home updates map photos alsappers contact about  
               

Cooper Landing Snowcat Operation

1985
Name of Ski Area: Kenai Mountains
Location: Cooper Landing, the peaks to the east of Cooper Lake
Type of Area: Ski-able mountain slopes
Dates of Operation: 1985
Who Built It?: Dave Hamre operated this business.
Base/ Vertical Drop:

Base: 1168' (height of Cooper Lake) / Vertical: 1400' to 2600'

Lifts: Snowcat
Facilities: The skiers' day started and ended in the town of Cooper Landing.
Miscellaneous: Snowcats would pick people up in Cooper Landing and take them to Cooper Lake then up one of the peaks to the east.  Runs could be anywhere from 1400 to 2600 vertical feet.  Only 10 skiers a day would be taken, but these skiers could get up to 10 runs in a day.
Sources of Information:

Dave Hamre

~  MAPS  ~

This map shows Cooper Landing on the Kenai Peninsula's Sterling Highway.  From Cooper Landing you can see a road and trails heading up to Cooper Lake.  The peaks to the east of the lake are the ones the ski operation targeted.

(click on this map to expand it)

topo_cooper.jpg (190542 bytes)
Research Correspondence 
[Dave Brann - 30 November 2004 phone conversation with Dave Hamre]

I talked with Dave Hamre tonight.  The snowcat operation existed only during the winter of 1985.  The snowcats would pick people up in Cooper Landing and take them to Cooper Lake then up to one of the peaks on the East side.  Runs could be anywhere from 1400 to 2600 vertical feet.  They would only take ten skiers per day but those skiers could get in as many as ten runs a day.  It folded due to lack of financial success.  Fun but not profitable.

 

 

Do you have further information, stories or pictures that you would like to contribute about this ski area?