Longtime Juneau resident Robert C. Janes, well-known for his love of skiing and the mountains, has died at the age of 92.
Always known as Bob, he passed away on March 21 at the Juneau Pioneers’ Home.
Janes came to Alaska in 1965 with the U.S. Forest Service, in what he thought would be another three-year stint with the agency. Instead, he chose to stay in Juneau and raise his family, all of whom still call the capital city their home.
His family writes in his obituary that Janes grew up on the beaches of California, but embraced the forests and snow of the mountains. When he came to Juneau, he worked to maintain the 3rd Cabin rope tow and the snowcat “Oola,” access to the Douglas Ski Bowl. Janes was then deeply involved in the siting and planning of Eaglecrest, Juneau’s city-owned ski area.
He was a member and historian for the Juneau Ski Club, which supports and promotes ski racing. For decades he was a member of the Juneau Ski Patrol.
It’s only fitting, says son Bill Janes, that his father and another longtime ski patrol member Ron Dippold, who died in January, will be remembered by the Eaglecrest Ski Patrol on April 13, the last day of the season.
“They’re going to pull two empty sleds down, the symbolic last run. It definitely has to recognize both of them, because they were such institutions with the Juneau Ski Patrol,” Bill Janes says.
He says the ceremonial run will be open to all skiers who want to remember Bob Janes and Ron Dippold. It will begin at 3 p.m. at the top of Easy Bowl.
Bob Janes will be remembered in a celebration of life on April 20 at 5:30 p.m. at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center.
