Anchorage Daily News

A reindeer is truly and honestly supposed to get airborne in Girdwood today.

Albeit with a little help.

Girdwood 2020, which is promoting the $2 million reconstruction of the Roundhouse as a museum, says Alyeska Resort has volunteered to load a reindeer named Penney and a man posing as Santa onto the Alyeska Tram for a ride to the mountain top.

Posing as one of Santa's merry gang isn't the first gig for Penney, added Ethan Tyler of 2020. She earlier this year starred in the film "Into the Wild,'' which has been winning rave reviews for director Sean Penn.

This times she's standing in mainly as a seasonal decoration for the holiday unveiling of what might be the state's most unusual museum and if not, certainly the state's highest museum.

Girdwood Inc. spent nearly $2 million to reconstruct the old Alyeska mountain lodge long ago labeled by a simple description describing its general shape -- Roundhouse.

The lower level of the restored building serves as the on-mountain headquarters for the Alyeska ski patrol.

The upper level is being turned into a museum to celebrate the local gold-mining heritage, the Girdwood area's unique location in the transition zone where the world's farthest north rainforests give way to boreal stands of timber, and -- of course --Alyeska's outdoor recreation legacy.

Alyeska started big-time Alpine skiing in 1960 when the Roundhouse opened as the upper terminus for the state's longest, highest chairlift.

The one-of-a-kind octagonal building (it only looks "round'' from a distance) began life as a warming hut.

It later became a popular mountain gathering place complete with restaurant and lounge.

By the time the Glacier Terminal for the Alyeska Tram opened in 1992, the Roundhouse had spent years doing duty as an over-popular gathering place.

As local skiing grew in popularity, the Roundhouse came to almost burst at its seams on busy ski days. Squeezing inside was sometimes difficult, and when you got in, it was sometimes hard to turn around.

Heavy use helped to accelerate the natural aging of the building, and by the time the Roundhouse was shut down, it was in a sorry state of repair. Enter Girdwood Inc., an organization formed to promote local tourism.

It helped get the Roundhouse on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 in recognition of its significance in the development of skiing and other outdoor activities in Alaska.

The group then started raising the money needed for repairs.

Tyler said generous contributions came from the Rasmuson Foundation, the Eddie Gendzwill Estate, the National Park Service, HUD and the Atwood Foundation, along with dozens of other private and public contributions.

The Roundhouse will be open from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. today, according to Tyler.

The ride up the tram to the museum will be free for foot passengers, but they must first pick up a complimentary pass from the tram ticketing window.

Admission to the Roundhouse and refreshments to be served there will be free.

Find Craig Medred online at adn.com/contact/cmedred or call 257-4588.

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