Tour of Anchorage Trail
Friday 1PM by Bobbo
This is just an appreciation of how remarkably well designed, constructed, and improved the Tour of Anchorage Trail is. I biked on it from MLK Jr. Ave. to the Coyote Trail, and despite the ridiculous amount of rain we've had, the trail was in uniformly excellent condition, free of mud, soft spots, or puddles, with just a couple of minor exceptions hardly worth mentioning. So thank you to, I guess, MOA and BLM.
Independence Mine
Monday Sep 26 by Ed Strabel
Mat-Su Ski Club moved grooming equipment (including our PB 100) and prepared the trails for the ski season. We could stiil use some help brushing out the "Zig-Zag" up hill and Renshaw's road including the short section across the tundra right before his gate. Beautiful fall weather up there. Get your skis ready! Support grooming by the Mat-Su Ski Club
Hillside Singletrack Trails
Sunday Sep 25 by Jim Y
Rode TOA to SFork Rim & lower Hemlock Burn, a few big puddles on TOA, several mud bogs above the benches on SFR, and a few more rocks exposed on the burn from all the rain…might be time to wait for freeze up :(
Hillside
Sunday Sep 25 by Amy
Found: wallet at junction of gasoline and power line. Will mail to Georgia address if I don’t hear a better return plan. 907-440-7800
Basher Drive Trailhead
Sunday Sep 25 by JG
Basher Loop trail is flooded and under 1ft of water. It will likely need some restoration in the future. Started from Basher Drive Trailhead looped around and down the Wolverine Trail. At the bridge, South Fork Campbell Creek jumped the bank and is flowing down the trail. Also, watch out for bull moose in rut.
Eklutna Lake
Thursday Sep 22 by roandog
Has anyone been biking at Eklutina Lake lately? Wondering if it's just a sea of mud....
Independence Mine
Thursday Sep 22 by Carlene
I drove up to see the new snow this morning. The gate up to Independence mine is closed so I walked the last mile. There was about 3" of heavy snow around the mine area at 3500'. Snow was sliding off the roofs of the buildings and getting heavy--but I still wondered if I could have waxed some old skis to work in today's conditions! ; ) Get ready; winter is coming!
Upper O'Malley Trailhead
Tuesday Sep 20 by Hilary
Susan, did you report the dead moose to Fish and Game? They would be the ones to remove it I think.
Upper O'Malley Trailhead
Tuesday Sep 20 by Susan
The state troopers and the AK Fish and Game were informed of the two Bull moose. Not sure what the plan is. They were going to go look at it.
Upper O'Malley Trailhead
Tuesday Sep 20 by Susan
Two dead Bull Moose along Trail. So Beware!. Looks like locked rack and tangled in the Hemlocks. We went up Hemlock Knob and turned south(right) at the top. Followed a no name trail going south until it “T’s” into another no name trail turned west( right) heading downhill and the trail takes sweeping turn to the south and on the west side of the trail about 15-20 feet were two large bulls laying on top of each other. Smell wasn’t to bad yet. Did not see any other predators(Bear or Wolves) yet.
Hatcher Pass
Friday Sep 16 by Monty and Gary
As per the Parks weekly report, Summit Lake Road is closed for winter. Snow at 3500'.Monty and Gary
Kincaid Park
Sunday Sep 11 by ipickupmydogspoo
Randy, that car sure looked like a VW bug about 30 years ago the first time I saw it. The bluff at Kincaid was where people used to dump stuff way back when. Random car parts frequently get uncovered by wind at the dune. I'm assuming that car off Jodphur loop was also just dumped a 50 + years ago.
Kincaid Park
Friday Sep 9 by Randy Bladel
I noticed an old decrepit car body about 10 meters off the Jodhpur loop today, just before where the Moose loop crosses. Anyone know what kind of car it was? At first I thought it might be a VW bug, but it’s not. Looks like it had 4 doors, and the front ones may have been “suicide “ doors; opening to the front. Just curious.
Kincaid Park
Friday Sep 9 by Randy Bladel
About the last post: I figured it out. The car has to ba a Renault 4CV, produced from 1947 to 1961. It did have a rear engine like a VW. I’d love to know the story of how this particular car came to be in the woods in Anchorage.
Hillside
Wednesday Sep 7 by Jessica you
A red Patagonia Houdini left on the coat/ski rack at Conversation Corner during an interval workout Thursday am disappeared. We’d love to get it back, no questions asked. Thanks.
