Warm-up causes outdoor recreation havoc

WASILLA — After the turkey leftovers are prepped, for many, the holiday time off calls for outdoor activities.

But those opportunities come with a caveat this week, as the recent warm spell has essentially closed Hatcher Pass, and many local ski and multi-use trails have softened to the point that travel is being discouraged.

Bright spots have emerged, however, as snowmachining and ice fishing are producing positive results.

In Hatcher Pass, a Tuesday avalanche closed Palmer-Fishhook Road at the Gold Mint trailhead parking lot, and avalanche warnings for backcountry travel remain in effect. The road will be closed at least through the weekend, according to Department of Transportation spokesperson Jill Reese.

Alaska State Parks Mat-Su Superintendent Wayne Biessel said Wednesday that the road closure should remain in effect through Friday while the department of transportation evaluates the conditions. For updates, visit www.dnr.alaska.gov/parks/

Trail reports for the Government Peak Recreation Area have urged skiers and fat-tire bikers to avoid the area to preserve the base. The Matanuska Greenbelt Trail System, which includes the Matanuska Lake State Recreation Area and Crevasse-Moraine systems, is soft as well. While fatbikes are being urged to stay off those trails, check conditions before ski touring or snowshoeing. The same can be said for other area trails, such as the Colony and Palmer high school systems, the Lazy Mountain Nordic Trails and Mat-River Park.

For a trail condition roundup, visit the Alaska Outdoor Reports page at www.snowio.com, or the Mat-Su Ski Club at www.matsuski.org

Despite the warm weather in the Anchorage and Mat-Su areas, snowmachiners are finding good riding farther north around Petersville, where more than two feet and counting has piled up.

“It’s deep out there,” Gate Creek Cabins owner Susie Seibert said of the conditions Tuesday. “The trails haven’t been groomed yet, so it’s just old fashioned powder riding.”

Biessel said while both the Nancy Lake State Recreation Area and Denali State Park were opened to snowmachines Nov. 20, DNR is going to re-evaluate the Nancy Lake area Friday.

For those in the mood to earn some pan-fried payback with the effort of hauling gear and using an ice auger, fishing reports have been good.

Mike Hudson with Three Rivers Fly and Tackle said Tuesday that Kepler and Echo lakes were producing good trout and Dolly Varden catches, as was Loberg Lake and the Meadow Lakes system. In Wasilla, Lake Lucille was producing some good trout numbers, Hudson said, adding that anglers need to use caution when walking on the ice.

“Go a little ways and check the ice depth as you move out from shore,” Hudson said. “Most of the smaller, local lakes have about a 6- to 8-inch ice thickness and with the warmer weather, watch out for the overflow.” He said Big Lake and Wasilla Lake are usually the last to freeze up, so added caution is advised.

Contact reporter Steven Merritt at 352-2269 or steven.merritt@frontiersman.com