Juneau’s Eaglecrest Ski Area finally opened for the winter on Wednesday morning after getting a much-needed 9-inch dump of snow the night before.
The Ptarmigan Chair was the only lift running on Wednesday, but by Thursday the Hooter Chair was open, too. Eaglecrest manager Dave Scanlan said they hope to have the Porcupine Chair running by the weekend.
“We’re just happy as can be that we have the season underway and looking forward to no interruptions and a good season ahead of us,” he said.
Scanlan said the Eaglecrest parking lot on Wednesday was nearly full, and a steady flow of users came to the mountain throughout the day.
The season opener was delayed for weeks by heavy rain and warm temperatures. Despite the cooler temperatures allowing for more snowmaking, Scanlan said the snowpack on the mountain is still very low. He encouraged users to practice caution when hitting the slopes.
“We really want to always remind people this time of year to keep eyes out for unmarked hazards, little rocks, little trees poking through the snow,” he said.
Eaglecrest is set to remain open daily now, besides the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays.
