Moose Pass offers plenty of winter outdoor activities

Willow Hetrick
Turnagain Times Moose Pass Correspondent

Our little town may seem quite, but there are a lot of activities to do in the winter season as well in Moose Pass.

The Estes Bros. Store and Trail Lake Lodge are open year-round, and are the perfect place to take a break from winter activities and have hot chocolate, coffee, tea, and food! It's especially fun to ice skate on Trail Lake to the Lodge for hot chocolate, and then back to your car. Also, every Bed & Breakfast in town is open all year and offer comfortable accommodations for weekenders from the cities and out of state, even for those who want a break from their own small town.

Both the Moose Pass Community and Methodist Churches offer service throughout the winter time.

The Moose Pass Community Church schedule is as follows: Sunday school will be held on Sunday's at 9:30 a.m., with the church service following shortly after at 10:45 a.m. The Moose Pass Methodist Church service begins at 5p.m.

Nordic Skiing

Mile 12 is a popular local ski trail. It is between Seward and Moose Pass at Mile 12 of the Seward Highway. It is maintained by the Seward Nordic Ski Club and Seward High School. Near Mile 12 is Grayling and Meridian Lake Trail, which is a fun, quick, and easy trail if you are running out of daylight. Trail River Campground is graciously maintained by Moose Pass residents and neighbors to Trail River, the Aigeldingers', and provides a direct route to Kenai Lake, at which point you can ski almost anywhere.

It's harder to skijor with dogs here; the rotten fish on the edge of the lake seem to take priority over pulling their owners. Going with a group provides for more fun, and is safer!

Snowshoeing

Winter enthusiasts can go anywhere their snowshoes desire. Trails in the Moose Pass area, some harder than others, are perfect for hiking in the winter time. Summit, Devil's Pass, Tern Lake, the Old Sterling Highway, Johnson Pass Trail, Grant Lake, Ptarmigan Lake, Victor Creek, and the Primrose-Lost Lake Trail are popular. Anywhere you can hike in the summer you can snowshoe in the winter. Be sure to check if the trails are open for motorized access, and use caution if they are.

Snowboarding

Summit Lake and Carter Lake seem to be the most popular spots to back-country snowboard in Moose Pass. The mountains behind Summit Lake Lodge are fun and perfect to snowboard down, and relatively easy to hike up. Hiking up Carter Lake trail to the lake can be exhausting, but if you have friends or family with snow-machines, be sure to get a ride up there! The mountains on the right-side of the lake are the safest, and if you climb up high enough you can see Trail Lake below. Be prepared for drop-in visitors on the lakes, locals may stop by on their skied planes to say a friendly hello.

Ice-Skating

Caution thin Ice! Always properly check the ice before skating and do not skate close to river mouths. Tern Lake is the first to freeze, there is easy access to the ice, and the hummocks in the middle of the lake make for good rest stations. The best skating in Moose Pass is on Trail Lake. Residents park at the ‘Ball Diamond', which is plowed and maintained by various people around town and the state Department of Transportation. John Gaul and Tom Lindquist are the first to plow the snow off of the ice, and skaters maintain the rest with shovels and other snow-removal contraptions.

On any weekend day you will find a pick-up game of hockey underway in Moose Pass. Those that don't want to play hockey can enjoy the rest of the lake to themselves. Kenai Lake will also freeze toward the latter half of the winter months (depending on the temperature), but open areas will remain near the major river entrances and exists.

Ice Fishing

Carter and Crescent Lakes, Jerome Lake, Kenai, and Trail Lake provide for the best trout fishing during the wintertime. Catch-and-release is the best; only take what you can eat.

Snow-Machining

Be sure to know where you are, the Forest Service enforces their Winter Motor Vehicle Closures. Riding on Trail Lake to Johnson Pass is a popular snow machining and grouse hunting route. Carter and Lost Lakes are also popular but steep trails until you reach the lakes.

Seward Ranger District Updates

Always check the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center, found online. Also on the Forest Service website is the Winter Motor Vehicle Closure maps and information for this winter season. Various Forest Service cabins are available for rent in the winter, and are perfect for a group of friends on a long weekend. Currently there are no trail updates from the Forest Service. Happy Hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, and snow-machining! Please, pack out trash!

Moose Pass Food Bank

The Moose Pass Food Bank is accepting donations throughout the winter months, and is especially gracious of any extra items donated during the holiday season and cold winter. It is located at the Moose Pass Community Church. The food bank does not have regular hours, but please call Bill or Mona Casselman at 288-5101 for assistance.