Sheep Mountain Lodge at Mile 113.5 of the Glenn Highway has been sold, says former owner Zach Steer.
Steer, an Iditarod musher, said the lodge, which includes 11 cabins, a restaurant, guest house and employee living areas, has been sold to two Alaska couples: Mark and Ruthanne Fleenor and Ryan and Rachael Cote.
Sheep Mountain Lodge is one of the few commercial businesses operating along a scenic, yet lonely stretch of the 187-mile Glenn Highway, which connects the Parks and Richardson highways. The lodge, built in 1950, employs 12 people in the summer and has been closed the last few winters so the Steer children could attend school in Palmer. Steer said the new owners -- who take possession of the property Aug. 1 -- will keep the lodge open during the winter for snowmachiners, skiers and sled dog racers.
Steer said he and his wife, Anjanette Steer -- also an Iditarod finisher -- will stay at the lodge for a few months to help train the new managers. Reached by phone Friday, Steer said he spent his last day as owner helping feed several tour buses full of visitors. After setting what he called "record lodging and restaurant sales" this year, Steer said he was tired of the constant work of running the business and is looking forward to life at a different pace.
"We are going to take a few months off at the end of the summer," Steer said.