By Carl SkustadSpecial to the Turnagain Times
By Carl Skustad
Special to the Turnagain Times
Now that winter’s bright white curtain has pushed back our dark fall days many of us are loading up our snowmachines and reaching for our skis and boards. Are you heating up your waxing iron just to smell last springs wax or throttling your blocked up snowmachine just to hear the brap? If so, your favorite season has arrived! There’s so much to do during the winter and all of it can happen on your Chugach National Forest.
Did you know that all of Turnagain Pass lies on either State or Chugach National Forest lands? Much of the Kenai Peninsula is also managed by these agencies. This is a great thing! The U.S. Forest Service is all about multiple use. You can: harvest a Christmas tree, cut personal use firewood, climb, hike, snowmachine, ski, snowboard, camp, hunt, mine, trap, and explore it all in your backyard.
Here are a few areas of recreational interest:
• Winner Creek – Skate skiing, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing or camping; this part of the Girdwood valley is a winter wonderland. Explore the historic network of trails or stick to the groomed ski track. The Girdwood Trails Committee and Alyeska Resort donate time, resources, and energy to groom approximately 6-8 km of Nordic friendly trail.
• Twentymile River – Great skate skiing and kite skiing on the north side of the river. On the south side of the river you will find a motorized trail corridor leading you to the goods. Make sure to use the AKRR crossing that is designated at the train depot parking lot.
• Portage Valley – Even though Begich Boggs Visitor Center will be closed for the winter, outdoor recreation is abundant. This is a non-motorized area with great ice climbing, skiing, kiting, and nature observation.
• Placer River – With great access to Skookum and Spencer Glaciers via motorized or non-motorized over snow devises, Placer is a gem!
• Turnagain Pass – What else could a snow bum ask for? 4000 foot mountains with great access from the highway abound in T-Pass. One of the most popular spots in AK, Turnagain Pass is designated for motorized use on the west side and non-motorized use on the east side of the Seward Highway.
• Johnson Pass – A great place to find a Christmas Tree, ski, snowshoe, or snowmachine. Snowmachine use is allowed from the trailhead south along the Wagon Road Trail. Riding is not permitted along the first 2.5 miles of the Johnson Pass Trail or in Center/Divide Creek Drainage.
• The Central Kenai Peninsula – The Chugach National Forest just released the new Kenai Winter Access Plan. A couple changes include: alternating years between motorized and non-motorized use on the Resurrection Trail (2008-2009 non-motorized), reduced motorized use on National Forest Lands in the Summit Lake area, and increased motorized access near Carter and Crescent Lakes. To see the complete plan log onto the Forest web site (www.fs.fed.us/r10/chugach/) or stop by one of the offices.
Parking for the winter season is always exciting and sometimes challenging. Don’t forget to give the DOT snowplows plenty room. They serve as local heroes providing access and parking to our backyard playground. We recommend that motorized users in Turnagain Pass park on the west side of the highway to eliminate crossing the Seward Highway. Motorized parking is also available at Johnson Pass trailhead and at Granite Creek Recreation Area.
Don’t forget to check in with the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center to get the latest avalanche conditions and motorized use status. Remember the wildness that makes Alaska so great is the same backcountry wildness that can ruin a day, or take your life, if not prepared. Always carry your avalanche rescue gear and know how to use it. You can check avalanche conditions at avalanche.org or by phone at (907) 754-2369.
The table is set, the trailheads are ready! More snow is on the way to provide another excellent year on your Chugach National Forest!
For more information contact the Glacier Ranger District at (907) 783-3242.