Riding on saturday

[alexofak]

I would like to take my sleds out on saturday and am wondering where a good place would be to get some easy beginner riding in. I was thinking the pipeline might be a good spot to take my sleds for a test drive and to get me and my girlfriend a little more comfortable with the machines. It is my understanding that to ride the pipeline you need a permit. Is this true? Unfortunately I was not able to attend the last meeting where you may have discussed this. Would it be possible for me to obtain a permit(or two, two riders? I am not sure how it works) by saturday. If not, maybe there is another area where we could just cruise around taking it easy for a few hours? Preferably not too far of a drive. I am limited to a single sled in the back of my truck and would like to do two trips so I can spend a little time on both sleds. Whatever works as long as I can get out and ride this weekend.

[john]

Saturday were meeting at Chatanika and it should be an easy ride.

Pipeline, you need a RUG Permit from Alyeska. You can get one from Alyeska Security folks. You'll have to tell them which areas, I use PS05, PS12 (PS = Pump Station). I believe they are located on Van Horn. You need a RUG for each person, so you'll need 2 and they are free and you should be able to get one by Friday, it's a simple form you fill out and they give you your RUG at the time you apply. Just need picture ID.

[REVITUP]

Alyeska Security is located on south Cushman past Six Robblees by the train tracks. They can get you a RUG in a matter of a few minutes.

[john]

Thanks Jody, just noticed that mine expires on the 20th so I guess I'll be going there myself.

[alexofak]

I would love to go to chatanika but I would like my girlfriend to come along and she will probably not be available until at least 11:00am on saturday. Maybe we will cruise out there when she is done and ride around a bit. Both of those pump house locations seem pretty far, for some reason I was imagining jumping on at the tourist stop which seems less feaseable now that I think about it. Any other recommendations for closer places to ride? I should probably look into the pipeline situation a little more thoroughly. Are there any good sources of information?

[john]

The Pump Station locations are the points of reference Alyeska uses, the permit (RUG) allows you to ride the pipeline "between" the points. You can start anywhere in between, but... always a but, a lot folks have their property, which the pipeline sits on or under blocked off. No Trespassing :<(

A good short local ride, assuming there is enough snow, would be the Winter Trail. You can connect to it from either the Chena Rec Area (if you can get across the river) or from Nordal Road, north of the Chena. There is a pull out on Nordale and you'll see a trail that parellels it, head towards Chena Hot Spring Road and you'll come to a right turn in the trails, take the right and follow it. You'll come out on a dirt road a few miles along, take another right, cross the bridge, go a nother mile or so and hang a left. You can take the Winter Trail all the way to Circle if you know the turns

Watch out for dog teams as a lot of mushers use it for training, especially as you get closer to pleasent Valley.

PS: you can find these trails in the trails database, check out "Chena River Bridge to Valley Center" and the "Fairbanks to Chena Hot Springs" maps. Just use caution on any river crossing this early in the season.... thin ice yet I'm betting.

[hvhavel]

What about Chena Lakes Rec. Area in North Pole? Anyone know if there is enough snow?

[john]

One could try it, but as a rule the Rec Area is usually low on snow do to the winds :(

[Christien&Shelbye]

Just took a short ride out in the Goldstream Valley and the conditions are great! Glad I waited the extra week or so to drop the sleds off the trailer. Probably saved me a lot of wear and tear on the hifax. Going for an extended ride up O'Conner creek tonight to Old Murphy Dome Rd and Resolution Drive to make sure my sled is solid for Saturdays ride. I'll try to get some pics and let u know how the trails are. I'm betting there's a lot of snow up on Old Murphy Dome rd. The winds haven't been bad out here today. The trails in the low areas are still a bit twiggy; but i bet the stuff up above 800' is nice. I forgot how much i missed the smell of 2 stroke burning...

Ride on!

