The Carter Lake Trail is an alternative way to access Crescent Lake, and hits the lake on the opposite side than the standard in traditional Crescent Lake Trail. Carter Lake, while much less of a mountain bike trails than Crescent Lake, is still a super fun bike ride! It’s wide, which on the way up made me think it wouldn’t be that fun on the way down. But, as it turned out, it rode super fun on the way down because the sight lines were good, speed could be maintained, options were there to choose fun lines, and the whole thing flowed pretty well. That said, it’s definitely not a pedal up as the pitch is far too steep for anything less than an Olympian! So, if you’re willing to push or carry for a while, it’s certainly a worthy ride.

At the top of the steep section/The Climb, there’s a grassy plateau that rides along Carter Lake and over to Crescent Lake. I could see this getting overgrown later in the summer, but early June it was just starting to melt so actually super beautiful out there. It’s worth getting to the overlook of Crescent Lake if you can, as it’s super beautiful and a really cool perspective on the lake! There is a primitive trail that continues along the southside of Crescent Lake, and I went partway down it to explore, but turned around at the first River Crossing reminded of how primitive trails really aren’t for mountain biking! From the turnaround, it was a fun pedal across the flats, then a fast and fun to sent back to the lot.

That downhill rode a lot more technical than I expected, perhaps because it rode faster than I expected (always a choice)!  Overall, I’d say this is a super worthy ride, and a way to mix up the options on the Kenai Peninsula!

grassy plateau to Crescent Lake

beautiful valley to spend some time in!

view of Crescent Lake

Crescent Lake from the overlook

turnoff to the primitive trail here – go explore at your own risk!

the trail is wide, but super fun on the DH!

Like this?  Explore the other options at www.alaskaMTB.com!

The post Mountain biking Carter Lake appeared first on Kellie Okonek.

Getting there: Located across Kachemak Bay from Homer, the trail is accessed by either plane or boat . . . I flew in, and the runway in Jakolof (4Z9) is long and in good shape, and has lots of space to pull to the side as well as fire rings and great camping options.

Once a road, and now a 4wheel trail, the ride from Jakolof Bay to Red Mountain is actually pretty fun and the trail is transport to a super rad area that can be explored more deeply once you’re there!    

The first 5.5 miles are in the woods and pretty overgrown – it’s screaming for someone to go up it with a pair of loppers to clear some alders back!  That said, it rides well and the surface is good, so that’s enough!  There are multiple sections where it’s washed out, but 4 wheelers have ridden a new trail in where necessary, and there’s some really narrow singletrack for those with the gusto to ride it with the exposure!  

This was late September growth . . . mid-summer might be rough!

This is narrower than it looks, and a bit unnerving to ride over the somewhat overhang, and also fun! There’s also a ride-around so this section can be avoided!

The old road is pretty washed out, but you don’t have to get your feet wet to cross!

Once the trail meets the Windy Creek, there’s also wash out sections with massive downed trees, also with 4-wheeler ride arounds that totally work!  They’re a little muddier than the “main” road, but not too bad.  

Wheeler trails offer ride-arounds of the washed out parts – a little muddy, but it works!!

At about 5.5 miles, the trail enters more alpine and the views of Red Mountain open up . . .at about 7.5 miles you reach a bridge over Windy Creek and a lovely valley with incredible views in every direction.  There’s many great camping options here, and a huge metal fire ring to augment any camping adventure!  It would be totally worthy to bike a camp up here and stay awhile to explore the upper valley.  

Trail opens up for the first views of the upper valley

And it keeps getting better!

FIre pit says it all . . . Red Mountain!

Cross the bridge and access the upper trail to the mine . . . it gets overgrown but if you get through that part, the access to the upper valley is good.

The color of the water didn’t get old . . .

The upper trail is just to the looker’s left of the shaded peak . . . the mine is up there too! Super cool valley

Such a rad place!

The trail then continues through some super thick alder, before switching back left and climbing steadily to the mine.  This section was snowed in when I rode in late September, but would be a worthy ride in mid-summer for sure!  Except for the alder section which I’d probably carry my bike uphill to avoid, honestly!  

I didn’t go explore up higher on account of the snow, but you can see the switchbacks up to the mine and pass! Worth a return trip for sure!

