Sheep Creek Lodge reopens to serve community, firefighters

WILLOW — Sheep Creek Lodge, a homey restaurant and inn at Mile 88, Parks Highway, has been booming since it reopened last October, especially due to the Sockeye fire.

Its success is not just because it is one of the few eateries along this stretch of the Parks.

Sheep Creek Lodge, established in 1972, has seen since the brother-sister duo of Phil and Jessi Zimmerly joined their mother Molly Crawford and chef Zanlan Williams as the new owners of the lodge.

For starters, the new owners completely renovated the restaurant’s interior, which had been closed since 2012.

“We went through and touched up just about every piece of wood in the place,” Phil said.

The restoration of the lodge is, however, only one of many improvements that the new owners made to the building. The dining area now boasts a modern ambience that clashes coolly with the restaurant’s all-day menu, centered on classic, American cuisine.

In addition to dining, the business also features two lodging options available year-round. There are two rooms in the main building that the owners refer to as “lodge rooms.” They are outfitted with satellite TV and individual bathrooms. Sheep Creek Lodge also offers nine cabins, located in the forest behind the main building.

Sheep Creek Lodge was fortunately unaffected by the recent Sockeye fire. Sockeye Avenue where the fire began is 11 miles south of the lodge, and according to Crawford prevailing winds pushed the fire away from the lodge. Once the lodge’s safety was established, the co-owners decided to help in a number of ways.

The business first offered relief to those displaced or otherwise affected by the disaster. Sheep Creek Lodge’s kitchen started serving buffet-style dinners, and the owners also housed as many people as they could, according to Crawford.

“We cancelled all of our recreational reservations for the cabins,” she said. “We never required anyone pay if they couldn’t.”

The restaurant was also home to a fundraiser June 19, with a live performance by returning artist LuLu Small and a giant buffet dinner. The house was full of patrons, according to Crawford, and the business raised money through both sales and donations.

“All of our income that day went to the fire,” Crawford said. “We also received over $3,000 in donations.”

Sheep Creek Lodge was also approached by the Alaska Fire Service, who requested the business take on a contract to feed the Hotshot crews in the area. The owners accepted the contract, and have been serving the firefighters since last Saturday.

“Even though we’re just a startup we feel like it’s kind of our job,” Crawford said. “We thought if we can make it happen, we should make it happen.”

The restaurant has been feeding around 60 Hotshots, providing the crews with boxed breakfasts, bag lunches and buffet dinners. Crawford said that according to the contract, the meals must be very specific in terms of nutritional content, but that the business tries to exceed those basic requirements. Chef Williams used to be a volunteer firefighter, and therefore does his best to make sure the Hotshots are never hungry.

“He really goes above and beyond,” Crawford said of her fellow co-owner.

Despite extending an outstanding amount of aide, Crawford ultimately commended the work of the community in the face of the recent disaster.

“There really hasn’t been anyone that I know of that’s not been cared for,” she said. “The outreach has been huge and the support from the Willow community has been amazing.”

For more information, visit sheepcreeklodgeak.com or call 495-6227

Contact Kaden Weaver at 352-2270 or kaden.weaver@frontiersman.com.