Frosty fun

Jan. 7, 2007

By Russell Stigall

Frontiersman

HATCHER PASS - Alaska Winter Trails and the Mat-Su Borough Parks and Outdoor Recreation Department brought the second annual Winter Trails Day to Hatcher Pass on Saturday.

The toasty part of Saturday's event hovered around a single degree. Noses were red, nostrils were juicy and the coffee pots struggled to keep the cider hot.

&#8220The Tang's frozen solid,” said Jack Mosby, Alaska Trails board member.

Mosby was easy to spot with his orange Alaska Winter Trails vest at the sledding hill parking lot at Mile 10.6 Hatcher Pass Road. When he wasn't fitting kids and adults with skis and snowshoes, Mosby could be found toasting his mittens over the warming barrels.

&#8220Winter Trails Day is a good opportunity for folks to get out in the snow and try something new, under controlled conditions,” Mosby said.

Despite the cold, the turnout was good, said Warren Templin, Alaska Trails Board member. Just shy of a hundred skiers and snowshoers strapped on equipment by the time the event wound down at 3 p.m. Because of the cold, the numbers weren't quite as high as last year, Templin said.

Templin volunteered his time to groom the Nordic trails and hiking trails for the event's skiers and snowshoers.

The &#8220Green Mountain Boys,” Boy Scout Troop 367, stopped by from Palmer. They weren't out earning cold-weather training badges.

&#8220We just decided to come out for fun,” said Daniel Kaucic, 12, a patrol leader in the troop.

Daniel said he'd skied before, but his brother, Tiger Scout Matthew Kaucic, 7, was a novice. After several tumbles, the Tiger Scout dusted off his snowsuit and traded his skis for a pair of stable snowshoes.

Scoutmaster Chuck Kaucic said some of the boys were on cross-country skis for the first time. He said he was impressed by how quickly they picked up the sport.

After getting used to the feel of their cross-country skis, the Green Mountain Boys turned their attention to the slopes. When asked if cross-country skiing downhill was the best part, a couple of Scouts chimed, &#8220Of course it is. Who likes going uphill?”

Outdoor gear retailer REI supplied 50 pairs of cross-country skis, including tiny sets of kids skis and several sizes of snowshoes. The equipment was loaned out for free.

&#8220We just want people outside in the winter, staying active,” said Andrew Cutting, REI outreach coordinator.

Several local experts turned

out with their equipment and

know-how to give informative demonstrations.

Mark Gronewald brought one of his custom Wildfire Designs mountain bikes to give a demonstration on winter biking. The bikes Gronewald builds and sells from his home in Palmer have specially designed forks and frames to fit extra-wide tires and rims. He imports the wheels from a company in Minnesota.

The wide, quality rubber of the tires sticks well to ice, he said. They are also handy for beach riding.

Gronewald sells his bikes to Susitna 100 and Iditasport riders. Gronewald started designing his bikes seven years ago. The current design can be found online at www.wildfirecycle.com. Along with winter biking accessories like pogies - handlebar-mounted hand warmers.

Gronewald has a couple of favorite spots for winter biking. The Wasilla Creek Headwaters Trail gets enough snowmachine use for good snow biking, Gronewald said. And packed trails go for miles at the Knik Iditarod Trailhead.

Dot Helm, of the Eagle River Snowshoe Club, gave a demonstration on snowshoe running. Helm's Northern Lites Elite, and Dion snowshoes are not the elm and caribou-gut shoes of Grizzly Adams days. The narrow, lightweight shoes are made of aluminum and vinyl and are only a snowflake's breadth wider than her gaiter-covered feet. At $200-$300 Helm's shoes are made for serious snow runners. Their slim profiles are designed to ride easily through the single-track trails sanctioned in national-level snowshoe racing.

Lately, Helm has preferred her Dion snowshoes. The Dion's forefoot snow cleat flexes at the ball of the foot for a more ergonomic fit, Helm said. The binding straps are adjustable. And several lengths of strap come with each pair of Dion snowshoes to avoid over-long straps from flapping around on the run, she said.

Helm takes her Dions for regular runs on the trails at Gooseberry Mesa and the Railroad Trail in Palmer.

Pioneer Ski Patrol also gave demonstrations on the use of avalanche rescue equipment.

Contact Russell Stigall at 352-2267 or russell.stigall@frontiersman.com