At around 8:50 a.m. Sunday, police were notified of a burglary near the base of Hilltop Ski Area in Anchorage, AK. When they responded to the call, they received gunfire from the suspects vehicle, which then fled. You could say it got real, real fast.
The suspects fled up the road to the ski area, and then proceeded on foot. Officers quickly alerted the staff and one or two early risers on the hill to go into lockdown mode, which they did. Well, that is to say everybody on the mountain gathered in a chalet and waited for further news.
As folks began to gather, a man entered the chalet and asked if he could call a cab. His request was politely denied and he quietly waited like everybody else. Eventually another man, who had been wandering around outside with a missing shoe, came inside as well. One man had sweatpants and the other camoflauge pants, and there were only three shoes between them. The two men did not interact with each other.
Being Alaskan, the folks in the chalet weren’t judgmental, and the men weren’t belligerent. But manager Steve Remme, a true skier and citizen, wasn’t about to be hornswoggled by a couple of ill-prepared bandits:
“We were definitely keeping an eye on them and concerned” – Steve Remme
Once the staff alerted police of two persons of interest, they secured the perimeter and came in guns drawn, “like a SWAT team does.”
Thus ended that debacle at Hilltop. I’d say those guys we’re doomed from the start. But Hilltop is on their game. It might be worth checking out sometime. It’s closer than Alyeska if you’re staying in anchorage. Here’s the trail map:
And the location:
And I hear Alaska gets a lot of snow…
