Alaskan Ski Area Discovers "Significant" Damage to Essential Chairlift

Eaglecrest, a ski area just outside Juneau, Alaska, recently discovered that one of its chairlifts, Black Bear, had mechanical damage. The damage prevents the lift from operating safely, and according to the ski area, the lift may not be able to reopen until the 2025-2026 ski season.

“Given the age of Black Bear and the extent of the damage, at this time, it appears that there’s no immediate solution that will allow for safe utilization of the lift at the opening of the season on December 7, 2024,” Eaglecrest wrote in a Facebook update.

The ski area will work with its maintenance and engineering contractors, North Country Alpine Services and Superior Tramway, to find a way forward and provide possible options to the Eaglecrest Board of Directors. Meanwhile, further resources will be directed towards the rest of the Eaglecrest fleet—Ptarmigan, Hooter, and Porcupine—to ensure that they can operate without issue during the upcoming ski season.

While Black Bear isn’t Eaglecrest’s primary lift—that honor goes to Ptarmigan, which bisects the ski area’s piste and provides access to a large terrain network—it does provide exclusive access to several trails, including Drifter, Marmot, and Vertigo. Presumably, Black Bear helps with crowds on powder days, too.

The news of the lift’s mechanical damage and subsequent closure provoked a strong response on social media. One commenter, who wrote that they had already purchased a pass, floated the idea of pass discounts going forward. “That’s incredibly disappointing with the ptarmigan lift being so slow and cold and many people afraid of the off-ramp,” wrote another. Others weighed in to express their support of Eaglecrest: “Just popping in to say I love this mountain and the community at Eaglecrest. Grateful for what we’ve got and still hoping for the best this season!”

Earlier this year, another incident rocked Eaglecrest when Dave Scanlan, the ski area’s general manager since 2017, resigned at the board's request. The resignation request came as a shock to Scanlan, who, in May, told Alaska Public Media , “I had no intent to walk away.”

Shortly afterward, a local group published a petition highlighting local concerns about Eaglecrest’s status ahead of the 2024-2025 season.

“This paper offers suggestions to facilitate constructive user involvement to reassure Eaglecrest’s recreation users, investors and the public that there will be a smooth transition,” the petition’s introduction reads. It noted that Scanlan’s departure and associated transition plan had “created negative public discourse,” which was “fueled by an information vacuum, rumor and general anxiety.”

In August, Eaglecrest announced that Craig Cimmons, the Director of the Ski & Ride School and Community Engagement at Jay Peak Resort, had been appointed to take over as general manager.

Related: Alaskan Skiers Are Already Scoring Deep October Powder Turns

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