Juneau, Alaska — The future of Eaglecrest Ski Area seemed clear a couple of months ago. Led by General Manager Dave Scanlan, the ski area has become one of the most well-regarded remote skiing destinations in the United States due to its ample snowfall. Starting this summer, a used gondola acquired by a ski resort in Austria will begin being constructed. Once completed, Eaglecrest’s lift-serviced skiable acreage will grow. In addition, the Alaska ski area will become a four-season destination due to the amount of tourists that come through via cruises.
At least, that’s the rosy way of looking at it. The used gondola has exceeded the initial budget, and its opening date has been moved back several times. In addition, the ski area had a deficit of $415,000 as of May 2024. Juneau’s municipal government owns and operates the Alaska ski area. The Eaglecrest Board oversees the mountain’s operations, which have begun to look towards the future. Ultimately, they didn’t like the direction of the ski area.
For still unspecified reasons, the Eaglecrest Board asked for Dave Scanlan’s resignation. Dave obliged, although he admitted that it came as a shock. It came as a stunner to the local community, too, as Dave was beloved for his friendliness and his intense work ethic. A petition was even started to demand more answers from the board, along with restating Dave as General Manager. Erin Lupro, the Director of Snowsports School, Rental, Retail & Repair, is currently serving as the interim General Manager.
While the search continues for the General Manager, they’re trying to figure out what to do about the gondola. The Juneau Empire reported that in a July 15th meeting, local leaders believe the project can still be completed and open by 2026. To open by 2026, they’ll need to build access roads and do some pre-assembly gondola projects before this upcoming ski season. 35% of the design was completed as of July 15th, but they’ll need to find a company to submit a projection within the city’s budget to stay on schedule. The design process is expected to be completed by mid-March 2025.
City Manager Katie Koester said the following to the Assembly Committee on July 15th:
“It’s definitely aggressive and ambitious. But what Eaglecrest staff has pointed out is it’s all well and good to turn a gondola by 2026. But you have to know that the gondola works, you have to work out the kinks, you have to have staff training, you have to have safety measures in place, you have to have sold those tickets. You have to have done all of those things in advance and a full season might not be more realistic until 2027.”
However, this viewpoint contradicts what Goldbelt, Inc., which is providing $10 million for the project in exchange for a share of the gondola revenue, believes. In a June meeting, Goldbelt CEO McHugh Pierre said that they didn’t think a 2026 opening was going to happen and that it was more likely that it would open in 2027. If the gondola isn’t open by May 31st, 2028, Goldbelt can back out of the financing.
The new plan is for the additional infrastructure, like the bathrooms at the top, to be added after the gondola begins to turn a profit. In the early years of operation, they would have some port-a-potties up top instead.
Last week, Eaglecrest Ski Area formally announced the two finalists to be their next General Manager: Craig Cimmons and Julie Jackson Piper. Cimmons has been the Director of the Ski & Ride School at Jay Peak since 2012, and has also worked other positions in the ski industry. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Adventure Recreation from Green Mountain College.
Since 2018, Piper has been the Recreation Manager for the City of Richland, Washington. She has a background in Juneau and Eaglecrest life. She worked as the Aquatics Manager for the City and Borough of Juneau, along with being the Youth & Community Outreach Coordinator and Snowsports School Supervisor at Eaglecrest.
The final stretch of interviews is a doozy. On August 1st, the finalists will attend an Eaglecrest board meeting. On Friday, August 2nd, at 1:30 and 3:30 pm, they’ll have a public meeting interview session. During the meetings, they will present their financial vision for Eaglecrest’s future and take questions from board members. On August 3rd, they’ll have a meet and greet with members of the public. The Eaglecrest Board may decide on August 5th, though the finalist will have to accept the offer before the hire is officially announced.
While these two are undoubtedly qualified for this role, this situation is tricky. They’ll inherit a messy gondola situation that will likely drag on. It’s not all bad, though, as they’ll also inherit a passionate fanbase, deep powder, and some excellent terrain.
Image/Video Credits: Eaglecrest Ski Area, Steep Motion Films, City and Borough of Juneau