[alexofak]

Thanks for all of the input. It seems like there are plenty of places but I still have yet to make a decision. I know now that it will be me and my girlfriend and we will only be taking one sled. It will be her first time riding and even though it will not be my first it might as well be. I would like to do some easy 2up riding and maybe have one of us hop off and wait while the other cruises back and forth and vice versa. I want to equate this to a parking lot where one would learn to drive. I would like for us both to have some time behind the wheel in the driveway so to speak. Maybe if we get comfortable quick enough we will head out to one of the above mentioned spots. Not to mention there is always the possibility of riding on sunday in addition. If nothing more suitable arises we might wind up going to chena lakes. Hopefully this snowfall will be enough.

[irshpryd40]

I was out to the Flood Control (Chena Lakes) just 2 days ago. The snow was the same as it was any where around. About 6 inches or so. I have never had a problem out there. It is nice and flat and Nothing to hit i.e. no trees, stumps etc.
Very good place to "play around in" and you can also pick up the "winter trail" from there as well. I wouldn't worry about the "winds" around here. It doesn't get tha windy here as it does up north of here or south of here. Just my opinion.

Bt now though the snow has added.

[cleary]

This is what it looked like in front of my garage doors at 12:30 AM last night. It's been snowing and blowing up here for two days now. Must have 8 or 10 inches with winds around 20 with gusts to 40. I just barely made it up the Skiland Road this afternoon with my 1 Ton 4X4. Should be great riding Saturday.

Chuck

[Christien&Shelbye]

This is what it looked like in front of my garage doors at 12:30 AM last night. It's been snowing and blowing up here for two days now. Must have 8 or 10 inches with winds around 20 with gusts to 40. I just barely made it up the Skiland Road this afternoon with my 1 Ton 4X4. Should be great riding Saturday.

Sure seems the interior is a lot windier then it used to be back in the day; but it's always been windy up there at Skiland for sure. Were those pics taken from the bottom of skiland near Chatanika or up at the top? Looks a bit crusty and hard if the pup isn't sinking in the snow more. If that's the case might be smarter to stay well below tree line for Saturdays ride.

Hopefully they get some of that snow on the Steese out to Chatanika plowed (even though the snow probably gives better traction then what's underneath it). Maybe even some gravel tossed down. A tiny bit concerned about towing the trailer up and over those hills with a season or two already on my snow tires. If u are out and about this evening maybe you could give us an update on the Steese for those of us making the trek out tomorrow morning. Sure wish i had a set of tire chains for my Dodge or maybe some studs.

Looking forward to the ride for sure!

[cleary]

This is what it looked like in front of my garage doors at 12:30 AM last night. It's been snowing and blowing up here for two days now. Must have 8 or 10 inches with winds around 20 with gusts to 40. I just barely made it up the Skiland Road this afternoon with my 1 Ton 4X4. Should be great riding Saturday.

Sure seems the interior is a lot windier then it used to be back in the day; but it's always been windy up there at Skiland for sure. Were those pics taken from the bottom of skiland near Chatanika or up at the top? Looks a bit crusty and hard if the pup isn't sinking in the snow more. If that's the case might be smarter to stay well below tree line for Saturdays ride.

Hopefully they get some of that snow on the Steese out to Chatanika plowed (even though the snow probably gives better traction then what's underneath it). Maybe even some gravel tossed down. A tiny bit concerned about towing the trailer up and over those hills with a season or two already on my snow tires. If u are out and about this evening maybe you could give us an update on the Steese for those of us making the trek out tomorrow morning. Sure wish i had a set of tire chains for my Dodge or maybe some studs.

Looking forward to the ride for sure!

Christien & Shelbye,

The pictures are at our place at Skiland on the south side of the hill overlooking the Fairbanks Creek/Fish Creek Roads intersection. The reason the pup (Betsy) isn't sinking in is because the wind has scoured that area in front of the drift. I would expect the Steese over Cleary Summit and to Chatanika to be fine by tomorrow as DOT hits it early because of the Fort Knox Mine. I'll post more later after I assess the situation up here. It's still blowing and snowing up here. Time to break out the sleds.

Check the Cleary RWIS Site here: http://www.dot.state.ak.us/iways/roadwe ... &siteId=29

Chuck

[cleary]

I just talked to Ronnie and he said the beer delivery truck just arrived from town and the Steese is fine. It just keeps getting better, good road, new snow and the lodge has beer.

Chuck