GIRDWOOD -- In a ski town like this, a winter without snow is bad for more than just the ski bums; it affects the local economy too.
But even on a gray, rainy New Year's Eve in this small town about 40 miles southeast of Anchorage, few appeared worried about the relatively snow-free winter's effect on their businesses.
On Wednesday, owners and employees of local shops and restaurants said business is definitely down, but they're still hopeful Mother Nature will blanket the community with more snow and maybe lower temperatures before the season ends. When you're in the business of snow, they said, there's nothing to do but go with the flow.
"We're keeping our heads above water, but everyone in this town could use a really good snowfall," said Cody Anderson, manager of the Powder Hound Ski Shop.
Powder Hound is at the base of Mount Alyeska, not far from the day lodge that serves as the hub for skiers and snowboarders at Alyeska Resort, the most-visited skiing location in Alaska.
The shop's A-frame roof was entirely naked Wednesday. There was no snow on its porch, and green grass poked through patches of ice on the ground. Inside, one young man was being fitted for new ski boots.
Anderson went back and forth on his feelings about the weather and what it's done for business. On one hand, he said, business is down. Winter break is typically the busiest time of year, he said, but this year has been much slower due to the late opening of the mountain, poor ski conditions and bad weather.
And because the bottom of the mountain -- with only a thin layer of dirty snow Wednesday -- is still closed, he said, their job is much harder.
"We do a lot of (ski) boot fittings, so it is to our advantage to help someone do a boot fitting, send them on the mountain and have them come back," Anderson said.
"But you can't just ski back to the shop right now," he said.
Alyeska reported an average of only 7 inches of snow at the base of the mountain Wednesday. On average, the top of the ski area sees 650 inches of snow in a year. So far this year, only 199 inches of snow has fallen there.
Anderson at Powder Hound is still feeling positive.
"If we get a couple more good dumps, more mountain could be open and we'd be happy," he said. He added that winter typically comes late for Girdwood anyway.
The view outside the shop was a strange one for New Year's Eve, usually a bustling time at the resort, which hosts a torchlight parade down the mountain every year. The magic carpet, a kind of flat escalator that goes up a gradual hill and is used to help beginning skiers and snowboarders learn how to ride, had a couple dozen students, instructors and parents hanging around. Behind the magic carpet was the base of the mountain, where a little snow coated rocks and trees but paths of dirt showed through. The lifts were moving, but empty, and members of the ski patrol were the only traffic.
The scene was the same outside the Sitzmark, a popular bar at the base of the mountain, where skis and snowboards typically fill racks outside while their owners lounge on the deck or step inside for food and a drink.
Jessica Hamilton sat near the stage inside and blew up balloons for the evening's New Year's celebration, which was sold out, she said. Dressed in a company T-shirt, beanie and waitressing apron, Hamilton was trying to keep busy. There were no customers in the bar.
Hamilton, 29, moved to Girdwood in the fall to prepare for her first winter at the Sitzmark, which sells oversized piles of nachos and hot cocktails to chilled patrons and offers live music. Hamilton was expecting to be busy out of the gate, but that hasn't been the case, and it's caused her to live more "frugally."
"When you're waitressing you're pretty much living off of tips," Hamilton said. "And when you don't have that (tips) you sort of lose the disposable income. If I didn't have money saved up or my credit cards this could have gone very, very badly."
Hamilton rented a place in Girdwood for the winter. She's been able to make ends meet but has had to take cost-cutting measures, she said. "I shop at Costco now, so I can bulk up and save a little."
But the lean times don't appear to bother her. She said she's worked lots of seasonal jobs, and the lack of snow isn't anyone's fault; her managers are giving her as many shifts as they can and the less-than-ideal experience wouldn't discourage her from trying again.
Hamilton also mentioned the locals and said she was grateful for their business, as well as the resort, which she said is "really doing their best" with the snow they've been given. The resort's hotel, at least, was fully booked for the night, said a clerk working the front desk.
Not far away, Michael Flynn owns and operates The Bake Shop, a popular stopping point for those spending a day on the mountain and looking to refuel with a "bottomless" bowl of soup or plate-sized sourdough pancakes. In Flynn's opinion, it's too early to decide if the weather has really hurt business.
On Tuesday, he said, there was a line out his door. On New Year's Eve, the bakery would fill up, empty out and fill up again.
Flynn and his wife have owned The Bake Shop since 1997, when they bought it from its founder, Werner Egloff, who opened it in 1973. And in 41 years of business, they've gathered a large group of regulars, Flynn said.
"At this point we have second-, third- and fourth-generation regulars," Flynn said. "It isn't really the same for us because of that. I have regulars in summer and winter. I have winter customers who come in summer."
Flynn was adamant the snow would still come. He said every year's been different, and this season is no exception.
"You just can't predict it," he said.