Kincaid Park
Wednesday Aug 31 by Gavin Kentch
Bear sighting, Kincaid, Tuesday night: at south edge of Raspberry bridge on Margaux's Loop. On the one hand, we all know there are bears at Kincaid, and bears move around, so hardly worth posting. On the other hand, the last time I saw a bear at Kincaid, two weeks earlier, it was about 50m east of this same spot. (Same bear, to my lay wildlife biologist eyes: black, medium-large, chill, not aggressive. When I saw it in mid-August it was eating grass, rolling around in the grass, and having a pretty good time being a chonky bear.) So a specific heads up if you are in this area of the park.
Arctic to Indian Traverse
Sunday Aug 28 by Aialik the Wonder Dog
Because of safety issues, i'm posting this to Arctic to Indian; actual route was Glen Alps to Indian, via Ship Pass, Ship Lake, and Indian Pass.Foliage and vistas in Ship Lake were at their peak. Absolutely beautiful!
Beginning at Indian Pass, the trail is completely overgrown. No human foot prints, only bear track.
The first two bridges from the top are in fairly rough shape but passible with minimal wading. The third bridge down has been washed to once side of the creek. Crossing the creek requires scouting downstream and fording deep, fast moving water.
Further down, much of the trail is missing. Areas where horses used to sink in are now part of either part of Indian Creek or are water courses in their own right. Long sections of the trail are under water, some of it moving rapidly. In other areas, the trail has been covered by rock and other debris swept downstream. Several of the other bridges may also be gone, but the landscape / available routes have changes so much that it may no longer matter.
The final large bridge (the new one, closest to the parking lot) is still there. However, the river has moved and no longer flows under the bridge. Coming down valley, you have to cross the river to get to the bridge.
Note that coming down this way may not be safe, or even possible in winter. That means that the Arctic to Indian traverse may not be feasible this winter.
Seward Lost Lake Trail
Thursday Aug 18 by JM
Anyone have a report re: conditions on the Lost Lake Trail considering all the recent rain?
Hillside
Thursday Aug 4 by Rocky
While this site is fantastic for trail reports, and recent complaints of user interactions could be construed as reports, this site isn't really set up to facilitate meaningful discussion. I think a group/forum on a site like Face Book might be more useful in this regard. Has anyone ever thought of setting up a group for outdoor related complaints?
Glen Alps
Tuesday Aug 2 by Orange Crush
Objective Trail Reports: Dangerous downed birch tree just below stadium at GPRA.
Dangerous, high speed bikers - who don't care about pedestrians - speeding down Hemlock Burn Trail with no warning, slowing, or evasive maneuvering.
Bikers who think HBT is "bike only" when it is not.
E-bikers passing a hiker on a trail at 25 mph without warning or slowing down.
Subjective Trail Report: Valley Orange hypocritically posting a complaint on the internet about people (supposedly) posting a complaint on the internet when in fact they were posting notices about safety hazards.
Government Peak Recreation Area
Monday Aug 1 by Valley Orange
Objective Trail Report (preferred): There is a downed birch on a ski trail just south of the stadium, watch out!Subjective Trail Report (not preferred): I don't like when I am on a trail and someone else, who is also on the trail, does something that upsets me...I strongly believe that something should be done about this interaction that angered me, so I am going to write about what happened on the internet.
Prospect Heights trailhead
Monday Aug 1 by Breena Apgar-Kurtz
In light of the lively discussion about the new Hemlock Burn Trail, I decided to research this trail. Here is what STA’s website says, “STA is partnering with Chugach State Park to build a world class, multi-use singletrack trail for bikers, hikers and skiers, that traverses from Glen Alps to Prospect parking lots.
The vision is to have a fun, family friendly trail that many different people can enjoy. “
https://www.singletrackadvocates.org/hemlock
In addressing the public’s concerns, one of the comments that the Chugach Advisory Board addressed was:
Comment 2: “The HBT will be designed as a dedicated mountain biking trail, at the exclusion of other users. Mountain biking is not compatible with front-range trails, due to the inherent speed and potential conflict with other users. It will disrupt other nearby trails, both official and social.”
Response:
The HBT will be a multipurpose trail that will not exclude any user group. It will be designed to sustainably support all users, including mountain biking and Nordic skiing. The trail design and construction will utilize natural features to slow riders and skiers and provide trail visibility at trail intersections and other necessary locations.
Let’s all be good trail stewards- bikers, hikers, etc.
