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Ski Bowl 1940's |
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~ PHOTOS ~ |
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Left: The Fort Mears Ski Bowl was likely not the most relaxing place to ski in Alaska. While skiing you might be scanning the sky for Japanese bombers. Like the ones that hit Fort Mears in 1942. Right: And the living conditions here could be quite stark. (click on these photos to expand them) [Photo Credits: Left - Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Right - Alaska State Library]
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But the bombs, weather and living conditions couldn't stop those that needed to ski. Here is a 1940's picture of Marion "Tiny" Thornton at Dutch Harbor. (click on this photo to expand it) |
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~ MAPS ~ |
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This map shows the location of Dutch Harbor / Unalaska on Unalaska Island (an island which is one of the Fox Islands and part of the Aleutian Islands. (click on this map to expand it) |
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This topo map will be updated with the location of the Ski Bowl. The exact location of the Ski Bowl is still being researched. (click on this map to expand it) |
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This topo map will be updated with the location of the Ski Bowl. The exact location of the Ski Bowl is still being researched. (click on this map to expand it) |
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Link to Dutch Harbor / Unalaska's Other Lost Ski Area: |
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Research Correspondence | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
[Jim Dickson - November 04, 2004 email excerpt] Ski Bowl was a rope tow built during the WWII by the Army for ski troop training. Our local museum may have some old military photos of the area in use in the 1940's. |
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[Al Tavis - 12 December 2007 letter and pictures sent to Tim Kelley] Unalaska January-February 1942 (picture age 11) We arrived there in June of 1941, junior skis and boots arrived before winter to replace a bicycle I left behind. I recall being the only one with conventional ski equipment, and practiced by myself in town and later on small hills near the cemetery northeast of town. When the snow was deep enough I tried Haystack Hill behind town and joined by Aleut schoolmates on their homemade skis. They were 6 inches wide, ski shaped, the bottoms were covered with fur seal skin, the fur streamlined downhill and dug in waling uphill almost like snowshoes. They controlled downhill by leaning back on a stick. |
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Do you have further information, stories or pictures that you would like to contribute about this ski area? |
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