Crystal clear days and fresh powder have skiers flocking to Skeetawk, the Mat-Su's first-ever downhill ski area, making the first year successful despite some hiccups.

General Manager Scott Patridge said the last few weekends at Skeetawk have been fantastic, with "powder days every Saturday for the last three weekends." Fresh snow that falls throughout the week make for great skiing and snowboarding on Saturdays. The ski area is open on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as holidays - meaning skiers get an extra day on Monday, February 15 for President's Day.

"I think we're starting to hit our sweet spot. Skiing early in the day has been great with no waiting, and even when we are the busiest, usually from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., it's still only about five to 10 minutes waiting at the lift. It's been great," Patridge said. "We've had good snow and everyone is really happy to be out skiing. We've had a lot of families out. It's great to see."

Skeetawk had a hiccup earlier this season with a mechanical issue that forced the ski area to close for a few weekends for repairs, but since, it's been ideal conditions.

"We worked through that and everything is running smoothly and we're really happy," Patridge said.

Skeetawk is located at Mile 10.6 Hatcher Pass Road. The gate is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the lift running from 10:30 a.m. to dusk.