No skiing or boarding on Thanksgiving near Anchorage, but the weekend’s a possibility

Little surprise that Anchorage area alpine ski hills won’t be open for business on Thanksgiving Day. Just look outside.

But there’s hope at Hilltop Ski Area that at least one run will be ready for skiers by Friday or Saturday.

Hilltop doesn’t have enough snow to cover any of its four runs, but CEO Steve Remme said Tuesday that he’s optimistic the ski hill will be able to open one run before the week is over.

But a Thanksgiving Day opening isn’t going to happen – and that’s unusual, he said.

“We very rarely miss Thanksgiving,” Remme said. “In the last 30, 35 years we’ve only missed one or two actual Thanksgiving Days.

“Actually we’re usually open the last weekend before Thanksgiving. So this is a real rarity for us.”

Alyeska and Arctic Valley, meanwhile, are still waiting for more snow. Alyeska Ski Resort is planning a Dec. 7 opening, while Arctic Valley needs a big dump of snow before it can open.

As for cross-country skiers, Anchorage trails are marginal, with scant snow and plenty of ice. The first race of the high school season is set for Dec. 1, but in the case of at least one high school team, running has replaced skiing at some practices.

On Tuesday, West High coach Anson Moxness took his team of more than 100 skiers to Kincaid Park, where they ran with ski poles. Moxness stood next to a trail, urging students to mimic skiing motions as they ran.

One day last week, he sent kids on a scavenger hunt at the park so those new to skiing would become familiar with the trails. On another day, the Eagles went to the Service High trails, where conditions were difficult but at least skiable.

“Then with the rain this week, it became an ice rink,” Moxness said.

“This is one of the worst starts that I can remember, probably the worst," he added. "I’m in my seventh year, and there’s always at least (something), Russian Jack’s normally got something, but this year there’s just so much rain.”

In Girdwood, Alyeska has received 11 inches of snow, according to the resort’s website.

Arctic Valley reported on Facebook on Sunday that it needs “a couple feet” of snow before it can begin weekend operations. On Saturday morning, however, it’s holding a training session for volunteers, who will be rewarded with free skiing once skiing starts there. There’s a place for potential volunteers to sign up on the area’s Facebook page.

At Hilltop, the Caribou run is almost ready to go, Remme said. It has ample snow at the top and ample snow at the bottom, but there’s “a short middle section where we don’t have enough snow yet to link those two,” he said.

Hilltop is making snow when it’s cold enough – 28 degrees or lower. The problem is the cold spells aren’t lasting very long.

“If we get a good 12-hour window, possibly longer, or if Mother Nature actually decided to give us some natural snow, we could get at least one run going pretty quickly,” Remme said.

“We’re not gonna make it for Thanksgiving, but possibly part of the day Friday or Saturday-Sunday, maybe.

“It’s the weather,” he added. “We’re at the mercy of the weather.”