Alaska: Trails in the Land of the Midnight Sun

The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew makes tracks in Alaska

Mountain bikers, hikers, skiers and ski-jorers gathered for an "On the Trail Forum" at the Run Rover trail in Anchorage. One of the topics discussed was trail surfacing for year-round use.
Alaska is unique in that trails for winter use are often planned before those for summer use. Many of the trails are 12 to 20 feet wide, to accommodate Nordic skiers and snow grooming machines.
Volunteers at the Birch Hill Nordic Ski Center, in Fairbanks, get their first taste of singletrack construction during the IMBA Trailbuilding School.
This 18 inch wide bench-cut connector was developed as a demonstration piece, to show trail users that rolling contour trail is more sustainable for summer use.
In boggy areas affected by permafrost, Alaska trailbuilders are experimenting with the use of plastic geogrid. Here, Kevin Keeler, of the RTCA program, works with volunteers to harden the edge of a Nordic ski trail for foot and bike traffic in summer.
Lora discusses the vision for the trails at Alpenglow Ski Resort in Anchorage with one of the locals.
Hot and tired trailbuilders pose for a picture next to the entrance of a new re-route in the Kepler-Bradley State Recreation Area in Palmer. This is the final product of a trail that IMBA Trail Specialist, Joey Klein, laid out last year.
Mark takes the new downhill trails at Alyeska Ski Resort for a test-ride. It was opening day, and more than 30 riders showed up for the fun.
Mark and Lora show some local pride.

Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner, of the award-winning Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew, spent two weeks in Alaska this June as part of IMBA's memorandum of understanding with the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program of the National Park Service. In addition to leading two Trailbuilding Schools, Mark and Lora met with land managers, city planners, trailbuilders, and trail users to encourage dialog about decisions affecting the trails they love.

The visit was funded in part by Alaska Trails, a statewide non-profit dedicated to "enhancing the Alaska Trail experience by supporting sustainable, world renowned trails through funding, facilitation and education". The organization's motto is "We are known by the tracks we leave." Some food for thought for all trails enthusiasts.

For more on this Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew visit to Alaska, go to the Anchorage Daily News: http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/5263016p-5199005c.html