A WINTER PARADISE

MAT-SU — Cross country skiers are enjoying a perfect window at Hatcher Pass when the snow is smooth on the trails, but not thick enough for the snowmachines.

The best conditions in the public use area are on Archangel Road, said Ed Strabel, co-founder of the Mat-Su Ski Club. On Friday night, about 75 skiers — mostly Anchorage residents looking for better snow — packed the trail down, he said. This laid a perfect base for about four miles of grooming the club did the next day.

“They beat those snowflakes into submission. When we came back to groom it on Saturday morning, it was in great shape,” Strabel said.

Strabel said both classic and skate skiers should appreciate the early season opportunities at Hatcher Pass, as the trails are groomed for both. The higher elevations mean colder temperatures avoiding most of the problems that come when the thermometer dips below 32 degrees.

“That can be dangerous. The trail turns into a sheet of ice,” Strabel said. “At (Hatcher Pass), the temperature should stay low.”

The problem with Archangel Road is, once the snow gets thick later in the season, it opens to snowmachiners, Strabel said. However, the Independence Mine trail system remains non-motorized and groomed all winter long.

Strabel said the trail system behind Mountain Streams Bed and Breakfast off Edgerton Park Road has been groomed for both skate and classic skiing. The trails at Colony High School have been groomed for skate skiing but are still a bit bumpy, he said.

A skate track will soon go in at Shaw Elementary with classic trails leading away from the multipurpose field, Strabel said. The Moose Range and Government Peak systems are being packed by skiers, but more snow is needed to start grooming there, he said.

Crevasse Moraine offers skiers 25 kilometers of looped trails. This complex is the closest to the core area accessed at the end of Loma Prieta Drive.

Strabel said Valley skiers should check the Mat-Su Ski Club website at www.matsuski.org for updated grooming conditions. For a more statewide resource, Strabel suggested www.crosscountryalaska.org.

Strabel and the Mat-Su Ski Club are responsible for grooming most of the popular trails around the Valley. The all-volunteer group gets grants from the Mat-Su Borough’s bed tax revenues to pay for the gas of the snowmachine groomers.

This year, the group will expand their grooming operations after receiving a $4,500 grant from the Mat-Su Health Foundation. This money helped off-set the cost of a new, super-wide snowmachine and new grooming apparatuses to tow behind it.

“At this time last year, we had gone through almost half our grant money from the Mat-Su Borough,” Strabel said. “This year, the snow came later and the new four-stroke machines are far more fuel efficient.”

The club also offers classes and organized trips throughout the year. Strabel said interested skiers can keep updated through the website.

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.