125-mile trail set to open

BIG LAKE — On March 14, the Su Valley Winter Trail officially opens, allowing snowmachiners to ride 125 miles of groomed trails from Big Lake to Denali National Park.

The trail system, also known as the Susitna Corridor Trail Project, will be signed, marked, groomed and mapped its entire length, according to Wayne Biessel, superintendent of the Mat-Su/Copper Basin region of Alaska State Parks. The maps will include gas stations, restaurants and lodging as well as other groomed trails fanning off from the system.

The trail system represents a collaboration of state and local groups working with SnowTRAC, the statewide grooming pool. SnowTRAC is funded by snowmachine registration fees, and funding goes toward the upkeep and development of trails across Alaska.

“The SnowTRAC grooming pool is your registration fees at work. Snowmachiners are very supportive of the fees, and some have suggested they go up,” said Biessel, who sees the boating safety program as a model for what additional funds could do.

For the Su Valley Winter Trail, Alaska State Parks is acting as an administrator of grooming pool funds. The funds are given to local non-profit snowmachine groups as small grants, then the local groups are in charge of the grooming and maintaining one section of the trail, Biessel said.

To commemorate the opening of the Su Valley Winter Trail, riders are leaving the two trailheads at 10 a.m. on March 14, heading north from the Big Lake North Shore Recreational Area and south from the Mile 131 Parks Highway Parking Lot. Additionally, snowmachiners are welcome to join the ride from any of the access points along the trail, said Big Lake Chamber of Commerce Secretary Dee Loesche.

Riders will meet in the middle at Ron’s Riverboat Lodge at the Susitna Landing at 2 p.m. for the official trail dedication. There is no set schedule of events yet, but there are talks of passing out maps and possibly vendor demonstrations. Gov. Sarah Palin is scheduled to cut the ribbon, according to Loesche.