The ride down was super fun – the tech sections rode well and it was all pretty fast.  Even in late September I needed gloves to ease the hand-smashing of the alders!  

I rode a Specialized Turbo Levo SL e-bike for this trail – my first time ever riding one!  It was a perfect trail for it, in my opinion!  I made the 1200’ climb up over 7.5 miles in just over an hour, stopping plenty to take pictures!  And the way down was a super fun 30 minutes!  I loved having the power to make the flatter sections more fun, and the bike road super well through the tech!  I’m totally sold on battery-powered to add fun and speed things up!  As it was, I was worried about leaving the plane without a great tie-down, the bears in the area that could be feasting on my bushwheels, and the shorter days and impending cold!  So, I was happy to do the whole recon ride in 2 hours, including time spent lounging in the sun in the beautiful valley surrounded by red mountains  

The post Mountain biking Red Mountain from Jackaloff Bay appeared first on Kellie Okonek.

I rode from Ptarmigan Creek to Vagt Lake Trailhead (about 1.3 miles beyond Vagt Lake) and back and it would also be a great ride from Vagt Lake Trailhead to Ptarmigan Creek and back . . . perhaps better!  About 12 miles total riding, it took me about 2.5 hours (including the ride out Vagt Lake) and was a bit faster from Vagt to Ptarmigan than Ptarmigan to Vagt.

Staring at Vagt Lake: Trailhead is on the east side of the Seward Highway at mile 25.4 just south of Trail River bridge. Park outside of the railroad gate.  Trail starts near lakeshore.

Starting at Ptarmigan Creek: At Mile 23, Seward Highway, and turn east into Ptarmigan Creek Campground. Begins at the south end of the campground.

The best map of the trail is this one posted at a trail junction, with the INHT connector drawn in with Sharpie! It does give a good idea of the whole network, and supporting detail can be found at the Vagt and Ptarmigan NFS Recreational Opportunity Guides.

Ptarmigan Creek TH to Vagt Lake TH

The trail starts out from the campground and is wide and smooth.  There’s a junction to Falls Creek about ¾ mile in – turn left!  The trail has some moderate growth initially and then transitions to lovely open forest riding.  Some sort of punchy sections in the climb, it crosses a 4 wheel trail at about 1.9 miles (go straight) and then winds pretty gradually to the bridge across Falls Creek (about 2.8 miles in).  Constructed in summer 2021, it’s a pretty amazing bridge and the ticket to making this ride connect!  From the bridge, there’s 3 steep switchbacks that I was off the bike for, and then it’s about another 0.4 miles mostly up to the Crown Point ORV (4 wheel) trail.  Cross this trail and begin the descent to Vagt Lake.  At the junction, turn left to descend the final 1.3 miles to Trail Lake and the Seward Highway.  Never 100% up or down, the trail essentially climbs from Ptarmigan Creek to hte Crown Point ORV trail and essentially descends from there.  The descent to Vagt Lake and the Seward Highway are steep-ish at times with switchbacks, but it all rides well.  It’s definitely the more challenging downhill (and the more challenging uphill on the return!). 

Well built and super clear of brush! This is what Southcentral Alaska dreams are made of

After the Falls Creek ORV crossing, the trail continues to gradually wind up through the forest.

It’s a push up the switchbacks after the Falls Creek bridge! (photo: Chris Jung)

The Vagt Lake side of trail is a bit more greasy! Still fun tho

Vagt Lake TH to Ptarmigan Creek TH

The Vagt Lake trail starts with a mellow pedal along Trail Lake and then starts climbing!  The uphill is steep at times and I walked a bit of it as the trail ascends a creek.  The dirt is also greasier on this side (vs the Ptarmigan Creek side) so a bit harder to grip if it’s been raining recently!  A right at the lake itself (junction to INHT under construction – see below) and the climb continues with varying degrees of steepness – I walked another switchback, but it otherwise is pedal-able (for me).  Cross the Crown Point ORV, and descend to the Falls Creek bridge – the 3 switchbacks to teh bridge ride just fine!  A short uphill off the bridge and your reward is a wonderfully flowy and beautiful section of riding through the forest.  To me, this was the most fun part of the whole trail (and by this logic, worth an out/back to the bridge if you’re short on time or energy!).  Mostly downhill, there are a few short climbs too.  Right at the intersection with Ptarmigan Creek takes you to the trailhead along a very improved section of trail that still rides fun   

Climbing out of Trail Lake and the parking area, the trail is super lovely and mellow

The photo is a bit deceiving, but this section climbing along the creek was pretty steep and greasy – a push for me!

