National Trails Day on the Chugach

 A shaded-relief map showing the extent of the Chugach National Forest. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This year you can celebrate National Trails Day on the Chugach National Forest on Saturday, June 2^nd and Wednesday, June 6th.
Glacier Ranger District has joined Girdwood Trails on Saturday, June 2^nd from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Meet at the Glacier Ranger Station (first left off the Alyeska Highway) and go to work on the Girdwood Bike Path cutting back alders and other brush.
Contact Alison at arein@fs.fed.us or 754-2329
The second National Trails Day outing is for the Kids! Meet at the Ptarmigan Creek Campground Day Use Area (mile 23.5 of the Seward Highway) and takes place on Wednesday, June 6^th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. You’ll have an opportunity to take part in a variety of nature activities, crafts, bear safety, and counter assault bear spray demonstration. Pack a lunch and some water and join a short hike after the festivities conclude.
Contact Irene for more information ilindquist@fs.fed.us or 907-288-7748

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Denali National Park Seeking Artists and Writers for 2013 Artists-in-Residence Program

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Denali National Park and Preserve is seeking applications from visual artists and writers for the 2013 Artist-in-Residence Program. This program provides the opportunity for established artists and writers to use an historic roadside cabin as a base to explore the park and seek inspiration from it. Many of the works created by previous artists-in-residence are displayed in the Denali Visitor Center and the Eielson Visitor Center. "These interpretations of the park's landscape, wildlife, and cultural history, as portrayed through the skills of professional artists and writers, provide a superlative means to connect our visitors to the beauty and complexity of this great national treasure," said Superintendent Paul Anderson.

A link to the online application and more information about the program is available here. Applications for the 2013 season must be submitted by September 30, 2012. Notification letters will be sent out by December 15, 2012.

Selected artists reside in the East Fork cabin, located at Mile 43 on the park road, for a ten day period between June and mid-September. In return for their residency, each artist donates a piece of artwork or written piece inspired by their time in the park to the park's collection. Artists also offer a public presentation for visitors at the end of their residency.

The Artist-in-Residence program is a national program. Artists have played a significant role in raising public awareness of the natural wonders preserved within the National Park System and the need for their protection since the creation of Yellowstone, the first national park. This is the 12th year of Denali's program.

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All Areas of Denali National Park and Preserve 1980 Additions Closed to Snowmobile Use Cantwell Area Trails Temporarily Closed to ORV Use

Denali National Park (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Superintendent Paul Anderson has determined that due to the deterioration of the snowpack, there is no longer adequate snow cover for the use of snowmobiles for traditional activities in the 1980 additions to Denali National Park and Preserve on both sides of the Alaska Range. All park lands that were open for snowmobile use are now closed for the season. Even in areas such as Broad Pass and near Cantwell, the warmer temperatures and long days have reduced snow depths to a level that is no longer adequate to protect vegetation and soils from damage by snowmachine use.

All lands within the former Mount McKinley National Park on both the north and the south sides of the crest of the Alaska Range are closed to all snowmobile use by federal regulation.

Effective immediately, the Windy Creek Trail, Cantwell Airstrip Trail, Pyramid Trail, Cantwell Creek Floodplain Trail/Corridor, and the Bull River Floodplain Trail/Route are temporarily closed by regulation (36CFR 13.903 and 13.460) to the use of off-road vehicles (ORVs) by authorized subsistence users in order to protect vegetation and soils from damage. The temporary closure will allow the trails to dry in order to sustain ORV traffic. These trails will re-open for use on June 15, 2012. View a map of the closed area.

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Denali Facilities Opening for Summer 2012 Season

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The lengthening days, milder overnight temperatures, return of migrant birds, and arrival of summer employees are all signs that the seasonal facilities and services that enhance the park experience for Denali National Park and Preserve visitors are opening soon! 

The Denali Bookstore, operated by park partner Alaska Geographic, opens Monday, May 7 to kick off the season. Many other park entrance area facilities will open on Tuesday, May 15, including the Morino Grill, Wilderness Access Center, Backcountry Information Center, and the Denali Visitor Center. The visitor center features stunning exhibits on Denali's natural history and cultural heritage, screenings of the award winning, high definition feature film, "Heartbeats of Denali", and friendly rangers who can answer questions and help visitors plan how to spend their time in the park. It is open daily from 8:00 am - 6:00 pm.

The season's first interpretive offering, the 2:00 pm sled dog demonstration, commences on May 15. Free buses to the park kennels depart from the Denali Visitor Center shuttle stop at 1:20 p.m. The 10:00 am sled dog demonstrations begin on Sunday, May 20.

Denali Natural History Tours start on Monday, May 14, and the shoulder season Tundra Wilderness Tour (TWT) to the Teklanika Rest Area will be available May 15 - 19. The regular TWT begins Sunday, May 20.

The park road is open for travel by private vehicles to the Teklanika River Rest Area (Mile 30) through Saturday, May 19. Beginning Sunday, May 20, the park's shuttle bus system starts providing visitor access beyond the Savage River (Mile 15) as far west as the Toklat River (Mile 53). Buses will start running to the Eielson Visitor Center (Mile 66) on Friday, June 1. The entire 92-mile length of the park road will open for buses on Friday, June 8, conditions permitting.

