ALSAP Update Log 2011 (entries by Tim Kelley)

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December 31, 2011
Mike Soukup sent an interesting email about live at the Kotzebue AFS in the late 70's, early 80's.  Thanks Mike!
 

December 27, 2011
John Sikes of Kodiak sent a bunch of photos taken of pages from a 1947 scrapbook.  The scrapbook had a number of pictures of the Anton Larsen Ski Chalet.  Thanks a lot for sharing these historic pictures John!

December 7, 2011
Today I got news that Alaska is losing a lost ski area.  A lost lost ski area is a good thing though.  It means the ski area has come back to life.  Such is the case with the Salmonberry Ski Hill in Valdez.  A community based volunteer organization called the Valdez Snow Authority has worked hard to bring this small ski area back in operation.  Congratulations to all in Valdez that were involved in this effort!  And thanks to Chris Moulton for this news!

November 19, 2011
Mark Sachs sent a number of pictures from his time at Indian Mountain in 1969-1970.  Thanks Mark!

November 17, 2011
Michael Hogan sent an interesting email about being sent to Fort Greely in 1964, as part of the 9th Infantry, to do winter equipment testing.  Michael's information is in the correspondence section of the Fort Greely web page.  Thanks Michael !
 

October 16, 2011
Added an image of a postcard I bought on ebay.  The postcard shows heli-skiing at Girdwood/Alyeska before any lodge or surface lifts were built.  The date of this heli-skiing activity at Alyeska is likely the late 50's or very early 60's.
 

October 15, 2011
Added another lost ski area  to ALSAP, actually - a lost skiing operation: the Hatcher Pass Heli Skiing operation.  In 1986 Hatcher Pass Lodge owner Hap Wurlitzer and Soloy Heli-Ops had a spring heli-skiing operation running between the lodge and the top of April Bowl.  Thanks to Fred Trimble for uncovering this lost skiing history!

October 11, 2011
It's been 10 years since the Arctic Valley Cross Country Ski Loop was last used ... so we welcome it to the Alaska Lost Ski Areas web site.  This ski loop was championed by former Alaska Pacific University ski coach Jim Galanes.  When Jim left this coaching position this early season ski loop was never used again.

Also, I added a web page for Lake Otis Ski Trails in Anchorage.  In the early days of Anchorage (19-teens and 20's) much of mid-town Anchorage was undeveloped.  So people skied on trails and pioneer roads south of Chester Creek that are now long gone.  Lake Otis was a skiing destination of this sort, as was Lake Hood in Spenard.

July 11, 2011
Sad news.  The old Gunsight Mountain ski chalet, that stood next to the Richardson Highway between Sheep Mountain and Eureka, was recently destroyed by fire.  No other information is known at this time.  Thanks to Jacqueline Duke for the pictures.

June 27, 2011
Kermit Davis sent a number of pictures from 1966 when he trained with Fort Richardson soldiers on the Eklutna Glacier.  Thanks a lot Mr. Davis!

May 27, 2011
During mid-May while skiing at Manitoba Mountain I noticed some old rope tow guide wheels poking through the snow.  So I waited a couple of weeks for the snow to melt and then went back to see what I could find for rope tow remnants at this old ski area.  I found quite a few remnants and posted pictures of them on the Manitoba web page.

April 26, 2011
Seth Steben sent some pictures of an old engine block that could have possibly been the power plant for a ski tow at the Tripod Ski Trails site in Cordova.  Seth also sent some Google Earth images to show where the old ski cabin site and the engine block are located.  Thanks for sending this Seth!

March 24, 2011
Donna Schantz sent a PDF of a 1986 Valdez Vanguard article about the Salmonberry Ski Hill in Valdez.  Thanks a lot Donna!

February 02, 2011
Links to new Alaska State Library pictures of winter warfare military training in the early 1960's are now on the Eklutna Glacier web page.

January 17, 2011
Chuck Johnson sent some more great pictures.  There are now some 1976 Skiathlon pictures on the UAF Ski Hill web page.  And more pictures of Fairbanks skiers on the Castner and Canwell Glaciers on the Rainbow Mountain web page.  Once again Chuck ... thanks !

January 16, 2011
Chuck Johnson sent some great pictures taken at the 1969 Junior Nationals ski trails in Girdwood.  Chuck was one of the Alaska team coaches.  Thanks a lot Chuck for sharing these wonderful photos !!

January 15, 2011
Bob Hier sent some pictures of 1943 Japanese WWII skis, that were probably used in Attu.  Thanks Bob !

January 07, 2011
Bob Shaw found the ALSAP Anton Larsen Ski Chalet web page via Google.  Bob knows a lot about the Ski Chalet on Kociak because in 1960 he LIVED there.  His father Marion Shaw was the caretaker of the Ski Chalet back then.  Thanks a lot for contacting us Bob !

January 06, 2011
Chuck Johnson sent in some great early 1970's pictures of skiers participating in the old Canwell Glacier Stampede off the Richardson Highway in the Alaska Range.  These pictures can be seen on the Rainbow Mountain web page.  Thanks again Chuck !
 

January 05, 2011
Chuck Johnson has worked and lived at Clear Summit for a long time.  He recently sent comparison pictures of the 1960s versus today of Pedro Dome, the site of a former White Alice communications station that was close to the Cleary Summit Ski Area.  Thanks Chuck !
 

January 03, 2011
Patrick Saltonstall sent a picture of the Kodiak / Anton Larsen Ski Chalet from the Alutiqq Museum, Nekeferoff Collection.  Thanks Patrick !
 

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