Now this is a trip!

[Darrell]

Follow on face book. Thanks Maclaren lodge..............

The Grand Adventure


The Grand Adventure, a 1856 mile cross country snowmachine adventure and film series across the state of Alaska this coming winter.

[john]

WOW, this is an adventure and I'd love to be on it. Check out their route, they'll be coming through Fairbanks, eventually.

http://www.thegrandadventure.co/

https://www.facebook.com/grandadventurefilm

[Darrell]

Went out to meet the crew coming in from the wood river. Seems they came on a different trail so I miss them. Sure hope to figure out the trail south some day. Anyone got any clues please pass them on?????

[john]

I'd like to know what route they did take in, was thinking about meeting them myself, dang work

Their site said the Bonnifield, if not I'm wondering if they just made their own route through the flats from the Wood ?

[Darrell]

I was at the Bonniefield close to Creek butte no show. I left messages on the their facebook and I'm think of going out there again today, a trail broke to the wood wowow!

[john]

Looking at their post, they went via Willow Creek which is south of the Buttes and then it looks like they hit the Tanana near Seven Mile Slough. Be a nice ride to find their tracks on the flats south of the Buttes and on to the Wood... Humm

[Darrell]

Just got off the phone with Adam he works with Shaun @ Ft Wainright and said they where almost to the south end few weeks back. I seen their track. Now to find this cross country team track..

[john]

South end of Buttes ?

Paul and I ran that last Thursday and we followed the track I had set from last March, you can see it at

http://www.snowtravelers.org/maps/Clear ... _Loop.html

In the drop down menu in the upper right corner select US Topo (ArcGIS) and then enlarge the view by double clicking on the map, you'll see where I bypassed the Bonnifield trail and it still wasn't passable when we went out it.

I'd like to go to the farthest red dot (076) and see if we could pick up the Grand Venture trail past that a few miles, of course it'll have to be the weekend after next since I told Larry I'd help cut brush and help him eat some of those 600 hot dogs he has left

Though I'm not to hot on riding the Wood River or what ever creek that was with all the overflow and ice that broke through on them, this per their site comments and pictures.

[Darrell]

Back to Butte today and took trail to the west never seen a track I would call the one. Took a right instead of a left and didn't check the mouth of willow ck

[avalanche]

Hey guys!

My wife clued me into this thread today.

So DNR finished cutting out the old Bonnefield Trail two winter ago I believe. Two years ago I was able to take it out to within 10 miles of the Wood where there cutting stopped. Last winter I made it all the way through, but the last 5 miles wasn't done and was areal bear to get through. This year we cam through twice, once in January breaking out the trail and again this week when we cam through on our trip. As of January I believe my crew has been the only ones using the trail, now there are some other tracks on it. I know know why DNR didn't re-open it all the way to the river..

There is guy, Bill Barr from North Pole, who has a nice little trapping cabin and airstrip at the end of the trail, and on the wood river. We had to go right through his yard to get through. We met him out there in January and he was bummed that we pushed the trail through, although at the same time curious about the route to Fairbanks instead of coming in the Rex from Clear. He is concerned about increased traffic and potential pillaging at his cabin now that the trail is usable, which is valid.

The last 4 or so miles the trail changes direction and somewhat parallels the river. It's only about 1 - 1.5 miles direct to the river, it may be worthwhile if people are interested in going out there frequently to put in some effort and cut a new trail direct to the river?

Anyway, to get out there one could take the Bonnefield super highway, then over or around the buttes, and stay on that same trajectory past the buttes and all the way to the wood. It's a slow rough trail, but gets better each time we go over it. It's tough to break out for the first time, as there are some deep moose trail ruts and it likes to drift in at an angle. Roughly 10 miles past the buttes, the trail crosses the SE end of a huge meadow. This is where we bypass in from the Ester/Rosie Creek side of town, coming across the flats, up Willow Creek (where all that water was on our Facebook, know it's frozen well) then across the meadows to pick up the trail. It's just an alternate bypass route, you should be able to follow the original trail off the butte as well, depends on where you are coming from.

Hope that helps clarify?

[john]

Avalanche,

From your trip post's it looks like you took Willow Creek west to the Tanana about 20 miles or more south of where my Topo shows the Bonnifield ends, last trip out I didn't see any track at all, not even old ones from the base of Clear Creek Buttes, maybe I just missed them.

Hoping to make it to the Wood via the Bonnifield rather the river / willow creek route.

Thanks for the info

[Darrell]

Made a call to gold king and found that people been out to the wood and it took about 5 hours. Not much other detail.

[john]

Humm, question is did they get there via the Rex or the Flats from FB.

Five hours could make this an interesting ride

[txcanyon]

Humm, question is did they get there via the Rex or the Flats from FB.

Five hours could make this an interesting ride

John,
This for Saturday?

[Darrell]

South Cushman.