Fairbanks Snow Travelers

I have to ask if anyone else know of this trail grooming project.

Its goes from Chena Hot Springs to Circle Hot Springs.

Its part of the Trail Grooming Pool.

http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/grants/groo ... nquest.pdf

I'd like to ride it and check it out. I did notice that it starts at Chena Hot Springs Resort, where non-resort sleds aren't allowed.......

What am I missing here, if this is being groomed, this should be a club ride, at least parts of it.

Or is it only groomed for the Quest ?

Retractions, it start on the West Fork ? not the resort, me bad.

I think I have seen that listed in the past. No one has touched it with a grooming buck since I started helping Cosmutto prep it for the quest. Don't want to speak for him but; He has never told me there about anyone doing anything up there. I can't remember when he started doing it.

If you get a chance, ask Coz what he knows. I'm real curious about the route and would like to ride it if it is being groomed as a sled trail as the DNR indicates.

I remember this topic at the snowtrac meeting and it was submitted by the Yukon Quest folks....after a quick discussion with Greg Biz (former Member of SnowTrac (Interior guy)) he told me that I should support the funding for this despite my opposion for a dog mushing event being funded by motorized folks. Greg stated that many snowmachiners use the trail after the quest is finished. So I did support it and it got voted down at first...but I made an emotional appeal to the board to reconsider funding it and the Iron Dog this year...but I suspect the Iron dog very well may be a casualty next year because of decreased funding expected next year coupled with a shift from grooming to doing more grants. Also the feds may be cutting funding in the trail program which a lot of stuff gets funded and if that money goes away...there may be more efforts by the different users out there to go after snowtrac funds...just thought I would pass stuff along

Thanks Steve,

Actually the route gets a lot of snowmachine use, not only for the Quest but for hunters sledding in for caribou, was considering that route myself to fill my Bou tag.

I was mainly wondering if it was suppose to be groomed more often than just before the Quest, but I think you answered that.

I would hope the SnoTrac folks would still put motorized users ahead of of Non-Motorized, especially if funding tighter. Or else DNR needs to serious consider other funding pools besides the motorized folks. I know there is a set ratio for motorized -v- non and if they keep that ratio, then I can live with it, but if they try to increase the ratio in favor of non, then we may need to look at some kind of political action from those of us that pay registration fees, especially after the last meeting minutes where the DNR director and ASSA said they support an increase.

As far as I know, the only SnowTrac money on that section of the Quest trail is in the 13-4X4 tripods erected over Eagle Summit Dec. 07. I never heard of any other funding.

That's interesting since they say its suppose to be groomed on a regular basis.

From the map:

This map represents trails groomed by Snow-TRAC grantees. Snow-TRAC
is a trail grooming program funded by snowmobile registration fees.
Not all of the trails on this map may be groomed at any particular time.
Please contact the following agencies or groups for up to date trail
grooming information.
Northern Area Parks Office:
(907) 451-2695
http://www.alaskastateparks.org

and from the Grooming Pool outline sheet:

Yukon Quest
Grooming Equipment: Snowmobile w/ 6ft Drag
1) Yukon Quest Trail 464 miles, 4 ‐ 8 feet wide, 1 ‐ 2 a month

I emailed the DNR folks and have not heard back as of yet.

Over the last two or more years the Quest has hired someone to ensure the trail in on the U. S. Perhaps some SnowTracs money is used to pay for some of it?? I don't know