Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation hosts Winter Discovery Day

Families from across the Valley tested cross country skis and fat tire bikes while working on their tans on the trails located just a few steps - or pedals and glides - from the parking lot at Government Peak Recreation Area for the second annual Winter Discovery Day on Saturday.

Local outdoor businesses and organizations collaborated to host this event for members of the community to try new equipment and familiarize themselves with the organizations across the Valley that facilitate the many outdoor opportunities the area has to offer.

“For recreation in Alaska, there’s people that have been here living in the area, recreating for years, decades. They know where to go, they know the safety stuff. But for a lot of people who are new to the area or maybe their family wasn’t very outdoorsy, it can be a little bit intimidating,” Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation Executive Director Taylor Raftery said. “A big event like this just makes it really easy for folks to go to an area of interest and have a conversation with one of the staff members or volunteers, get a ton of information about how and where to fat tire bike, where to ski.”

The Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation (MSTPF) is a resource for funding and supporting trails and public parks development throughout the Valley. They generate an average of $350,000 to $450,000 in grants every year for projects that all user groups can enjoy. MSTPF’s goal is to get more people out enjoying the opportunities that are available to them and to create even more opportunities for future generations. They are one of the key partners that hosted this year’s event.

“We’re helping facilitate all these different organizations and local businesses, getting everyone in one place,” Raftery said. “We just want to get folks from the community out here to meet the organizations.”

One reason Raftery moved to Palmer from Vermont was to enjoy all the opportunities that the Valley has to offer. She hopes to share those opportunities with others and now works to educate her neighbors on what they can be doing outside

“Having opportunities that I can drive to within 5, 15, 20 minutes of my house, where I can go ice skating, walk the dogs, go skiing and just have all these amazing opportunities that are completely world class,” Raftery said.

Revel Treks and Tours, an outdoor adventure company based out of the Valley specializing in guided hikes, history and scenic tours and building connections within the local outdoor community, was another key partner at this year’s Winter Discovery Day. Owner Kierre Childers emphasized how important it is for those living within the Valley to meet and connect with their local organizations and businesses that make outdoor recreation possible.

“The trails and parks foundation (MSTPF) really wants to connect people to all these recreation resources in our area,” Childers said. “I think a lot of times it can be hard to connect with them as an individual. So putting them all in one spot where you can just talk to the groups that you’re interested in, or maybe that you’ve never heard about, it makes it simple.”

Around 20 businesses and organizations attended the event, including Backcountry Bike and Ski, Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center, Valley Mountain Bikers and Hikers, Skeetawk, Backcountry Horsemen of Alaska and the Mat-Su Ski Club. Each provided a slightly different approach to getting outdoors. But the goal of every group was to educate and inform.

“Life in Alaska is hard, the people are so friendly, but life can be challenging,” Childers said. “The easier we can make it to connect people to the things that provide community and connection and get you outside and keep people healthy, for me, it’s so important as a member of my community. I think that that is something that this event does. It means a lot to me.”

The Mat-Su Ski Club (MSSC) and their coaches provided ski lessons at the event. The MSSC is in charge of trail grooming at the Government Peak Recreation Area and in Hatcher Pass. Administrator Marla Jakab said that the weather cooperated for a successful event this year, with four fresh inches of snow to make trails enjoyable and access convenient.

Despite mild conditions this winter, the MSSC has been able to successfully keep trails groomed and complete the Junior Nordics Season. Jakab said that Junior Nordics only had to cancel a couple events and praised the resilience of the youth that participated. The MSSC used the event to promote their upcoming Junior Nordic program for the 2025-2026 season, with registration opening in October. They will also be offering classes for adults in the fall and early winter for those that are interested in Nordic skiing.

There is still time to enjoy skiing this winter, Jakab said. She said that spring is one of the best times of year to ski, with longer days and warmer temperatures. The MSSC will continue to groom trails into April and sometimes May. She encourages users to check the MSSC website for up-to-date trail and grooming reports, as well as the Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center for safety updates.

“From this point on, you need sunscreen and you can probably even start skiing in your t-shirt and shorts if you want to,” Jakab said. “Even if you’re not a skier, you can walk, you can bring your dog. Just get out there.”

Jakab also recognized how beneficial an event like the Winter Discovery Day can be for connecting members of the outdoor community. She said that many of the people behind each organization rarely have an opportunity to engage with each other in person. She believes that it is opportunities like this one that makes the outdoor community in the Valley so great.

“I can see these people face to face, collaborate a little bit, just talk to them about what their organization is up to and share some information,” Jakab said. “That means the most, because the connections is really what it’s all about, both on snow, in person, in the sun. That's what makes our community thrive, is connections.”

The Winter Discovery Day will be held again in early 2026. The affiliated pre-winter outdoor resource event is scheduled for Oct. 4 at the Palmer Train Depot to inform winter outdoor recreators on their opportunities before the snow falls next winter.