The Dome Trailhead
Sunday Jul 31 by Thomas Pease
On Friday, July 29, while hiking the Dome from the top of Basher, I was overtaken by an eBiker traveling at an exceedingly high speed. The trail was narrow and brushy with blind corners. I stepped off the trail just in time, and he passed quite closely without slowing down. I would estimate his uphill speed at 25 mph. He was traveling so fast that I at first assumed he was on a conventional motorcycle. I recognize the value of eBikes and support their use when used responsibly. This eBiker was a thrill-seeker, riding for speed to the detriment of others. While he was on military land at the time and the military is responsible for policing its property, the incident illustrates the dangers of rogue bikers/eBikers on any multiuse trail. At the top of the Dome, I encountered a human-powered biker, who was descending quite fast, but did not pose a threat since we were above treeline and were visible to one another. On about three other occasions, I have seen mountain bikes well east of the Dome, partway back on the ridge to Knoya. In early June, I watched bikers descend off the north side of the ridge across wet tundra. This was solidly in Chugach Park. The Chugach Park website appears to indicate what trails are open to mt. bikes, but does not explicitly state what trails are closed. I'm assuming the area east of the Dome is closed but don't know this for sure. If it is not, it should be, based on the risks posed by rogue bikers and off-trail scars that are appearing on the tundra. I ask the Chugach Park Advisory Board to address this issue at their next meeting.
Glen Alps
Sunday Jul 31 by Thanks to the Trail Crew!
Thanks to the trail crew brushing / re-establishing a section of the Powerline trail a few days ago! For those who haven't been up that way in a while, the alder has grown to the point where it is almost blocking much of the trail. As a result, people have taken to leave the gravel roadway in some places and create a parallel trail in the tundra.The Powerline Trail is one of the few hardened trails in CSP that is above the tree line. You can use it for hiking or biking without damaging the tundra regardless whether it has been raining for days or the lichen is so dry it would crunch with each step. It is great to see some much needed maintenance done to preserve low-impact access.
Thank you!
Glen Alps
Saturday Jul 30 by EricFX
I’m with you frustrated walker. Many bikers and cross country skiers are just plain rude. While I very much enjoy both of those activities myself, I think some take themselves so seriously that anything which slows them down or harms their ideal conditions is deemed unsafe, inconvenient, and worthy of rudeness. This type of behavior is what pits user groups against each other and makes building trails more difficult than it should be.FWIW, Hemlock is definitely marked as a multiuse trail, but is truly best for downhill biking. I would choose any of the other nearby options over Hemlock. If insistent upon Hemlock for its stellar views, I would hike it uphill. That way the downhill biking traffic is easier to see and hear coming.
Glen Alps
Saturday Jul 30 by Frustrated walker
I was walking downhill on the Hemlock Burn Trail this afternoon with my wife and infant child (in a backpack). As a biker came barreling down towards us, I heard them in advance and got my family off the trail. The biker didn't have a bell, never said any warning in advance, never said thank you, and didn't even think about slowing down as he blasted by. A few minutes later another biker came down the trail and slowed down a bit, said thank you (as we stepped aside), but then also added that "this is a bike-only trail." I am a very avid biker myself who uses ALL of the trails in the greater Anchorage area. There are no bike-only trails anywhere in Anchorage. Since when did bikers get the idea that the Hemlock Burn Trail is "theirs?" There are plenty of signs indicated its multi-use nature. Whenever I pass anyone while riding my bike, if they do anything to interrupt their activity to let me go by, I say "thank you very much." Every. Single Time. It's not that hard. Why are so many bikers such jerks???
Upper Reed Lake trail, Hatcher Pass
Thursday Jul 28 by Kwie-Hoa Siem
Trail 7/28: great. Boulders dry. Few muddy spots (nothing unusual). Beautiful day with a little breeze and no bugs!
Reed Lakes Trail
Thursday Jul 21 by Ben
Re: query on Reed Lakes conditions. Hiked Tuesday 7/19. Trail is very wet, water running down large sections. Through the boulder section trail is flooded, over knee deep in spots. Getting past this requires extra boulder hopping, wading, or both. Otherwise wet and muddy above.
Reed Lakes
Wednesday Jul 20 by Peterson
Does anyone know the condition of the trail to Reed Lakes?
Kincaid Park
Tuesday Jul 19 by EricFX
Appreciate the heads up on the down tree. Isn’t it a bit wet and muddy to be riding the STA trails now?
