HEADLAMP: Best fat biking in Anchorage

Below-freezing temperatures and just-enough snow have made for great fat biking in Anchorage this year. Here are some of the best local trails to hit on the weekend, or after work:

MIDDLE FORK: This loop in Chugach State Park is a local classic, and is only open to bicycles in the winter. Start at Prospect Heights, and ascend Powerline to near Glen Alps or take South Rim Trail for a little more scenic, but slightly less direct route. The climb time will vary from forty-five minutes for fast riders to an hour and a half or more. Hang a left on Middle Fork Trail. After a quick descent to and ascent from the South Fork of Campbell Creek, meander through meadows and occasional spruce on a rolling downhill. The descent has panoramic views of Cook Inlet, Anchorage, and the Alaska Range.The descent terminates at another bridge crossing the South Fork (after a couple of left hand turns to stay on the largest trail). From here, it is a short climb back up to Prospect Heights. Give yourself several hours if riding this loop for the first time, and bring a chain tool and extra clothing in case of mechanical difficulties: It’s a long walk back with a bike, and the weather can turn quickly in the mountains.

KINCAID BEACH: As majestic as views are from Middle Fork, there is no ride in town that conveys Alaska’s vastness like a ride on the Kincaid beach. Riding along the margin of Cook Inlet, by the fractured, brackish bergs that have been marooned over successive tides, the Alaska Range appears vast and distant. The Kenai’s eastern lowlands seem close just to the south, while the peninsula’s mountains rise taller and taller toward the east. Even Fire Island, across the dark, ice-choked waters, seems remote and wild. In winter, the Kincaid beach has tidal reaches that are inundated at very high tides, but accumulate snow in between. These make for great riding in fortuitous conditions, ideally well-frozen ice with a skein of snow on top for grip. Toward the point near Fire Island, bike tracks will converge on the beach itself, whose frozen sand and gravel provides fast riding south toward Campbell Creek. The riding typically becomes harder as you progress southward along the Kincaid bluffs, and be aware of high tides that can come clear to the cliffs’ edge. There are multiple difficult access points for the Kincaid beach, but at least two easy ones: The westernmost is off of a short, developed trail near the bend in the Coastal Trail that’s right at the bottom of the hill coming down from Kincaid. Farther north, there is an obvious clearing that leads from the Coastal Trail down to the beach near the only significant Coastal Trail bridge that lies between Kincaid and Woronzof. Give yourself a couple hours to ride from Woronzof down to the beach and back, or longer if you want to get close to the mouth of Campbell Creek, and avoid unusually high tides.

KINCAID SINGLE TRACK: Fat biking in Anchorage has blown up largely thanks to trails built by Singletrack Advocates. Kincaid is a local showcase. My favorite hour loop is to ride out Middle Earth (including the Old School add-on), descending to the Coastal Trail. After climbing back up the paved trail to the chalet, hang a right on Mighty Bike and a right on C$ Express. The sandy skyline of C$ has challenging technical sections and the best views in the park, particularly during winter’s seemingly eternal sunsets over Turnagain Arm and Cook Inlet. Return to the Raspberry Road trailhead via Sandbox, or add on Lee’s Train and Bowling Alley for another a little longer ride.

FAR NORTH/CAMPBELL TRACT/HILLSIDE: Technically these are separate areas: There are the Singletrack Advocate-developed trails of Hillside, starting with Queen Bee and The Drone from the Hillside trailhead off Abbott Road. And then there’s the expansive, confusing tangle of trails in Far North Bicentennial Park/BLM Campbell Tract, which range from large multi-use trails to technical singletrack through marsh and spruce forests. However, these two areas are adjacent, so ride them both! Start with a climb up Queen Bee, and loop around Janice’s Jive and The Hive. When you’re dizzy, come back downhill. Hang a right from the trailhead, passing Hilltop Ski area as you follow the huge, multi-use gas easement. As you approach Campbell Creek, look for fat bike tracks that head left. Take these through some sometimes steep, off-camber singletrack that winds back in the general direction of Service High. At some point, you’ll probably end up biking downhill, then find yourself meandering across a marshland or meadow. That’s good news--keep going. You’ll likely pop out in the middle of the Campbell Tract, with many more trails to choose from. Look for maps on signposts at multi-use trail intersections, and when in doubt use the Rondy/Homestead trail to make your way back toward Service. While you’re meandering around the lowlands of Campbell Tract, make sure to ride Blue Dot, which runs (roughly) from the Rondy Trail near Tudor close to the airstrip. And if you’re still not tired, my favorite Far North loop is the Moose Ridge trail on the other side of the road up to Prospect Heights. There is enough trail in the Far North/Campbell Tract/Hillside area to pedal for days, so expect to visit a few times before dialing in the best single track. And bring a bike light, some food, water, extra layers, and chain tool in case you spend more time out than anticipated.