Autumn offers opportunity for great hikes

MAT-SU -- The leaves are just beginning to turn and there is a crispness in the air. Summer is at an end, but one of the perhaps the best hiking seasons is just beginning.

Autumn offers wonderful opportunities to get out and enjoy local trails -- the swarms of bugs are lessening, cooler temperatures make for ideal hiking conditions and the colors and scenery are positively spectacular.

Increasingly during the next weeks, peaks capped with fresh snow will contrast brilliantly with the last remaining green of summer. Already high on the mountainsides the alpine tundra is turning a brilliant red.

All of this is an annual occurrence, but this year several local trails are offering something extra to entice hikers outdoors. Here are two of the best hikes for this season:

Bodenburg Butte. A new trail was put in several years ago on the opposite side from the traditional trail, and as of this year it is actually easy to find and park at.

The Mat-Su Borough recently installed a trailhead and small parking lot, making the Butte trail more accessible. To get to the new Butte trail, take the Old Glenn Highway out of Palmer and toward the Butte. Turn right on the first Bodenburg Loop Road, follow it for about a half mile and then take a left on Mothershead Drive. The new parking area is on the right, and the trailhead is farther down the road, also on the right.

Like the old trail, the new Butte climb offers a great family hike and a beautiful view of the farms, riverbeds and mountains in the area. At the same time, this new trail is described as less dusty, an easier hike and it does not cross private land, like the original trail.

The original trail is accessible on the other side of the Butte. If heading from Palmer, turn right at the second Bodenburg Loop Road, at the blinking light. Drive a little over a half mile and turn right into a small gravel parking area. The trail goes up from there at a steep incline.

With either trail allow a couple of hours for the hike, more if you are with small children. When you get to the top, be prepared to take in a sweeping view of the Matanuska Valley during harvest time. And on the way home, consider stopping at one of the u-pick farms to get some Alaska grown vegetables and berries.

Hatcher Pass. This, too, is a familiar fall favorite with a new twist. Just as they are every year, the slopes of Hatcher Pass are already ablaze with fall colors and dotted with sun-ripened blueberries. But refreshing hikes around the Little Susitna River and Independence Mine are now even more pleasing because of the smooth ride getting there.

As of earlier this year, Hatcher Pass Road is paved all the way to Independence Mine. No longer do you have to ride the washboard road or endure the dusty drive. When you arrive at the trailhead of your choice, you will won't be rattled and dazed. And the ride home will go like a breeze.

All of Hatcher Pass offers beautiful scenery this time of year, but there are still a few best trails to consider -- Gold Mint Trail near Motherlode Lodge and the trail near Independence Mine starting at Hatcher Pass Lodge are two to consider.

Those who miss the shake-rattle-and-roll of the old Hatcher Pass Road can get off the pavement by turning on Archangel Valley Road and heading to the Reed Lake Trail. Boulder fields, sparkling alpine lakes and a beautiful waterfall all await the hiker. The trail to the lower lake is seven miles, with another two to get to the upper lake. Allow a full day of hiking to make the round-trip.