The Arctic Valley Ski Area will finally see people on its slopes this weekend.
Not skiers, though. Sledders.
One lane of Arctic Valley's tubing park will be open Saturday and Sunday. Three 90-minute sessions will be offered each day at 10:30 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.
Each session will be limited to 50 people and their inner tubes, which can be rented on site. The best way to get a spot is to buy a $15 ticket in advance at skiarctic.net, said Eric Pedersen, the ski area's director of marketing.
Otherwise, he said, check Arctic Valley's Facebook page or call the hotline at 907-428-1208 to see if a session is sold out.
"We will open more lanes as snow coverage allows," Pedersen said by email.
About another foot of snow is needed before the mountain can open to skiing, he said.
"However, with a favorable wind depositing the snow in the right places, we can open with a lesser snowfall," Pedersen said.
If you prefer skiing or skating to tubing, Cuddy Family Midtown Park is the place to be Saturday.
The 10th Annual AMH Speedskate-Skate Ski Duathlon begins at 1 p.m. at the park's skating oval. It begins with skating laps on the oval, followed by skate-skiing laps on the surrounding pathway. Distances vary for men, women, children and relay teams.
Registration costs $20 and begins at noon. The event is a fundraiser for ice maintenance at the 400-meter oval, which is one of six in the United States — and the only one that is outdoors and unrefrigerated.