Manitoba

1/2/24

With it being my first winter in Alaska, I felt the need to ski all of the classic areas you hear about on the peninsula and one of the names I kept hearing pop up was Manitoba. As I looked into the location, I realized there was a deep history that I was unaware of. This history inspired me to put it at the top of my list of places to see this winter. 

For those unaware, Manitoba was a ski area on the Kenai Peninsula between the years 1941 and 1960 that was served by three rope tows in its prime (more on the history here). The idea of a ski hill on the peninsula is something I still hear about today, and as much as I love backcountry skiing, I enjoy sharing the joys of skiing more. I would love to get more people into the Kenai’s to ski, they are such amazing mountains. 

With the motivation to ski Manitoba, I just needed the right day. This came when a storm blew into Turnagain Pass, making visibility nonexistent. We decided we would head for Summit Pass where the weather tends to stay milder, and give Manitoba a shot. This seemed like a wise idea with some new snow accumulation overnight. When heading into a new area, I tend to be cautious, so skiing low angle seemed to be an okay idea.

My friend Mitch and I headed out in the morning, and were pleased to see our first relief from the rain and snow as we rounded the corner past Johnson Pass. It was here that we began to get excited for the day. It seemed that all the pages online that said Summit can be an escape from bad weather in Turnagain were telling the truth! Thanks guys, you’re the ones who inspired me to write this blog. 

We made our way to the parking lot and headed down the well maintained trails past the Manitoba cabins that can be rented out. This was such a beautiful hike and being on a well groomed trail was a comfort you can’t rely on too often. As we passed the cabins, we began heading up and seeing what we’d be skiing. I certainly expected something a little bit steeper, but dream turns are what fill the soul, and the powder was there to provide. We hiked up until the weather shifted drastically on us.

Snow began falling sideways due to ever-increasing winds, and we both knew our time was up and we should begin skiing down. We transitioned at the next convenient spot, and started down enjoying the low angle, dry powder that laid untouched across the mountain. Our powder craze returned us to the cabins where we decided to reapply our skins and continue our way on out.

After a short skin out, we arrived at the car where we looked up and saw blue skies directly above Manitoba. You’d think after Mitch and I both spent a summer in Cooper Landing we would have an understanding of what Kenai Mountain scattered showers meant, but we both sorely overestimated the power of the storm we were in. It was a good day to stretch the bail muscle, and I don’t regret it. The lesson was learned, and either way we got powder turns, the best known reward to any skier.