Anchorage Hillside Single Track

Batting one thousand in baseball is a mathematic figment, but a statistically insignificant possibility. Yet, my survey on the Anchorage Hillside Single Track Phase 1 is unanimous, albiet anectdotal. Hillside Single Track bats 1000 and packs a very ridable, thrilling and fun set of 3 loops into a surprisingly small area.













Doc & Mrs. Snow were on the trails yesterday evening with another 100 cyclists including yours truly spread out over the system. Again it was unanimous that these trails are fantastic!

The trails are exceptionally well designed for mountain biking with mostly easy ascending gradients. High speeds on a motocross-like surface combine with limited line of sight for some thrilling descents where keeping both wheels on the ground is optional. And the many high-banked turns are fast and fun.

Keep an eye out for moose, bears, hikers, and uphiller bikers and enjoy this Anchorage jewel on the hillside.

Map of Anchorage Hillside Single Track link:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztHwemix_pS27uRNQGM8Pap5C6sZCsWq-00qbqyO5dkC7D8gudeHI9scwBNu3dnoyfMWfu4sIWCvbQeKUFcf3bituoUtz_rg9wZysvPb5ACtrgVfna-OBVgR89Wc2M5TO2Mox6smV5Sgo/s1600-h/Hillside+Connector+V10.jpg

Resurrect Your Will and Pedal

Resurrection Pass is a classic cross-country mountain bike route from Cooper Landing to Hope, Alaska on the Kenai Penninsula. It passes through lake-bejeweled country starting in the Kenai River Valley's rich conifer and birch forests, wending up through upland spruce and hemlock groves, tall grass, willow and fireweed, to alpine tundra, and descending back down to near tidewater elevation. Over its 40-mile length, it has a gross climb of 2500 ft vertical with a 2800 ft descent, though there are considerable ups and downs along the way - my typically reliable altimeter recorded 3800 ft vertical descent.

TK graciously helped shuttle cars before floating the Kenai River; we only had to bike from Cooper Landing to our car at Hope and drive home. It was so nice to simply load up at Hope and head home - Thanks TK, you're too kind!

Doc led CW and yours truly on the classic cross-country tour, the federal people call it the "Resurrection Pass National Recreational Trail." Thankful as we were for the excellent trail, we wondered aloud why the federal government would place signs 10 miles from the nearest road asking us to please stay on the trail.


























The fireweed was a sight to behold. Perfect weather combined with spectacular scenery and fun trail to create a terrific trip.

The SoggyBottom bike race was held the day before our one-way trip. Those guys do a round trip plus a 20-mile side trip for 100 miles of arduous riding, way beyond my level.

We detected a slight undercurrent of unfriendliness from a few of the hikers who had been on the trail the prior day. Some hikers described the bike race as "crazy". It is only one day per year for the race, and you won't find me on the trail that day.

We found immense enjoyment in the ride, suffered no crashes and only a couple of minor mechanical problems near the end of the ride with very minor delays. Pulling into Hope, we were happily tired.

Winner Creek

Dr. Snow, Photographette K, and yours truly biked 'n hiked to Winner Creek headwaters on a rare day - the radiant orb was out as were a hundred folk on the Ted Stevens Boardwalk-to-Nowhere. But, Nowhere is a wonderful place.

Perhaps Photographette K will post some images for our enjoyment, but until then we'll have to settle for a map because yours truly forgot his camera.















We biked within a couple of miles of the pass overlooking the 20 Mile drainage, then hiked to just beyond the pass. Beholding the view of 20 Mile rimmed with glaciers and verdant tundra makes the trip worthwhile, plus the biking is downright fun.

We reversed course and returned to Alyeska and tried the new Blueberry Pancake Trail - a great trail for mountain biking thrill-seekers!

Blueberry Pancake has banked corners, elevated boardwalk and erosion-resistant features that make for a terrific ride. Likewise, the Boardwalk-to-Nowhere attributed to our senator-for-life-and senator-under-federal-indictment is a longer yet terrific ride.

It would be an interesting factoid, the length of Winner Creek Trail boardwalked - it's a lot. Both Blueberry Pancake & Winner Creek are highly recommended for experienced pedalers. Winner Creek is almost 8 Miles one-way to the pass and about 2000 feet vertical. Winner Creek Trail starts in a Hemlock forest near the Alyeska Tram. The boardwalk has many steps, a few double and triple the normal height. The trail has some rocky sections, and a few interesting creek crossings. Water volume in the creeks varies considerably; the day we did the trail, there was considerable exposure crossing them, but we survived without incident.

Happy Trails, Bike Trails

Hillary and AK Jack biked through the heart of the Anchorage Big Wild Life http://www.bigwildlife.net/

Situated in urban Alaska, the Chester Creek paved trail runs through some truly wild lands populated by moose, bear, beaver, and lots of birds and small mammals. Chester Creek Trail networks with the Coastal Trail to the west and Far North Bicentennial Park and Chugach State Parks on the east, and provides a wonderful non-motorized east-west artery though the heart of Anchorage.

Looking west at the west end of Chester Creek Trail with Hillary, our heroine.

Heading east, upstream toward East Anchorage.










Some of the 'big wild life' and the not-so-big and not-so-wild life at our Stuckagain place.