Yesterday Roger Burns and I went riding west of Fairbanks. We went west on the Cripple Creek Trail, did some exploring in the Bonanza Forrest, and some riding on the Tanana River. The Cripple Creek Trail is in good shape. A lot of the trails and roads in the Bonanza Forrest haven’t been ridden at all yet and have good snow cover. The Tanana is better than it was at this time last year. What jumble ice there is is worse than last winter, but there isn’t as much of it. There is at least two feet of untracked snow in some places on the River.
Paul
Tanana River and Bonanza Forrest
Moderator: john
Tanana River and Bonanza Forrest
Paul S. Renschen
Show me the way.
Did you find a way to Skinny Dicks? Use a GPS? Where is the Cripple creek trail?
No, we did not get to Skinny Dick's. The whole story is under "27 January" in "Upcoming Rides."
Yes, Roger had a GPS and flagged all the critical intersections.
Cripple Creek Trail runs east-west north of the Tanana from Rosy Creek Trail to the Bonanza Forrest. It is on the map in the big Alaska Atlas. You get to it from Rosy Creek Trail. If anybody is interested, Roger an I are going back on Tuesday - and I could be talked into going back again almost any time.
Paul
Yes, Roger had a GPS and flagged all the critical intersections.
Cripple Creek Trail runs east-west north of the Tanana from Rosy Creek Trail to the Bonanza Forrest. It is on the map in the big Alaska Atlas. You get to it from Rosy Creek Trail. If anybody is interested, Roger an I are going back on Tuesday - and I could be talked into going back again almost any time.
Paul
Paul S. Renschen
Today we finally made it through to Skinny Dick's. We started from the Chena Pump Park, went down the Tanana to the Rosy Creek Trail, Rosy Creek Trail to Cripple Creek Trail, and back to the Tanana to the Bonanza Creek Trail to the power line. Took power line to the logging road that comes out across the Parks Highway from Skinny Dick's. It was a thirty four mile, three hour ride. On the Bonanza Creek Trail there were three trees we had to cut out of the trail, and there was one gully that was steep and deep enough that we said we would try to get around it going back, but other than that, the trail was narrow but good. On much of it, we were the first riders through this winter.
Going home we ran into several dead ends trying to get around that gully on the Bonanza Creek Trail that we wanted to avoid. We never did find a way around it. Three of us made it through alright, one rider was stuck at the bottom for a long time. Eventually we made it through. Instead of going back to the Tanana, I took a short cut over the hill that Roger and I had found while exploring two weeks ago. The trip home was thirty miles and 2 1/2 hours. All in all, it was a very fine day.
Paul
Going home we ran into several dead ends trying to get around that gully on the Bonanza Creek Trail that we wanted to avoid. We never did find a way around it. Three of us made it through alright, one rider was stuck at the bottom for a long time. Eventually we made it through. Instead of going back to the Tanana, I took a short cut over the hill that Roger and I had found while exploring two weeks ago. The trip home was thirty miles and 2 1/2 hours. All in all, it was a very fine day.
Paul
Paul S. Renschen