First NSCF Tour of Season is the DIY Rat Ponds

by | Nov 29, 2020 | Touring

Stan Justice has groomed the Rat Ponds Ski Tour loop for people to do their own “virtual” tour. This tour goes by and over several muskrat ponds in the wetlands between College and Farmer’s Loop roads. Stan has put together a document for people to use on their DIY tour. You can find it on the Skarland & Pearl Creek Park Trail Users Facebook page or here (www.nscfairbanks.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Rat-Ponds-Ski-Tour.docx). The tour was also marked Saturday morning. Thank you, Stan!

Note: Stan’s document has the tour starting at the golf course parking lot. Unfortunately, the golf course parking lot is closed right now, so another place to access the route is off the end of Henrik Court: https://goo.gl/maps/s6YXDm6XmicvMePMA

If anyone takes any pictures, please share them on the NSCF Facebook page or email them to Tour Coordinator Eric Troyer (fbxskierparent@gmail.com) and he’ll post them on the NSCF Touring page.

Have fun and enjoy this nice warm weather we’re having!

Rat Ponds Tour Lite!

Stan added a shorter version of the Rat Ponds Tour:

It you are not up for the full Rat Ponds tour try Rat Ponds Lite. There is a small official parking lot in the SW corner of Farmers Loop and Midnight Sun Street at 6 Mile Farmers Loop Road. Walk down the steep start of the trail and you come out on the well groomed 19.8 Mile ADMA trail. Go E and where 19.8 turns keep going straight on “the extension.” Once on the first lake there are set tracks that wind through the lakes including loops around the larger lakes. From Caribou Lake go S and take the section line back to 19.8 Trail and go N back to start. It is perhaps 2 miles of skiing. Here’s a map.

The long straight part of 19.8 Trail had small power poles on it long long ago. Someone made a tripod with 3 of the old poles. Picture show the triangular wood blocks that were nailed to the poles and the end is threaded for screwing on an insulator. Anyone know where it went to and from?

Note about parking

Please do not park in the golf course parking lot! They have restarted construction so the gate may be open but their insurance is suspended so no public parking is allowed.
Alternative Access to golf course skiing:
  • Henrik Road cul-de-sac – take the ADMA trail around to golf course E gate.
  • 7 day Adventist Church – not Sat. mornings during service. Don’t block water/oil deliveries.
  • Christ Lutheran Church – not Sun. mornings if their services resumes, ski along Farmers Loop sno go trail to gate at 7 Day Adventist.
  • Hole in the fence at Ballaine/Farmers Loop intersection.
Thanks!