The Northern New year.

• Author: PILKINGTON, STEVE
• Position: Alaska in January 2001 - Brief Article

The excitement surrounding last year's New year's celebrations will be hard to top possibly for another 999 years, yet there are plenty of places for Alaskans to have a wild time this turn of the year, from gliding down snow-laden slopes in a torchlight parade to a mysterious midnight unmasking.

Communities from Juneau to Kodiak to Anchorage have plenty of events on their calendars for celebrating the Christmas and yuletide holidays. But finding something something special for the new year can take a little more effort.

If you're looking for something more than the friendly gathering or neighborhood party, here are a few suggestion to bring in the New Year with Alaskan style.

If the outdoors is your type of adventure, the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood will offer New Year's Eye Fireworks and a Torchlight Parade on Dec. 31, following a regular day of skiing on the slopes. The chair lifts at the ski resort operate until about 5:30 p.m. Then chair 4 begins to upload people, taking them up the mountain, where ski patrol members hand out road flares attached to sticks of bamboo.

"We turn off all the mountain lights, and everybody lights up their flares and heads down the mountain," said Cella Baker, a spokeswoman for the Alyeska Ski Resort. "It's absolutely gorgeous."

Visitors can either take part in the parade, or they can watch the procession from below.

"The ideal position is in front of the day lodge," Baker said.

Last year, the resort ran the parade in three different groups because of the number of people in attendance. The number of torchlight groups this year will depend upon how many people want to take part.

Following the parade, the resort and Westin Alyeska Prince Hotel will have five different New Year's parties to choose from. The style of these parties range from live band entertainment and dancing with plenty of cheer to the more formal champagne dinner, black tie optional, at the Columbia Ballroom. In addition, the resort will hold parties the following weekend for all those who simply want to recover from the New Year's celebrations, Baker said.

In Anchorage, the party-minded can have a good time while doing something charitable for the Anchorage Opera. The 13th Annual New Year's Eve Ball will be held at the Hotel Captain Cook in the Discovery Ballroom. Tickets are $125 per person.

"It's...