Lots of up and down . . .

With fun and flowy sections too!

Crossing Crown Point ORV – one more greasy section (it rides!) before transitioning back into the thicker forest canopy!

And then it’s a fun and flowy section on great dirt (drier under the forest canopy if it’s raining!), with great sight lines and no sharp turns that come and surprise you!

Ride Options 

1.  When I arrived at the Vagt Lake trail junction of the INHT with the trail to the Seward Highway, I took a ride out the new trail along Vagt Lake.  Currently being constructed (so far about 0.5 mi constructed), this section will continue to Grant Creek, and the ultimate construction of a bridge over Grant Creek will connect the INHT much closer to its destination at the Johnson Pass TH.  With the 4 bridges ultimately installed on Turnagain Pass INHT, that will bring connectivity from Moose Pass to Turnagain Arm!  I’m super thrilled with the continued progress on this amazing asset for Southcentral Alaska!
   

   Some of the prettiest riding, I’m super excited for this section to be complete!

    

   

Riding along Vagt Lake back toward the Seward Highway junction (photo: Chris Jung)

Currently the trail ends at the blue dot at the NW corner of Vagt Lake, and it will continue on to Grant Creek.

2.     Crown Point ORV – you can ride/push up this trail as far as you’d like to go!  It ultimately climbs like 3200’ well into the mountains.  Alternatively you can go up a bit for a view, or go down this trail and make a loop back to Vagt Lake TH.

Overlooking Trail Lake from the Crown Point trail (photo: Chris Jung)

3.   Falls Creek Rd – another 4 wheel trail, you can go up this one about 0.5 miles to a singletrack that will connect with the Ptarmigan Lake trail . . . ride it to the lake and come out Ptarmigan Creek all the way as an alternate ride to do with this section of trail!  The Ptarmigan Lake descent via Ptarmigan Creek rides super well and is similar to the Primrose descent in character, though a bit more tech than Primrose.  I definitely recommend it for those looking for a fun challenge!

Overall, mountain biking the 6 miles (12 miles round trip) of Iditarod National Historic Trail (INHT) between Ptarmigan Creek and Vagt Lake is a super worthy mountain bike ride!  At about 2.5 hours of riding, there’s a decent amount of variety and some nice views.  It’s not ever technical or overly challenging (except for a few sections of the climb), but a great ride to add to your list of Kenai Rides!

For more info on southcentral Alaska riding, check out www.AlaskaMTB.com!

The post Ptarmigan Creek to Vagt Lake INHT appeared first on Kellie Okonek.

At 6 miles each way, the ride is a great out-n-back from Eddies or a nice shuttle assist one-way from Center Ridge.  The 12-mile out-n-back is about 2300 ft elevation gain/loss and about 2.5 hours total riding (1.5 hours Eddies to Center Ridge, and 1 hr Center Ridge to Eddies).  The trail is not at all technical (roots/rocks) so is accessible to all levels of riding with good fitness for climbing!  While smooth, it is quite fun and very scenic – a totally worthy ride!  The climbing isn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s all rideable and worth digging deep to clear it all if you’re into that sort of thing   The trail is in great shape and with the addition of 2 bridges in 2021 can finally be ridden without sketch river crossings!  With the bridge openings, the NFS has also cleared brush and improved drainage on the trail, so the whole ride is in great shape!

Eddies to Center Ridge: the “uphill” section of mountain biking the Turnagain Pass Iditarod National Historic Trail (INHT)

The trail starts out super nice and wide and stays in great shape all the way.  The first 3.5 miles is a steady uphill with consistently punchy sections that make the first hour a proper workout!  This section of trail stays in the woods so there aren’t many views.  At about 3.5 miles in, the trail emerges into the river valley south of Eddies Mountain and views of the Eddies south face and Tincan open up – it’s so lovely!  The next 2.5 miles to Center ridge start with a steep climb with 2 switchbacks (similar to the ones on lower Devil’s Creek) and then the terrain becomes rolling along the base of the Todd’s and the Tincan west face.  This section of riding is super enjoyable and lovely!  Finally, a quick descent to Center Ridge and you’re there!  The trail continues about 0.5 miles to Lyon Creek and essentially “ends” for all but the most adventurous!  

