November came and went, with Alyeska Resort and Hilltop Ski Area opening for business.
December's holiday season passed too.
Finally, at the end of January, the Arctic Valley Ski Area north of Anchorage got enough snow to open last weekend.
"Since we don't have snowmaking, we have to wait for that natural snow to come," said Richard Todd, the marketing coordinator at Arctic Valley. "After the Thanksgiving rain and the January rain, the mountain just wasn't ready."
Last season, Arctic Valley opened Jan. 16. In 2009, it opened Dec. 20.
"We weren't too terribly off the mark," Todd said.
As he spoke Thursday night, snow fell outside Todd's home on Hiland Road. That boosted hopes of a repeat of last Saturday.
"It was a spectacular day," Todd said.
The 120 skiers who showed up found about eight inches of powder. Typically, Arctic Valley is a favorite of telemark skiers -- and after weekday snowfalls, skiers and boarders try to arrive early on Saturday to sample any fresh snow. Operations at the volunteer-operated area continue this weekend, with both chair lifts and the T-Bar operating 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Arctic Valley doesn't open weekdays.
Like last season, an upstairs area called The Afterglow Pub will serve beer and wine. The kitchen will serve hot food, soups and snacks.
Todd hopes this February resembles last February, when it regularly snowed during the week and cleared up on weekends.
"Every weekend in February was fantastic," he said.
Because of the small crowds -- 300 is a big turnout for Arctic Valley -- parents can keep children in sight, even kids at the bottom of the hill sledding or building snow forts instead of skiing.
Reach reporter Mike Campbell at mcampbell@adn.com or 257-4329.
By MIKE CAMPBELL
mcampbell@adn.com