Alyeska opening a few lifts on schedule Wednesday

Alaska's biggest ski resort plans to open four of its nine lifts to skiers -- Chair 3 and Chair 4, as well as both magic carpets. The 60-passenger tram will be open for riders seeking a scenic mountaintop view or to dine at one of the restaurants on top of the mountain -- but not for skiing.

A storm that blew in from the south this week deposited 17 inches of snow on the upper half of the mountain and rain at the base -- giving Alyeska barely enough snow to open. Thirty-eight inches of snow coats the summit at 3,939 feet.

"The good news is it is finally snowing on the mountain and the snow line today was at the top of Chair 3," said Amy Quesenberry, the resort's mountain marketing manager. "The bad news is it is too warm to make snow."

And the reduced washed away low-level snow, cutting the depth at the base to 4 inches.

"We need a couple of more storms in order to get the upper mountain open," Quesenberry said. "Once we get enough snow on the upper mountain, we will still need to groom in roads, set up and do avalanche control work, which takes some time."

The snow guns that produce man-made snow at Alyeska require an air temperature cooler than 27 degrees. Temperatures hovered in the mid-30s Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service, which was predicting 2 to 6 inches of additional snow today.

Snowfall at Alyeska is behind schedule due to an unseasonably warm October. The mountain averages 631 inches of snow, 742 inches at the summit. As recently as the winter of 1998-99, more than 1,100 inches fell at the summit.

Because of the limited snow cover, off-trail skiing will be prohibited and the entire mountain will be designated a slow zone. The groomed runs expected to open include Wade's Way, Finnland, Chair 3 road, Christmas, Upper and Lower Confidence, Roll Over, Race Trail, Upper and Lower Vons, Upper Sourdough, Lower Denali, and Runway.

With only a portion of the mountain set to open, ticket prices are being reduced to $35 for an adult all-day pass. High school, collegiate and military skiers pay $30 and children 8-13 get to ski for $20.

Closer to Anchorage, the Hilltop Ski Area is open and Arctic Valley is awaiting enough snow to open its slopes. The latter needs 3 feet of snow to open and has only received 6 to 12 inches so far.

Reach reporter Mike Campbell at mcampbell@adn.com or 257-4329.