Eddies has never felt steep to me until pedaling up it! The forest is nice though! This section would probably stay decent in moderate rains

Yet another short punchy section – sooo fun on the way down though!

The new bridge over Ingram creek is a game changer for both summer and winter!

The trail from Eddies consistently winds uphill through the forest at the base of Eddies Mountain.

There are some decent recovery sections between steep sections!

Maybe Heather Johnson’s smile is because at this point she’s done most of the climbing . . . or maybe because she has no idea the steepest section is next up!  Or maybe she loves this new bridge!!!    Photo: Natsuko Ito

Center Ridge to Eddies: the “downhill” section of mountain biking the Turnagain Pass Iditarod National Historic Trail (INHT)

Starting out with a brief climb, including punchy sections the trail then transitions to rolling terrain at the base of Tincan.  Views of Turnagain Arm and upper 20 Mile River abound and this is one of the loveliest sections of trail.  About 2.5 miles in and the fun begins!  A descent to the bridge over Eddie’s Creek (on South side of Eddie’s Mountain) is followed by a short and steep climb out and then there’s a fast and fun downhill section to the new bridge across Ingram Creek through the forested section.  Rolling terrain follows this bridge to the parking lot.  Skiers may find this section of trail super fun (I sure did!) because we ski it all winter and it feels so similar while being so different – such a cool experience!  

The Tincan meadows are really pretty . . . and it’s fun to look up at Todd’s run

Heather Johnson making it look easy!   Photo: Natsuko Ito

Heather Johnson starts the descent to the Eddies Creek bridge . . . the final punchy climb is just off her left hip before the most continuous downhill section begins in the forest beyond. Photo: Natsuko Ito

Looking out Turnagain Arm and Upper 20 Mile River from the top of the switchbacks     Photo: Natsuko Ito

Heather Johnson crossing the Eddies Creek bridge . . . so fun to see the Eddies South Face in the summer!  Photo: Natsuko Ito

Overall, mountain biking the Turnagain Pass Iditarod National Historic Trail (INHT) is super worthy . . . it’s great to have a resource to enjoy Turnagain Pass in the summer!  In 2.5 hours, one could do an out-n-back or 2 shuttles from Center Ridge to Eddie’s . . . both are totally worthy!  While a net elevation loss from Center Ridge, it’s hardly a DH (decent pedaling required!) but the views are better and DH more plentiful!  In 2022, bridges will be built over Lyon and Taylor Creeks, but the bridges for Spokane and Bertha Creeks need ~$500k of funding that’s not currently in a budget.  Once those bridges are built, the trail will connect 12 miles from Eddies to Johnson Pass, and make for a nearly 40 mile through ride between Eddies and Moose Pass!  This trail is part of a larger effort to restore and  develop over 180 miles of the Southern Trek of the Iditarod National Historic Trail, connecting the communities of Seward and Girdwood, Alaska.

The post Turnagain Pass INHT mountain biking appeared first on Kellie Okonek.

Riding as a loop:

Ride down through town to Crow Creek Road and turn right. Pedal up Crow Creek Rd. for about 3 miles and pass the Iditarod Hand Tram Parking lot (alternatively, start the trail from here by turning left at the first junction to head to the hand tram – I thin it’s more fun to start higher and avoids the pedestrian corridor). At the entrance to Crow Creek Mine look for a singletrack to the right, kind of hidden in the forest.

The trail is wide open forest riding with fun water bars and root features to air off of, and then narrows a bit with some tight turns and switchbacks before spitting riders out at the Hand Tram about a mile in. This section of forest is so cool – big thick trees all around, ferns and moss lining the forest floor.

The Hand Tram is easy – there’s hooks to hang bikes off of, and 2 bikes are easily accommodated per crossing. From the other side, the trail climbs steeply (and at the high point there’s a cool side trail for an overview of the Winner Creek Canyon) and then descends to the bridge over Winner Creek canyon. This is one of my favorite places in the world – I love watching the power of water!

