This website is dedicated to Bob and Sylvia McCann & Link Imeson
founders of Cleary Summit Ski Area of Fairbanks, Alaska. It was in operation from 1949 till approximately the mid 90's, when
it went out of business.
It was founded & operated by Bob & Sylvia McCann with the silent
partner Lincoln Imeson. It went through many changes and had some great and some difficult years. In 1949 it was
founded and not until the summer of 1950 was a lift erected - it was a rope tow and it was on the upper hill from the Steese
Highway to the Big Rock. Then in following years they put in another rope tow from Steese Highway to the top of the
upper hill. This was a longer tow.
They built four ski lodges, mainly because three of them burnt down.
The first lodge in May 1952 burned down in very suspicious circumstances in that the electricity was not turned on at the
time and when Bob and Link left it after a days working at it there was seemingly no way it could catch fire as there was
no fire in the fireplace.
The second lodge burned down accidently - Bob was pouring a linoleum
floor and didn't know that the fumes could catch on fire. There was a huge fire in the fireplace to heat the place as
there was no other source of heat. This was very devastating to them as they also almost didn't get the two young boys
out of the lodge before it burned down.
The third burned down because of an errant cigarette that was in an overstuffed
couch in front of the fire place. Never again was overstuffed furniture allowed in the ski lodge.
Some in Fairbanks reported and said that my father or others were burning down the
ski lodges to get insurance money. How insane is that? This couldn't be true because my father always rebuilt
and why would he destroy that which he built with his own hands. For some reason the third fire was the last after moving
the lodge to a location below the Steese Highway. I know that these fires were devastating to my father and made his
life hell. He was very upset that these fires continued to happen.
Subsequently, after the last ski lodge burned down they decided that Link would
live up at the last lodge and keep a close eye on things. He would make a sweep each night and look for hazards that
may cause problems. I do believe he found a few hazards over the years.
The three lodges that burned down were above the Steese Highway and when
the fourth was built it was located below the Steese.
When they built the third one below the Steese they went with the 'A'
Frame look - it was three stories and rather magnificent looking.
