'55 Ways to the Wilderness' … in the Mat-Su Valley

Helen Nienhueser is hesitant to name her favorite hiking trail. She was lambasted when she did that once because critics said it would draw huge crowds to the area. But when pressed, the author of the popular hiking guide "55 Ways to the Wilderness" will admit that nearly all of her favorite hikes are here in the Mat-Su Valley.

"You have some wonderful country," the Anchorage author said. "Now Anchorage has probably better developed access, but you have a huge, wonderful variety … there are some real adventures available to people who live in the Valley."

From the pristine Peters Hills off the Parks Highway to the rugged hikes of Hicks Creek Trail and Syncline Mountain off the Glenn Highway, Nienhueser says Mat-Su residents have many terrific opportunities to get out and enjoy the wilderness.

The newest edition to Nienhueser's "55 Ways to the Wilderness" includes 16 trips within the Mat-Su Borough. Some, such as Hatcher Pass, have been in the book since its first printing in 1972. Others, like Bodenburg Butte, have come, gone and returned to the book because of access issues. Others have been there since the beginning, but have changed a great deal.

"Lazy Mountain has been in the book since the beginning, but the new part of that is the Matanuska Peak Trail," she said. " … you've got four or five variations right there."

Other Valley trips in the new edition include the Nancy Lake canoe system, Pioneer Ridge, Reed Lakes and Craigie Creek.