Hatcher Pass Alpine Xperience receives award for Skeetawk recreation area

WASILLA — Hatcher Pass Alpine Xperience recently received the Facility Excellence Award for its Skeetawk ski area from the Alaska Recreation and Park Association, spreading a great sense of encouragement across the grassroots organization.

“It’s an honor to even be nominated. To win an award like that goes to show much hard work and determination the staff and volunteers put in,” Hatcher Pass Alpine Xperience Vice Chair Nick Jenkins said.

HAX was was one of several organizations across the state that were recognized for significant new projects, major renovations, or long-term performance as a flagship of recreation. This year’s recipients received awards from numerous categories and were recognized during the Recreation and Park Association’s annual conference in Soldotna earlier this month.

The theme of this year’s conference was, “Better Together: building strong, healthy, and resilient communities,” honoring the industry’s top organizations and businesses with significant advances and development in the area of Parks and Recreation.

Jenkins said that perfectly reflects their nonprofit organization’s mission to build and maintain the Skeetawk ski area while helping locals develop healthy lifestyles and promoting safe outdoor recreation and education.

“It just shows we’re on the right track. It shows we’re really onto something. After one amazing year of operation, it’s just a real breath of fresh air that not only are we doing it, but clearly we’re doing it successfully and we’re doing it in a way that’s being embraced and celebrated by this community,” Jenkins said.

According to Jenkins, Skeetawk had a successful debut to the public last year, and they’re eager to start another season. He said it’s humbling to see a dream over three decades in the making come to fruition.

“It is truly a grassroots effort, which means it hasn’t been easy, but it’s been incredibly fulfilling,” Jenkins said. “We’re going to continue to grow and we’re going to continue to build bigger and more exciting things for our community here in the Valley.”

Jenkins said they made several developments and overall improvements to the site over the summer, including a well and septic installations thanks to a grant from the Borough.

“We’re really just getting started. Every step of the way, we’re just putting everything we can into it. We’re going to build this thing one day at a time,” Jenkins said. “It truly is this ever-evolving project. There’s always something new, big, and exciting for this project, and that’s not going to change for years to come.”

Skeetawk visitors will be able to take their skis, sleds, and snowboards to the outdoor recreation area located at Mile 10.6 off Palmer-Fishhook Road. There will be a fully operational ski lift available throughout the week once the season opens. 15:20

“We’re in the process of closing the bottom of our Yurt in, which is going to act as our ski rentals, ski lessons kind of base there. That’s a program we’re really excited about, to bring rentals and lessons to the community, which will hopefully facilitate a whole new generation of skiers and riders here in the Valley,” Jenkins said.

For information about Skeetawk, visit skeetawk.com.

For more information on the Alaska Recreation and Parks Association, visit ARPA.myrec.com.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com