Palmer, Alaska — It wasn’t the easiest season for Skeetawk Ski Area.
A lack of snow led to a late opening for the Alaska ski area. Then the chairlift broke. The lift broke down on March 14th and remained closed for the remainder of the 2024-25 season. However, they were able to bring some people cat-skiing during the lift’s downtime. Several relatively nearby ski areas offered Skeetawk season passholders the opportunity to ski on their slopes, but the whole situation was a tough blow for Skeetawk’s season. However, a new slate of projects will allow them to have a more reliable ski season and improve the customer experience.
Last week, Skeetawk detailed three major projects that they plan to work on this offseason.
The main one is snowmaking. For years, Skeetawk has wanted to install a snowmaking system. Now, it’s finally going to happen. Starting in June, they’re planning to install a snowmaking system across their existing terrain. This project is happening thanks to the support of the Mat-Su Health Foundation and Rasmuson Foundation.
Installing this system will allow them to open earlier (possibly even in November), remain open during wet weather cycles, and stay open longer in the spring. In addition, it will allow them to host ski race teams and terrain park contests.
In the future, Skeetawk will be able to install snowmaking into the 1b terrain pod if they go forward with that expansion. In addition, they can purchase a hydroelectric generator, which would help the non-profit ski area cover snowmaking costs.
The second major project is the installation of a surface lift. A 150-foot magic carpet was purchased last summer and arrived at the ski area in January. The lift will be constructed in the months ahead, with an expected opening during the 2025-26 season. This addition was made possible thanks to the Alaska Ski Education Foundation, Central Recycling Services, ConocoPhillips, Elks Lodge, Fishhook Community Council, Carmella Malcoy, Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union, Northrim Bank, and Stohler and Lonergan PC.
The third project is a new road for buses. The current access road to the ski area is steep, with a grade of up to 12%. Buses that are a part of the nearby Mat-Su Borough School District can’t travel up the road because it is past the grade limit allowed for these vehicles to operate safely. Thanks to support from the Mat-Su Borough, a new road will be constructed, which will be a mellower grade up to the ski area. Construction will be happening this summer.
First opened during the 2019-20 ski season, Skeetawk is one of the newest ski areas in the country. Currently, Skeetawk features 12 trails, one triple chairlift, and a vertical drop of 300 feet. Future plans call for a few new chairlifts and a couple of significant terrain expansions, which would make it one of the largest ski areas in Alaska. It’ll be exciting to see Skeetawk continue to grow this offseason, and in the years ahead.
Image Credits: Skeetawk Ski Area
