

Of course Skeetawk isn’t the only area in the Valley struggling with snow troubles this year. The volunteer-run MatSu Ski Club has battled the weather and its own supply problems to keep cross-country areas groomed and its annual community events on schedule.

The early-January windstorm spread thousands of branches and trees across the groomed ski trails at Government Peak Recreation Area (GPRA) and the Moose Range, all of which had to be cleaned-up by volunteers before grooming could resume. Then, warm temperatures and rain meant delays or cancellations for several days of the club’s popular Jr. Nordic and adult ski lessons and, ultimately, the cancellation of the annual Icicle Double ski races.

And as if that wasn’t enough, if users didn’t make it to Independence Mine ski area for those early season days with a groomed trail, they could be out of luck for a while. That’s because grooming at the mine area has halted as volunteers wait for parts needed out of state to repair the piston bully groomer used at the mine, said Ailis Vann, ski club vice president.

But just like Justus at Skeetawk, Vann is looking forward to a few more months of skiing and hopeful for plenty of new snow and predictable weather. The club has a parade of events planned for the rest of the ski season, including the Mat Su Ski for Women at GPRA on Feb. 13 and a Moose Range exploratory day slated for Feb. 19th, complete with a social and guides to help users navigate the confusing network of trails.

The club also still has spots available for beginner and intermediate adult lessons in classic and skate skiing. Those lessons, taught by seasoned volunteers, are designed to help adults gain or hone skills to enjoy the sport as a great way to get and keep moving over the winter months.

“You can pick your technique, you pick the day of the week and it’s a very inexpensive way to get good one-on-one time with a very experienced instructor,” she said.

Lessons are $15 each and limited to three students per instructor. Register for lessons on Matsuski.org.