The completion of the loop winds through the forest on wide trail with some steep climbing sections, though all rideable and fun! Pass the junction to Upper Winner Creek by turning right toward the Alyeska hotel and it’s essentially all downhill from here (micro-climbs). Shortly after the boardwalk section, keep your eye out for the Nordic Loop trail and exit the main Winner Creek trail to finish with Small House (or add on an Earnagain/2cents loop if you want to extend the ride)! This finish is both more fun, and avoids riding the pedestrian-heavy section with downhill speed.

Riding as an out-n-back:

If the hand tram is closed, Lower Winner Creek is only possible as an out-n-back, though still a super worthy and fun ride, especially when combined with the GMBA trails for a flowy finish (and a quasi loop ride in the end)!

From the Girdwood Brewing Company, ride uphill to the Winner Creek Extension trail and follow it over to the Nordic Loop trailhead near the Alyeska Hotel. Ride up the Nordic trail as if you’re headed to Small House and right near the exit of Small House you’ll see an access trail to connect with the Winner Creek Trail (prior to this point, it’s closed to bikes). A short steep climb, and then you’re meandering through the forest and it’s so cool.

Continue up and turn left at the junction with Upper Winner Creek for a playful little downhill that evolves into an up/down combo that rides pretty fast and playfully. It’s a proper high intensity interval training workout if you’re up for it with all the changes in the trail – an easy and fun way to get a quick hit workout!

About 2 miles in, you’ll cross the Winner Creek Gorge and shortly thereafter arrive at the Hand Tram. This is your cue to turn around and head back!

The return has a bit more climbing, though rides efficiently and is a quick ride as the trail winds through the forest. Pass the junction to Upper Winner Creek by turning right toward the Alyeska hotel and it’s essentially all downhill from here (micro-climbs). Shortly after the boardwalk section, keep your eye out for the Nordic Loop trail and exit the main Winner Creek trail to finish with Small House (or add on an Earnagain/2cents loop if you want to extend the ride)! This finish is both more fun, and avoids riding the pedestrian-heavy section with downhill speed.

Girdwood epic rides with Winner Creek (if the hand tram is open!)

• Use Lower Winner Creek as a counter-clockwise loop by starting at the Alyeska Hotel and riding up to the Iditarod Trails and descending these trails to Abe’s Trail and the Beaver Pond. Add in a few GMBA laps to start, and you’ve officially got an epic ride right in Girdwood!
• Ride Crow Pass with a Winner Creek and GMBA finish (requires car shuttle or a long pedal up Crow Creek Rd to Crow Pass)
• Start the Upper Winner Creek ride from Crow Creek Rd and finish with Lower Winner Creek and GMBA to the Alyeska Hotel.
• Another fun add-on is to ride up the Chair 7 cat road and either descend Blueberry Pancake (accessed to the left from the initial high point) back to the Hotel, or one of the Bear Cub Quad trails to the base of the resort. Keep in mind that the Alyeska Bike Park will be open Friday-Sunday so you may have DH riders about as well.

For more ideas of riding around Alaska, check out the full guide at www.AlaskaMTB.com!

The post Lower Winner Creek – Mountain biking Girdwood appeared first on Kellie Okonek.

The purpose built trails of Small House and Earnagain/Two Cents branch off the nordic loop in close proximity to the Lower Winner Creek Trail so are super straightforward to hot lap and learn the flow and session with friends.

Small House is the easier of the two and is most easily accessed by riding out the Nordic loop or using parts of Winner Creek.  While the trail doesn’t have big vertical or steeps, it flows beautifully through the forest and is super fun – with the structure of the nordic loop crossing halfway, hot lapping the upper half makes super fast and fun hot laps without any steep climbing!  It took me awhile to find my flow on this trail, and when I did it became one of my favorites in the area – it’s a good one to practice dialing in speed and position to line up right for the features!

Hunter showing of the magic of rain forest riding (photo: Dan Starr)

Does it get better than flowing through a forest as magical as this? (photo: Dan Starr)

Two Cents is the more difficult and downhill GMBA trail that is accessed by the Earnagain climbing trail about ½ mile up the nordic loop from Small House . . . it’s well marked and easy to find. 

