Winter Staycation: Jump in on Skeetawk’s inaugural season

For Valley residents who have long dreamt of having a ski lift close to home so they can skip the drive south for easy downhill skiing, the new Hatcher Pass ski area is a dream come true.

Dubbed “Skeetawk,” a play on the Athabaskan word “Shk’ituk’t” meaning “the place where we slide down,” the area is managed by the nonprofit Hatcher Alpine Xperience and features a triple chairlift, fully operation for the first time for the 2020-2021 ski season.

With opening day slated for Dec. 5 -- snow dependent -- the area’s organizers say they’re ready to welcome Valley residents and visitors into the pass for some epic skiing.

Long beloved by backcountry skiers and snowboarders, snowmachiners and sledders brave enough to take on the 16 Mile trail, Skeetawk offers a safe groomed area overseen by an active ski patrol team.

“I would say of all the things going on at the mountain, patrol and safety has been in the forefront and number one thing on the agenda,” said Scott Patridge, Skeetawk’s general manager. “We’ve got good facilities there with good medical equipment and we’re going to have a great, experienced patrol staff ready to go from day one.”

Patridge joined the staff in October after spending years managing Alyeska’s ski instructor program. And while a ski school isn’t likely to be available at Skeetawk this year, its part of Patridge’s long term vision to provide the same level of services as ski resorts, including amenities like a day lodge and food on top of a series of additional runs and a quad lift.

“We want to be a place for everyone that’s local here in the Valley,” he said. “We’re part of the community. We want to be their home ski mountain … we want to see everyone come up, have a good time, learn some new skills, learn some new things about skiing and riding.”

For now Skeetawk users will find a must more barebones environment with a warming yurt and pit toilet. Patridge advises users to come prepared to stay warm on their own, packing plenty of warm layers with their skis or snowboard.

“The theme this year is we’re very Alaskan, very rugged and very raw,” he said.

Season and day passes are sold from the yurt at Skeetawk, and may also be available on Skeetawk.com. Passes are priced at $390 for adults ages 18 to 69; $320 for students 13-18 or military members; and $200 for youth ages 6 to 12. Users ages 5 and under or over 70 years old are free.

Day tickets are $39 for adults ages 18 to 69; $32 for students ages 13 to 18 or military members; and $20 for youth ages 6 to 12. They plan to be open for operations on weekends and MatSu Borough School District holidays.