AK on the GO

With AK Dad living it up in Portland this week, AK Kid and I declined the usual offers for Super Bowl viewing parties and instead made tracks to Hillberg Ski Area on Elmendorf Air Force base. No, we are not a military family, but the great thing about Anchorage and Alaska is that many people one is likely to become acquainted with are. Thus was the case as we piled into our good friends’ car, showed off our ID to the MP’s at the entrance, and drove way, way back into the nether regions to this little gem of a ski area.

Hillberg, as part of services offered to service men and women of any military designation, is not a particularly large nor flashy sort of area. It is, however, friendly, safe, and diverse in its offerings to families, which is why we like it so much. Moms and dads can meet a variety of activity needs and wants at Hillberg, with skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, inner tubing and sledding, x-country trails, and, on occasion, sled dog rides. Whew. It’s enough to satisfy just about any outdoor appetite, and with a bunch of special events and offerings to meet every budget, it’s affordable, too.

We’d not tried the inner tubing slopes before, as AK Kid did not before this year meet the 42″ height requirement, so on this Super Sunday we grownups decided to take our pack of boys on some swift and totally awesome rides down the lanes of our own youth.

For ten bucks, one can get two hours of riding, plenty for most kids and parents. An automatic tow drags tube and rider up the hill to the drop off, where five lanes of thrills await. Usually crammed with riders, yesterday was perfect; no waiting at either the tow or top, and we were able to get a bunch of rides in before exhaustion set in.

To warm up (and cool down), we stopped in at the T-Bar Grill for a hot dog and juice break, noting the comfy chairs and tables with great views of the hills, and noted, too, plenty of room for parents who aren’t skiers or riders to spread out snacks and books while waiting for young ones to finish out their day.

Hillberg has an informative web site  that lists special events, rental info, hours, and prices. This weekend is chock full of specials, like a 2 or 1 rental special in honor of Valentine’s Day the 14th, and a group lesson discount for spouses Friday the 12th. 50% is pretty good if one can convince a few friends to make an afternoon of it.

The ski area is open only on the weekends (Fri-Sun, to be exact) and holidays, and all days run from Noon-8 pm. But heck, for what one gets out of the deal, it’s pretty worthy, actually. For military families, DOD civilians, and the like, it is an easy getaway. For those of us without those stickers on our cars, there are a few options. One is to stop at the Boniface Main Gate and inquire to a Day Pass on base. Or, if entering the base with someone who does carry a Military ID, merely offer a government-issued ID for entrance.