Entry to Earnagain (access to the Two Cents downhill) mountain bike trail

The climb is pretty punchy and I fully admit to walking, but I’ve seen plenty ride it and welcome you to take the challenge!  Just when you think you’re there and there’s a slight downhill, think again – you’ve got to earn it again with another punchy climb (so it’s worth keeping some speed on the first little descent!).  The transition to Two Cents and the action downhill is well-marked.  It starts out with a fun entry drop (easy ride-around).  While it looks scary, it actually rides quite nicely and the trail is well setup to do hot laps on that feature to learn it if it’s not too crowded (which it generally isn’t!).  From there, the trail winds through the forest with plenty of jumps and berms before dropping back to the nordic loop – a left turn will take you back to Earnagain or follow the nordic loop back to Two Cents for a fun ride out! 

Girdwood singletrack is growing consistently and totally worth coming down to check out mountain biking the GMBA trails!  Want to check out the trails but don’t want to go figure out the network yourself?  The Powderhound shop ride Thursdays at 6:30 (summertime only) is a great way to ride with a super fun local crew and learn the network!  If you’re from out of town, it’s also a great place to rent a bike and spice up your Girdwood stay with some flow! 

With the hot laps on Small House being pretty achievable, it’s also a great place to introduce the kiddos to singletrack – I can’t wait to see how these riders will progress our sport as they grow up after getting a start like this!

So much perfect about this photo! (photo: Dan Starr)

For more info about riding around Alaska, check out the full bike guide at www.alaskaMTB.com!  Don’t miss other Girdwood trails like the Iditarod, Abe’s, and Upper Winner Creek!

The post GMBA trails – Girdwood mountain biking appeared first on Kellie Okonek.

Designed to take advantage of terrain and offer consistent flow, these trails are also designed around progression.  Each trail progresses within itself, in addition to the trails becoming progressively more challenging from Jeff’s Whoop Whoop to Gauer Power to Eh-Line to Dig Deep.  

Jeff’s Whoop Whoop is designed as an intermediate blue flow trail that is smooth and a super fun trail for all levels.  And that it is!  With big banked corners, plenty of jumps with downhill landings that don’t require a clear-or-case, and lots of flow, this trail is sure to leave you smiling!  

Smiles for days on Jeff’s Whoop Whoop (photo: Corey Bellinger)

Jeff’s Whoop Whoop (photo: Matt Bonney)

Gauer Power is a bit more black with tabletops and more rocks.  Good super fun bermed section – corner after corner with great jump features mixed in at the start.  lower section had a lot of loose rock initially but now ridden in the rocks are compacting down to firmer trail bed making it less loose and higher speed but still with rocks in trail tread.

Cody Gauer getting shreddy on his namesake Gauer Power (photo: Cheryl Matyas)

Upper Eh-Line builds the progression from Gauer Power with even more jumps and fun banked corners.  Upper Eh-line is seriously a blast!!!  Lower Eh-Line is hand-built and more technical, a perfect progression to Dig Deep.  

Lee Bolling (STA president) making it look easy!

Eh Line (photo: Matt Bonney)

The boardwalk step-down on Eh-line looks scarier than it is – don’t worry, it rolls! You don’t have to ride it like Lee Bolling!

Affectionately called “The Canadian” by locals, a favorite ride of many is Upper Gauer Power to Eh-Line diving off at mid-section trail junction and cutting north.  It’s just plain fun, and arguably the best combination of jumps and flow for an advanced top-to-bottom ride!  

Dig deep was a total hand-built rooty tech trail – a progression from the lower tech section of Eh-Line.  In the words of Eric Helmbrecht, owner of Powderhound Bike & Ski in Girdwood, “Dig Deep takes us back to our roots of how riding used to be in Alaska (pun intended!).”  The trailbuilders wanted it to be gnarly and not fun for everyone.  At the same time, it’s a trail that riders can progress to that will prepare them for tech trails at Alyeska and around the state, as well as trips outside Alaska.  Because so many volunteers built it, Dig Deep has a change in character throughout that keeps the riding super lively.  Best part: the more it gets ridden in, the better it gets as some parts get worn in and new features emerge.  

