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Paxson Rope Tow

Late 1980's / Early 1990's
Name of Ski Area: Paxson Rope Tow
Location: Paxson, behind the Paxson Lodge
Type of Area: Ski Hill
Dates of Operation: Late 1980's / Early 1990's (this ski area was built, but never put into operation)
Who Built It?: Christy and Murray Hawk
Base/ Vertical Drop:

Base: Unknown / Vertical: ~ 200'
Lifts: Rope Tow
Facilities: The Paxson Lodge (Roadhouse) was nearby - meals and lodging
History: In the late 1980's Christy Hawk, the daughter of the owners of Paxson Lodge, and her husband Murray built a small ski area for use by lodge guests and the community near the Paxson Lodge.  They cleared the land and installed a rope tow (power plant, towers, rope and return pulley).  Problems arose when they tried to connect the electric rope tow engine to the Paxson Lodge generator.  The power was not adequate to run the rope tow engine.  The ski area remained unused for a number of years.  The community of Paxson made efforts to bring the rope tow to life, but worries about liability issues held this project back.  Then in the mid 1990s the community of Paxson sold the rope tow to Martin Buser.

The above information was provided by Amy Rhodes, another daughter of the Paxson Lodge owners.  Martin Buser reiterated this information in an email to ALSAP:

"I actually bought a entire [rope tow] package from the community of Paxon. When I got the poles, pulleys , motors and all the other stuff, I also received a stack of pictures with the set up. To this day I have not been able to discern where the tow rope was set up before it went to Paxon. They set up the rope tow but had a hard time coming up with three phase power. So it never ran there until I got a hold of the whole shooting match!"

For further information see the Martin Buser Family Rope Tow ALSAP web page.

There is a possibility that this rope tow came from Fort Greely in Delta Junction.  This connection is still being researched.
Sources of Information:

Amy Rhodes; Martin Buser; Tim Kelley; Audie Bakewell
Photos: Does anyone have pictures of the Paxson Rope Tow (or current pictures of this skiing site) that they would like to contribute to ALSAP ?

~  SITE PHOTOS  ~

October 2006 Site Pictures

[Photo credits: Tim Kelley]
This panoramic shot shows the site of the Paxson ski hill.  The once cleared slope is growing over with willows.  The lift line cut can still be seen.  The Paxson Lodge is on the left.
On the old ski slope there are still poles standing.  Likely these were poles for the powerline for the lift engine. This is a shot from the ski hill of the Denali Highway / Richardson Highway intersection.

 

~  MAPS  ~

The Paxson Rope Tow was near the Paxson Lodge which is at the east end of the Denali Highway, where it connects to the Richardson Highway.  The rope tow was on the east side of the Richardson Highway.

(click on this map to expand it)

Research Correspondence 
[Martin Buser - 07 April 2005 email excerpt]

I actually bought a entire [rope tow] package from the community of Paxon. When I got the poles, pulleys , motors and all the other stuff, I also received a stack of pictures with the set up. To this day I have not been able to discern where the tow rope was set up before it went to Paxon. They set up the rope tow but had a hard time coming up with three phase power. So it never ran there until I got a hold of the whole shooting match!
[Amy Rhodes - 11 April 2005 phone conversation with Tim Kelley, notes]

Amy's parents used to own and run the Paxson Lodge.  In the late 1980's her sister and her husband, Christy and Murray Hawk, built a small ski area for use by lodge guests and the community near the Paxson Lodge.  They cleared the land and installed a rope tow (power plant, towers, rope and return pulley).  Problems arose when they tried to connect the electric rope tow engine to the Paxson Lodge generator.  The power was not adequate to run the rope tow engine.  The ski area remained unused for a number of years.  Then in the mid 1990s the community of Paxson sold the rope tow to Martin Buser.
[Audie Bakewell -  08 January 2010 email excerpt]
 
Paxson's Denali Highway Cabins has been maintaining the trails that had been emplaced on that ridge as part of the 30km of x-c system they have in the area.  A portion of those trails are, as of 2010, also part of the Copper Basin 300 dogsled race.
 

 

 

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