Eaglecrest Ski Area: Hilda Dam Cabin Grand Opening Ceremony

The Juneau Community Foundation and Eaglecrest Ski Area are pleased to announce the grand opening of the Hilda Dam Cabin, a public use cabin built by the Juneau Community Foundation and donated to Eaglecrest to own and operate. The public is invited to view the cabin on Discover Eaglecrest Day, September 28th, at the ski area. The ribbon cutting event at the cabin site will start at 9:30 AM.

The Hilda Dam Cabin’s site and name, selected by the Eaglecrest Board of Directors, stem from its location near the historic Hilda Valley Dam, which was the start of the Treadwell Ditch. The cabin is situated between the Upper Nordic Loop and Trickster trail, about one mile from the Eaglecrest parking lot. This location offers excellent views of Fish Creek Valley and Mt. Ben Stewart, as well as easy access for maintenance and users.

Juneau’s public use cabins are very popular and are often booked many months in advance. The Hilda Dam Cabin adds another opportunity for Juneau’s families and visitors to experience the outdoors in a beautiful mountain setting. The cabin is in the finishing stages and will soon be open for public day use and private overnight rentals through a reservation system managed by Eaglecrest Ski Area.

The Hilda Dam Cabin will accommodate groups of eight with sleeping and common areas and covered deck. Guests will reserve the cabin online for overnight rental periods from 6:00 PM to 10:00 AM. Guests with multiple night reservations may store their belongings in the provided closet during day-use hours when the cabin will open to the public as a warming shelter.

Construction of the cabin was a priority project of the Juneau Community Foundation’s Parks, Trails & Recreation Fund and had also been a long-held goal of Eaglecrest. In 1999, donations to Friends of Eaglecrest (now the Eaglecrest Foundation) in memory of Matt Brakel, an avid snowboarder whose second home was Eaglecrest, were set aside to someday construct a public use cabin at Eaglecrest. Now, 20 years later that dream is being realized. A significant portion of the funds was also donated by Nancy Davis and Joe Newman in memory of their sons, Casey and Kelly, who loved Southeast Alaska outdoors and Eaglecrest in particular.

The Foundation oversaw project fundraising and construction, all accomplished with tremendous financial support from the community, volunteer labor, and critical project partners, who donated their time and, in some cases, additional resources in support of the project. The access road was constructed by Dave Hanna of Alaska Concrete Construction. The cabin was designed by Zane Jones of MRV Architects and built by Jim Triplette of Triplette Construction, under the supervision of Tom Daugherty. Freight materials were shipped by Alaska Marine Lines. More than 60 individuals and businesses have donated cash and in-kind services to support the project.

“Thanks to all of the volunteers and donors who made the cabin project possible. The Foundation is pleased to donate the cabin to Eaglecrest and its many users and supporters in our community. Personally, I can’t wait to try it out!” – Reed Stoops, Juneau Community Foundation Board Member, Project Leader “I am amazed at the outpouring of financial and technical support from our partners to bring this project into reality, in particular, the Juneau Community Foundation. An overnight Cabin at Eaglecrest has been an aspiration of the Board for many years. The Hilda Dam Cabin has exceeded our expectations and it will be a community asset cherished for generations to come.”  said Dave Scanlan, Eaglecrest General Manager