Dig Deep for these rooty sections! (photo: Maeve Lavtar)

While the 4 downhill trails are new and oh-so-fun, they’re really the cherry on top of a great trail network.  Between the phase 1 bike trails, the Brown Bear and Black Bear bike trails, and the network of singletrack throughout the hillside, there are a lifetime of rides that can be created.  Between the Phase 1 and 2 purpose-built singletrack, it’s possible to weave loops between the new and old networks rather than top-to-bottom laps on repeat – it’s easy to zip across the whole network and mix classic old school singletrack and dive off for a flow segment.  Then cut off for a tech old school singletrack again.  It’s natural to get in a habit of riding the same thing, but there are so many ways you can weave together a 20-30 mile ride and not touch the same trail.  

Between Hillside and Kincaid, STA has done so much to improve life in Anchorage, the bike community in Alaska, and the smiles seen around town – these trails are so fun!!!  Mountain biking Hillside is definitely one not to miss!  For more info about riding around Alaska, check out the full bike guide at www.alaskaMTB.com!

The post Hillside – Anchorage mountain biking appeared first on Kellie Okonek.

With biking exploding in Alaska, every major population center now has bike trails, including Soldotna!  Not generally considered a mountain biking town, the Tsalteshi and Slikok singletrack trail networks are super fun flow trails and a totally worthy stop on any road trip down the peninsula!

From Makenzie Jorgensen, “Interwoven amongst Nordic ski trails, what I like most about Tsalteshi and Slikok is they remind me of a mini Kincaid. Tsalteshi is a mix of old school rooty trails, and fast and flowy machine built Singletrack with a few different few minute sustained downhill options. Slikok has less elevation to it but has a few awesome jump trails and a fairly gnarly rock roll/drop if you feel like getting adventurous!”

Both Tsalteshi and Slikok have approximately 3.5 miles of trail.  Tsalteshi was built first, intermixed with the main trails and Slikok was built as a phase 2 in adjacent forest.  The easiest place to park is probably at Skyview Middle School (it’s between the 2 networks), although using Trailforks to navigate to parking will also work – just trust it, even if it’s sending you to someplace that looks kinda sketch because singletrack emerges from the woods right where they say it will (Slikok parking lot).

I spent about 2 hours riding and was able to ride most of the network – I did lots of laps on Depth Charge, the jump line in Slikok because it was SO FUN.  It flows extremely smooth and is a great place to practice laying off the brakes and flowing without terrifying yourself to death!  The whole network reminds me a lot of Kincaid Phase 1 mixed with Mirror Lake – trails winding through the woods, pretty much every corner is banked, fun jumps interspersed, but nothing huge or terrifying.  Where this network differentiates is that it has tech features scattered throughout – big rocks with rideable lines – easy to session and practice, but the main trail completely avoids them!

I’ve heard about mountain biking Tsalteshi and Slikok for awhile and never really taken the time to stop – big mistake!  I definitely encourage everyone to check them out!

For more trail guides and inspiration for biking Alaska, check out the full guide at www.AlaskaMTB.com!

I had so much fun riding, this is the only photo I took! As you can see, trails are well marked and easy to find!

The post Tsalteshi & Slikok – Soldotna mountain biking appeared first on Kellie Okonek.

Mountain biking Gold Mint Trail is another classic cross country ride in Southcentral Alaska.  The Gold Mint trail in Hatcher Pass Management Area is a super stunning valley and exploring by bike is a good excuse to hang out back there, if nothing else! The first 4 miles of trail are a bike trail, the next 1.5 miles are bikeable, and then the trail becomes suffering in the name of biking (boulders, creeks, off camber → not rideable either direction). It’s a worthy day to leave stash bikes and continue the last 2.5 miles on foot to the Mint Hut or as far up valley as you find interesting!

Access

The trail starts at the Gold Mint parking lot, just as the Hatcher Pass road makes a hairpin turn to the left uphill. There’s a $5 state recreation parking fee, unless you have a State Parks Pass. Trailforks only shows the trail as 3.4 miles each way – I think it’s worth riding at least to the 4 mile marker as it stays fun for that duration – especially on the way out! The trail is well-marked with mile markers, which is nice.  The trail follows the Little Susitna River to its headwaters, so stays in a lovely open valley for its duration – one of the most stunning places around!

