Viewpoints
KETCHIKAN SKIING
By Pete Ellis
October 28, 2007
Sunday PM
As Craig Moen indicates there are ski areas on the island and,
in even more ancient times, there were even more locations.
At one time we had a ski area on the Perseverance Trail complete
with a ski tow hauled in and set up with Frank Klepser having
been the principal motivator for that endeavor. Long before
that and near the top of Deer Mountain there was a ski lodge
built by some earlier local pioneers who hauled the lodge material
all the way up the mountain in order to take advantage of those
slopes. Unfortunately it burned to the ground and was never
re-built but it must have been a major undertaking and challenging
source of winter recreation. The remains of the lodge are still
visible in the summers when the snow has disappeared and in the
area that now serves as a lookout over the channel prior to a
climb on up to the top. I have never seen any pictures but presumably
some exist and should be located.
Unfortunately we seem to be
short of winter snow cover except for a rather narrow spectrum
of the winter months when snow does accumulate although not in
sufficient amounts to provide an extended downhill surface area
at Harriet Hunt.
Pete Ellis
Ketchikan, AK
About: "Long time resident
of Ketchikan and Southern Southeast with a need to help preserve
some of our outdoor heritage for future years and appreciation."
Received October 28, 2007 -
Published October 28, 2007
Related Viewpoint:
 Ketchikan
ski areas? By Craig Moen
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