Skiers Make First Turns of the Season at Humble Alaskan Ski Area
It’s October, and folks are already skiing.
At Alaska’s Arctic Valley Ski Area, more than a foot of snow tallied up last week and, as the mountain put it in a social media post, “it was great to see so many folks out getting after it too!”
Arctic Valley shared images of its slopes, showing solid October coverage and, if you look closely, tracks left behind by go-getter skiers who presumably ventured uphill under their own power.
Since the season hasn’t officially started, Arctic Valley also offered a reminder: “No avalanche control is being performed, no ski patrol or rescue services are available, and the area should be treated as you would any other backcountry terrain.”
As is often the case this time of year, the wintry tease isn’t, for now, sticking around. Arctic Valley noted that, thanks to a warm-up over the weekend, the snow’s melting away. The ski area webcams now show more dirt than white.
Arctic Valley wasn’t the only Anchorage-area mountain to benefit from the recent snow. Alyeska got blanketed, too, with its first flakes of the season quickly becoming something more. By the time the storm had passed through, Alyeska’s upper slopes were coated in white—a sign of the hopefully snowy season to come.
It may not be too long before a few more flakes turn up, at least at higher altitudes. A bit of snow may show up Wednesday at both Alyeska and Arctic Valley, with another shot at winter precipitation coming over the weekend.
Like the snow that came before, this is still teaser territory for the ski areas. Alyeska doesn’t plan to open until November 28, 2026. Arctic Valley is looking at the second week of December.
Still, elsewhere in North America, the 2026-27 season may start as soon as this month, with a small group of Colorado ski areas—Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, and Wolf Creek—among those to watch.
A brewing storm may also bring more opportunities for pre-season skiing to the West in the coming days.
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