Beauty abounds on this ride! mountain bike gold mint trail

Gold Mint Trail – riding in

The initial mile of trail is very wide and smooth (manicured waking path) and climbs gently. The trail progressively narrows and climbs steadily as it follows the Little Susitna River to its headwaters. At mile 2, there is a character change and the trail gets a lot rockier and narrower. It gets nicer again and stays really rideable until about mile 4. Also until this point, the trail corridor is wide (alders cleared, grass cut) and looks to be legitimately maintained this far in.

The trail starts nice and smooth and wide! mountain bike gold mint trail

Around mile 2, the rocks creep in! mountain bike gold mint trail

The valley is beautiful as you continue up and the trail stays really rideable through mile 4! mountain bike gold mint trail

Like most river trails, there are some up/down as you gradually ascend mountain bike gold mint trail

Views of the Mint Glacier and upper peaks grace the whole upper ride – so beautiful out here! mountain bike gold mint trail

The next 1.5 miles is worth continuing on by bike, though less rideable than the trail has been to this point. Some alders have been trimmed back from the trail, but this section is pretty overgrown and would be very undesirable in the peak of summer growth!

The trail corridor becomes markedly narrower . . . and the alders thicken from here! mountain bike gold mint trail

The views are amazing and there are still really rideable sections beyond the 4 mile marker! mountain bike gold mint trail

This is one of the wider sections of the upper trail, and you can can see how much less manicured/maintained it is mountain bike gold mint trail

mountain bike gold mint trail

Right around 5.5 miles in, you’ll start carrying your bike much more and that’s when I recommend stashing bikes and continuing on foot, or turning around. There’s a bridge at about 6 miles that’s a nice landmark and a lovely place to sit and chill by a clear stream . . . after all, why not take advantage of being in such a beautiful valley!

This style of tech gets more common as you go . . . the 6-mile bridge crosses the stream that comes out of the sunlit valley on the left in this photo. mountain bike gold mint trail

Walking back to the bikes after the walk to the bridge mountain bike gold mint trail

Gold Mint Trail – riding out

The ride out from 5.5 miles took just over an hour, with a disproportionate amount of that time being the first 1.5 miles. The last 4 miles ride super fast and fun! The first bit is narrow trail, rocks, high grass edges, tight turns, and lots of paying attention. Once you hit the open river section, it mellows out a lot and starts to get more fun.

The open river section – what a relief to have space between your bike and the alders!mountain bike gold mint trail

mountain bike gold mint trail

From the 4 mile marker, the trail corridor (and actual trail) widens, and the sight lines improve. There are still plenty of rocks (that might have been a challenge on the way in), but they’re largely on the downhill sections and so fun to ride. There are punchy climbs as you go, but the trail follows the river so declines steadily. While certainly not a ‘downhill’ in the classic sense of the word, it’s a super fun descending ride out and gets faster and more fun as you go.

And the last mile is super wide and smooth and fun!mountain bike gold mint trail

mountain bike gold mint trail

I consistently finish on a high after mountain biking the Gold Mint Trail, even if I haven’t been on one all day! In fact, what I love to do after is a 16-mile downhill shuttle or pedal lap because I’ve got my descending high going on and it’s fun to keep it going just a bit longer! From The Gold Mint Trailhead, it’s super easy to shuttle to the top of the DH.

If you like this post, check out my full Alaska bike guide!

The post Gold Mint Trail mountain biking appeared first on Kellie Okonek.

The trail is mostly double-track, though there’s a singletrack along the rider’s right for the initial section of trail that makes it a lot more fun on the descent – while you don’t have to ride in it, it’s fun to try!  The trail climbs in earnest from the parking lot and stays in the brush for a bit – because it’s so wide, the trail doesn’t get too overgrown to ride.

Riding away from the lake . . . this section of trail is super fun especially because it’s so beautiful and open.

Rabbit Lake with the Suicides . . . doesn’t get more stunning than this!

If you like this post, check out my full Alaska bike guide!

The post Rabbit Lakes – mountain biking Anchorage appeared first on Kellie Okonek.