Kincaid Park
Monday Jul 18 by Singleton
Probably old news but big birch tree down just past the landing on the biggest jump on Hanging Chad. Careful, It’ll take you out.
Kincaid Park
Monday Jul 18 by ipickupmydogspoo
Riding on wet trails is never good for trails, but walking the grassy ski trails is fine. Driving all over the stadium this weekend should have also been a non starter, as it has turned it into a rutted mudpit, I'm assuming there was an event? I hope the muni has a plan to repair the damage, it was bad enough that during the dry spell they allowed all the driving and RV camping during the AK airlines soccer cup but during the rainy July it's just full on destruction of public property.
Rippy trail
Wednesday Jul 13 by Carlene
Bear tracks going down the trail about halfway between trailhead and bridge. No other signs of bear.
Government Peak Recreation Area
Sunday Jul 10 by Dave Werner
Brushed out race trail between the upper crossings of fireweed single track. Cow parsnip and nettles down. Dave
Eagle River - Briggs Bridge access
Saturday Jul 9 by Disappointed packrafter
Headed to Eagle River today, planning to float from the North Fork trailhead down to Briggs Bridge. Discovered that Eagle River Loop Road is completely blocked off for construction. There was no way to access the take-out point at Briggs Bridge. We drove around ER for an hour looking for another suitable access point before giving up. Our crew is not comfortable with whitewater, so going below Briggs to the campground was not an option. Is there another spot, or are we out of luck until the road re-opens on Aug 6th?
Government Peak Recreation Area
Wednesday Jul 6 by Dave
Brushed out lower section blueberry knoll trail. Nettles and cow parsnip down. Dave
Archangel Road
Friday Jul 1 by Bobbo
According to the Mat-Su District Office of the Division of Parks, Archangel Road is open. As far as I know the road is not maintained past the bridge, but up to the bridge it is reportedly in good condition with a few soft spots.
Government Peak Recreation Area
Friday Jul 1 by Dave
Weed whacked middle portion yesterday for you cow parsnip and nettle haters. May finish lower portion tomorrow.
Government Peak Recreation Area
Thursday Jun 30 by jt
Is archangel road open and drivable now? If so, how far in?
Alyeska Resort
Saturday Jun 25 by Gavin Kentch
FYI, when the resort website says that the North Face trail is now "open," it more precisely means that the standard North Face trail is open about 80 percent of the way up to the top, but then you have to traverse across on Spoonline (?), lose some elevation, and then come up a different trail up the main ski face. All of which is fine - I only really know the mountain from going uphill in the Climbathon, and I could find my way up easily enough - but added 10-15 minutes and some more climbing to the ascent. Keep that in mind if organizing your time or planning multiple laps. A few small snow patches to walk through on North Face (before cutoff). Multiple long snow patches while going up Zugs (?) hiking trail. Air quality has been great most of the last two days, even when Anchorage was a smoky hellscape.
Falls Creek Trail
Tuesday Jun 21 by Chris
Does anyone know if the lake below south Suicide (top of Falls creek) is relatively snow free?
Hillside
Friday Jun 17 by Emily carroll
Lost thermarest sleeping pad between Smokejumper and Hilltop probably on the Homestead trail. Bike-packing attempt with not enough straps apparently. If found we would love to have it back!
Mount Marathon
Wednesday Jun 15 by Hillsider
Does anyone have a recent report on Mount Marathon conditions?
Hillside
Wednesday Jun 15 by L.KytomaaLane
Fresh bear & moose tracks on and around Coaches' Cutoff. Yes, there is old bear scat there, but these tracks are all fresh as of today. It sure seems like one of them is chasing the other one around on the Hillside trails, and it is not clear who is chasing whom.
Upper Huffman
Sunday Jun 12 by Michael Malvick
Noted an Apple Air Pod case (no pods) in the lost and found basket located at the Silver Fern and Gasline junction. I dropped the case into a plastic bag last weekend to protect it from moisture.Also saw an Apple Air Pod case with pods on a boulder in front of 11300 Stroganof Drive near the Upper O'Malley Trailhead. Monogram "M" or "W." House is apparently vacant due to "For Lease" sign in front and the dumped garbage can that has not been cleaned up since at least yesterday.
Silver Fern Trail and Gasline dry. New bike trail still has muddy and/or soft spots between snowmachine access trails and White Spruce/Powerline intersection. Dry the rest of the way down to Prospect Heights.
