Winter Mecca

HATCHER PASS — When the nights turn cold and termination dust descends lower and lower down the peaks around Southcentral Alaska, winter enthusiasts pine for the start of winter. Many years, they must wait until late November before enough snow falls to ski, snowboard, snowshoe or snowmachine.

But one area in the Mat-Su Borough receives reliable early season snow, sometimes as early as late September — Hatcher Pass.

Long a place where elite local Nordic skiers make their first strides of the season, Hatcher Pass is also the place to be for backcountry skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and sledding.

A mile-long section of road leading to Independence Mine State Historical Park is closed for driving once enough snow falls — about 12 inches — for grooming. Then, former Colony High ski coach Ed Strabel and his son, current Colony coach Mark Strabel, tow a groomer behind a snowmobile to set skate-skiable corduroy and parallel tracks for classic skiers.

The Strabels finished up the season’s first groom Thursday morning. Members of the Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center, which includes a number of U.S. Olympians, were there. By Friday, carloads of kids from Anchorage ski clubs, as well as Valley high school programs, were there skiing off the rust of summer and getting ready for the upcoming competitive season.

On a calm, sunny afternoon, skiers slowly glided down the groomed road, their shrieks of delight echoing towards the parking lot.

The trail gets plenty of use on weekends, at least until more snow falls at lower elevations to allow other trails to open. After that, the crowds thin considerably. But until then, there is occasional conflict. Skiers are going up and down the hill. Snowshoers and hikers plod along. Many people bring dogs.

To help direct the traffic, an arch has been placed over the beginning section of trail, with several signs hanging below to divide the trail into four lanes: walkers, snowshoers and leashed dogs to the extreme left; skiers traveling downhill next; uphill skate skiers, skijoorers, backcountry skiers (wide skis) and those pulling ski sleds next; and uphill classic skiers (skinny skis) to the far right.

The traffic direction is necessary because of the increasing crowds — on weekends, there can be a line of people waiting to ski uphill, Mark Strabel said.

Hap Wurlitzer, the longtime owner of the nearby Hatcher Pass Lodge, said October is far from his busiest time of year (that would be summer). But he said since the Strabels took over grooming duties a few years ago, traffic has increased, especially on weekends. But not all of those people make it into the lodge for a hot beverage (or cold) and bite to eat.

Wurlitzer used to do the grooming and still does pack in a few trails using a snowmachine. But he was only too happy to let the Strabels take over. The work is usually done at night. And on cloudy days, flat light makes it extremely difficult to see terrain features in the snow and it’s easy to get stuck.

The Strabels receive some compensation from the Mat-Su Borough’s bed tax for their efforts.

Sometime Thursday evening, someone drove past the gate and up the groomed road, leaving two giant gouges in the freshly groomed corduroy. Wurtlitzer said he heard whoever it was fishtailing up the road. He awoke and dressed and was about to jump on his snowmachine to drive up and stop the person, but the person left before he could get going.

In any case, the Strabels regroomed the damaged trail in time for the weekend. On a bright Saturday morning, Olympic hopefuls from APU skied laps around the weathered mine buildings of Independence Mine. Recreational skiers, not in quite so good shape, labored up the road, stopping frequently to hunch over their poles and catch their breath.

On a nearby slope, bundled-up kids trudged uphill for another sledding run in early light. On the peaks above, skier skin tracks zigzagged toward the summit, while gentle S-turns showing their decent were etched nearby.