Conditions:

Updated:2008-05-06 09:22:55

*Snow that has fallen in the last 24 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why not provide more information on when/if the bowls will be opened? The conditions of the bowls? What are your snow experts seeing? What efforts are being made? Of COURSE everything can change due to weather - we all understand that, but having the information, knowing what is happening, versus looking into a magic 8-ball, would make a HUGE impact on me making a decision if today is the day to skip responsibilities and head to the slopes.

Concerning the bowls and when/if they will open. We have 6 main avalanche control routes that we run. The first is the East Side, which includes the East Bowl Chutes. We attempt to have the East Bowl Chutes open by 10:30 but it is difficult to state precisely due to the amount and type of snow that falls. Before we can work on the east side routes, the middle of the mountain must be skied. The three routes that make up this area include all the areas served by the Ptarmigan chair. We attempt to have these areas open by 9 am but there are occasions when Ptarmigan is delayed due to control work. When all these areas have been skied, the patrol starts working on the West Side. Due to visibility and amount of control work to be performed, the west side may or may not open and the times could vary from 9 am to 2 pm. All that being said, sometimes there are variables outside our control that affect the timing of bowl work. These variables may include assisting injured guests or equipment/operational issues that take precedence over working on the bowls. As soon as the various runs are opened, they are noted on the web site. The patrol notifies the person in charge of the web site and the changes are made. We also went to the expense of installing the web cams so folks could see what the conditions are like. Any more investment in staff time is probably not reasonable. In terms of commenting on the avalanche conditions outside of our boundaries, it is extremely impractical for us to do so. The patrol actively works the snow inbounds, which changes the makeup of the snow throughout the various layers. We can make an assessment of conditions past our boundary lines for our own purposes but to assume the responsibility of telling people what is going outside of our boundaries, will not occur.

If I purchase a 15 multi visit card for the 2007/2008 ski season and do not use all of it, will the remaining balance still be good for the 2008/2009 ski season.

No, the visits must be used in the season the visits were purchased. At $20 a visit versus the window price of $35, this is too good a deal to pass from one year to the next year. If you want the great deal, you have to use the visits during the season. If you want to use more than 15 visits, you can recharge the card for more visits with a minimum purchase of 5 visits for just $15 per visit. It is a great deal.

What is a “Guaranteed Season Pass”?

October 10, 2007 What is a “Guaranteed Season Pass”? For those folks who are concerned about the level of snow coverage at Eaglecrest and the impact that concern has on their purchasing a pass, Eaglecrest has created the “Guaranteed Season Pass”. Adults purchase the pass for $549 plus tax. If Eaglecrest is does not open by January 1, 2008, the pass holder receives a $125 refund. If Eaglecrest does not open by February 1, 2008, the pass holder receives another $125 refund. If Eaglecrest does not open by March 1, 2008, the pass holder will receive another $125 refund. Finally, Eaglecrest is not open by April 1, 2008, the pass holder will receive another $125 refund. If you do the math, you will see that if the mountain does not open by April 1, the pass is refunded with the mountain holding a $49 administrative fee. The same procedure would apply for a youth or senior season pass. The youth purchase a pass for $499 plus tax. The refund would be $115 at each of the dates mentioned with the mountain holding a $39 administrative fee.

What is the status of the new chair? Will it be operational this fall?

August 31, 2007 Update on the Eaglecrest Mid Mountain Chairlift Project – In October of 2005, the residents of Juneau voters approved $800,000 in sales tax revenue to construct a new mid mountain chairlift at Eaglecrest. The CBJ Assembly stipulated Eaglecrest must raise $100,000 from the local community to receive the voter-approved funds. In the summer of 2006, a used chairlift was located in the Lake Tahoe area. The lift was in excellent condition and very similar to the lifts already in use at Eaglecrest. The chairlift was purchased and transported to Eaglecrest. With the chairlift secured, the Eaglecrest Board of Directors began fund raising efforts to obtain the needed monies as stipulated by the CBJ Assembly. A total of $220,000 was raised through donations from corporations and individuals who were recognized with their names on chairlift towers and the chairs of the chairlift. In May, the State of Alaska appropriated $1.4 million to run electrical power to the FAA weather station located on top of Eaglecrest. The weather station provides critical information to the airport and relies on electrical power supplied by a diesel generator at the ski area. This critical weather station needed a more reliable source of electrical power. With electrical power being supplied to the top of the mountain, the ski area could benefit by operating this new chairlift on electricity instead of a diesel drive as the other lifts are operated. In addition, a service road created for the new power line to the FAA station would also serve as a construction road for the chairlift. Given these developments in the late spring of this year, the lift design needed to be altered. In addition, this new service road requires a Corp of Engineer’s wetland permit, which will delay of the bid opening but not the construction completion date. The bid opening will take place once the wetland permit is secured. This will not delay the construction of the chairlift, which is slated to commence in June of 2008 with a completion date of November 1, 2008. The improvements that electrical power and a service road will offer not only the skiers and snowboarders of Juneau but hikers and others is worth the wait. It is also very important to realize that a traditional chairlift project of this scale would cost in excess of $2,000,000. By purchasing a used chairlift in excellent operating condition, large savings on the project have been realized. Working with CBJ Engineering to determine the most cost effective method of construction will provide a high quality lift being constructed on budget and on time for the 2008/2009 winter season.

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