March 10th Cantwell

Message

mountaicat800 · #1 Post by **mountaicat800** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 1:06 pm

is the March 10th Cantwell ride on? My wife actually has that weekend off. Hopefully this cold snap will break prior to then. Some one needs to do a snow dance!

john · #2 Post by **john** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 2:37 pm

Kool, were going for the weekend. I need to get a room at Backwoods....

cleary · #3 Post by **cleary** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 9:23 pm

When you go to Cantwell where do you start the ride?

Chuck

john · #4 Post by **john** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 5:37 am

Usually at the FAA towers. This weekend were probable going to start right from Cantwell and ride out the along the Denali Hwy to the Jack and head into Caribou Lake.

If the weather isn't to good, we'll head to the towers and ride into the Dunkels.

mountaicat800 · #5 Post by **mountaicat800** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:10 pm

Hello John,
my wife and I will be there, since we moved to Anchorage that will be our first trip to Cantwell.

john · #6 Post by **john** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:59 am

Cantwell weather Predicts

Friday Night and Saturday
Partly cloudy. Lows 5 below to 5 above. Highs in the mid teens to lower 20s. North wind 15 to 20 mph.
[partlycloudy]
Saturday Night through Monday Night
Partly cloudy. Lows 5 below to 5 above. Highs in the mid teens to lower 20s.

OPA · #7 Post by **OPA** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:57 am

John, how far is the ride to Caribou Lakes and back
opa

john · #8 Post by **john** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:14 pm

humm, if I remember right it's about 40 miles RT.

I know it's less than a tank of gas

of course that also depends on your sled.

cleary · #9 Post by **cleary** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 1:39 pm

How about a report on the Cantwell ride. We wanted to go but had to pick up friends who we had been dog sitting for at the airport Saturday.

Chuck

john · #10 Post by **john** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 5:38 pm

Rough. We left from the igloo since the snow was major hard pack from out of the FAA towers. From the Igloo we rode hard pack on the flats and got into the powder in trees. So it was riding hard pack to the soft pack in trees and the trees were in groups, not continous.

Also got down in a couple valley we had trouble getting out of, well those of us with trail machines did anyway. Lots of pulling and a couples folks rolled their sleds. Don Lowe did build a new parking area in the willows. ;>)

Dean and company went up the Jack River on Sunday said it had major overflow, once they got into Caribou is was excellent riding and good powder. The problem is just getting there.

Anyway, for me and the wife we won't go back to Cantwell unless they get at least another foot of snow that isn't so wind blown and hard packed.

I'm trying to decide what to do for the weekend of the 24th. McLaren is full up that weekend and I hear Summit/Paxson is as bad as Cantwell.

mountaicat800 · #11 Post by **mountaicat800** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:15 pm

From the igloo i think it was great! we must have different opinioins on hard pack as I felt it was great powder for the majority of the ride. The sunday ride was fun also we saw a lot of wild life the overflow was a slight pain but the podwer in the mountains was great. There was one hill which I wish I would have climbed now.

john · #12 Post by **john** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 8:18 am

It "was" the best option for riding, guess I'm just spoiled

When I go to Cantwell I envision lots of powder and no to little hard pack ;)

So why didn't you climb it. ??

REVITUP · #13 Post by **REVITUP** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:51 pm

I would have to agree with Mountain Cat, thought Saturdays ride was fun. It could have warmed up a little but I didn't think it was too hard packed. Must be the suspension on the newer sleds! Woulda thought an old snow couch would've been comfortable though!!(

couldn't help myself) Sunday's ride was really nice, a little warmer and Dean led us into some beautiful country, lots of caribou, moose and even a porcupine waving to us along the trail. Lots of powder back in there and some great hills to play on.[/img]

john · #14 Post by **john** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 4:55 am

Guess I'll have to replace the shocks on my old Ford

mountaicat800 · #15 Post by **mountaicat800** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:19 pm

I did not climb it because it looked intimidating, I know i could have, I also for some reason have a fear of going down hills. Up is ok I have a problem with down. Dean, Chris, and ths skidoo guy that gave me an ice/water shower climbed it.