Mount Eyak
Encyclopedia
Mount Eyak is a ski area located in Cordova
, Alaska
. It is operated by the Sheridan Ski Club.
The next improvement came in 1966, when a car chassis was modified to drive the rope tow. There is still a rope tow located in the same spot but it has been upgraded numerous times over the years. The rope tow works the current "bunny hill" and transports skiers from the main lift to the rental room and the other buildings.
In 1973, the City of Cordova got a $95,000 grant from BOR and a $52,000 grant from the Roads and Trails Grant fund. These grants, plus the city's commitment of funds and the Sheridan Ski Club's contributions of approximately $29,000 and volunteer labor, were used to construct present-day facilities.
Mount Eyak is currently serviced by a single chairlift
(as well as the rope tow). The chairlift was purchased from Sun Valley
, Idaho
, and transported by train to Seattle, then by ferry to Cordova. The Sheridan Ski Club painted the towers and repaired the chairs before the army used its helicopters to put the towers in place in 1974. The single chair lift was originally constructed in 1939 and serviced Bald Mountain. It is the oldest working chairlift in North America and one of only two single chairs still in operation. The other is located at Mad River Glen
, Vermont.
.
Cordova, Alaska
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,454 people, 958 households, and 597 families residing in the city. The population density was 40.0 per square mile . There are 1,099 housing units at an average density of 17.9 per square mile...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. It is operated by the Sheridan Ski Club.
History
In 1948, the Sheridan Ski Club was started and local skiers set up a rope tow near the present-day Mews Apartments. The club even had a lighted hill for nighttime skiing.The next improvement came in 1966, when a car chassis was modified to drive the rope tow. There is still a rope tow located in the same spot but it has been upgraded numerous times over the years. The rope tow works the current "bunny hill" and transports skiers from the main lift to the rental room and the other buildings.
In 1973, the City of Cordova got a $95,000 grant from BOR and a $52,000 grant from the Roads and Trails Grant fund. These grants, plus the city's commitment of funds and the Sheridan Ski Club's contributions of approximately $29,000 and volunteer labor, were used to construct present-day facilities.
Mount Eyak is currently serviced by a single chairlift
Chairlift
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs...
(as well as the rope tow). The chairlift was purchased from Sun Valley
Sun Valley, Idaho
Sun Valley is a resort city in Blaine County in the central part of the U.S. state of Idaho, adjacent to the city of Ketchum, lying within the greater Wood River valley. Tourists from around the world enjoy its skiing, hiking, ice skating, trail riding, tennis, and cycling. The population was 1,427...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, and transported by train to Seattle, then by ferry to Cordova. The Sheridan Ski Club painted the towers and repaired the chairs before the army used its helicopters to put the towers in place in 1974. The single chair lift was originally constructed in 1939 and serviced Bald Mountain. It is the oldest working chairlift in North America and one of only two single chairs still in operation. The other is located at Mad River Glen
Mad River Glen
Mad River Glen is a ski area in Fayston, Vermont. Its terrain has been ranked by SKI magazine as the most challenging on the east coast of the United States. Located within the Green Mountain range, it sits in the Mad River Valley, close to the larger Sugarbush Resort...
, Vermont.
Services
Services include a rental room with skis and snowboard, a heated lounge with concessions, and a first aid room. The hill provides emergency medical care with a volunteer ski patrolSki patrol
A Ski Patrol is an organization that provides Emergency Medical and rescue services to skiers and participants of other snow sports, either at a ski area or in a back country setting. Patrollers are trained in Basic or Advanced Life Support to stabilize and transport patients to definitive care,...
.