When: Saturday, December 7
Start time and place: Meet at Skiland Road pullout just off the Steese Highway at 11 am.
Estimated tour time: Loop tour is 2.5-3.5 hours; ~6 miles.
Description: NEW TOUR! Bear Creek Descent-INAUGURAL Ascent of Chuck Johnson Trail. Advanced-level skiing; skins required. We shall ski up the power line cut past “Janheim” to the Nordic ski trails Chuck Johnson (and others) has maintained for fifty years with his snowgo and Fisher Snowcat. We’ll continue out on to the Fairbanks Creek Road (unplowed) for about a mile before descending into the Bear Creek Valley. It is one of our more technical ski descents, i.e. steep, depending on conditions (snow depth, snowmobiled, bushes, etc.) but is relatively straight. Two steep short sections can be descended with a Mongolian ski brake or walked, but if conditions are amenable, half a snowplow works. At the valley floor we shall turn on to the new trail Chuck cut. It can be bushy and some overflow. After winding about on the valley floor for about a mile, it climbs steeply (skins mandatory) back up through handsome woods. It regains lower angle terrain beneath the old Fish Creek/Ft. Knox road. Skiing this old road loops us back onto the trails we started out on. We stop for snacks enroute. And skiers are welcome to return to Janheim for cocoa and chili.
No temperature cut-off.
ANY AND ALL CANINES ARE MOST WELCOME.
Leaders: Philip Marshall (H: 457-3895) and Jan Lokken Marshall (Cleary: 389-2449)
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