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KETCHIKAN SKIING
By Pete Ellis

 

October 28, 2007
Sunday PM


As Craig Moen indicates there are ski areas on the island and, in even more ancient times, there were even more locations. At one time we had a ski area on the Perseverance Trail complete with a ski tow hauled in and set up with Frank Klepser having been the principal motivator for that endeavor. Long before that and near the top of Deer Mountain there was a ski lodge built by some earlier local pioneers who hauled the lodge material all the way up the mountain in order to take advantage of those slopes. Unfortunately it burned to the ground and was never re-built but it must have been a major undertaking and challenging source of winter recreation. The remains of the lodge are still visible in the summers when the snow has disappeared and in the area that now serves as a lookout over the channel prior to a climb on up to the top. I have never seen any pictures but presumably some exist and should be located.

Unfortunately we seem to be short of winter snow cover except for a rather narrow spectrum of the winter months when snow does accumulate although not in sufficient amounts to provide an extended downhill surface area at Harriet Hunt.

Pete Ellis
Ketchikan, AK

About: "Long time resident of Ketchikan and Southern Southeast with a need to help preserve some of our outdoor heritage for future years and appreciation."

Received October 28, 2007 - Published October 28, 2007

 

Related Viewpoint:

letter Ketchikan ski areas? By Craig Moen

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