The first fifteen miles of the park road will remain open for travel by private vehicles throughout the summer season. This year a project to replace over 100 aging culverts is taking place on the paved portion of the road in preparation for future repaving. Drivers should expect to encounter minor traffic delays (5-10 minutes) between 5:00 am - 11:00 pm.

Work will also take place at night. Beginning Monday, May 7 through Friday, May 18, the road may be closed between Mile 3.4 (just west of park headquarters) and Mile 15 from 11:00 pm to 4:59 am, Monday - Thursday. From May 18 -September 13 the road may be closed seven nights of the week between 11:00 pm and 12:00 midnight and from 2:00 am - 3:00 am.

Camping is free at the Riley Creek Campground until fee collection begins on May 15. Water and sewer services may be available by that date, depending on weather conditions. The Savage River Campground will open on Saturday, May 19 and the Sanctuary River, Teklanika River, and Igloo Creek Campgrounds all open on Sunday, May 20. The Wonder Lake Campground opens on Friday, June 8.

Denali National Park and Preserve collects an entrance fee year-round. The entrance fee of $10 per person (for visitors age 16 and older) is good for seven days. You can pay the entrance fee at the Murie Science and Learning Center (MSLC) through May 14, and the Denali Visitor Center (DVC) beginning May 15. The majority of the money collected remains in the park to be used for projects to improve visitor services and facilities. Interagency Federal Recreation Passes such as the Annual, Senior, and Access Pass, and the Denali Annual Pass are also valid for entry into the park and can be purchased at the MSLC or DVC. 

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Active Duty U.S. Military Offered Free Entrance to All National Parks

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To show our appreciation for those who serve in the U.S. Military, on Saturday, May 19 - Armed Forces Day - the National Park Service will begin issuing an annual pass offering free entrance to all 397 national parks for active duty military members and their dependents.

"We all owe a debt to those who sacrifice so much to protect our country," said National Park Service Alaska Regional Director Sue Masica. "We are proud to recognize these brave men and women and hope that a visit to a national park will offer an opportunity to unwind, relax, rejuvenate, and just have fun with their families."

In Alaska, only Denali National Park and Preserve charges an entrance fee ($10 per person, ages 16 and older). The fee provides the visitor with an entrance permit valid for seven days. Several other national parks in Alaska have fees associated with particular amenities, such as camping, but these are not covered by the military pass. Denali NP visitors reserving shuttle bus seats online should look for instructions on how the fee waiver will be applied.

Active duty members of the U.S. Military and their dependents can pick up their pass at Denali National Park, at the park's ranger station in Talkeetna, or at the Alaska Public Lands information Center in Anchorage or Fairbanks. They must show a current, valid military identification card to obtain their pass. More information is available at www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm. The pass can also be obtained at any national park which charges an entrance fee. A list of national parks with entrance fees in the Lower 48 is available at http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparksbystate.htm.

This military version of the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass also permits free entrance to sites managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the U.S. Forest Service. The pass is also available at those locations.

"Through the years, military members, especially those far from home in times of conflict, have found inspiration in America's patriotic icons and majestic landscapes, places like the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon that are cared for by the National Park Service and symbolize the nation that their sacrifices protect," said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. "This new pass is a way to thank military members and their families for their service and their sacrifices."

National parks and the military have strong ties going back to the establishment of Yellowstone as the world's first national park in 1872. The U.S. Cavalry watched over America's national parks and did double duty, serving as the first park rangers until the National Park Service was created 44 years later. During World War II, many parks (including Denali) were set aside for the training and care of military personnel. Today, dozens of national parks commemorate military battles and achievements.

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BLM-Alaska Celebrates 150 Years of the Homestead Act

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Anchorage—Alaska Governor Sean Parnell has declared May 20, 2012, Federal Homestead Day in Alaska.  In addition to the Governor’s proclamation, BLM-Alaska is marking the 150^th anniversary of the Homestead Act with several local events and a new Webpage.  Grab the family and jump in the wagon (or station wagon!) this 4^th of July and join BLM-Alaska as we honor 150 years of the Homestead Act.  BLM-Alaska will participate in the Anchorage July 4^th Parade and will host a Homesteading in Alaska-themed booth at the Festival on the Parkstrip from Noon to 6:00 p.m. at the Anchorage 4^th of July Celebration on the Delaney Parkstrip.  The last female homesteader in America, Elizabeth M. Smith, and other Alaskan homesteaders will join us at the booth to talk about their experiences homesteading on the Last Frontier.  The booth will also feature interpretive displays and materials on homesteading and its history.  BLM-Alaska has also developed a Web page that covers the origins, opportunities and legacy of Homesteading in Alaska.  The page features an interactive timeline, videos, photos and a downloadable poster.  The page can be found on the BLM-Alaska website at www.blm.gov/ak.

Homesteading in Alaska began when President William McKinley signed legislation in 1898 extending homestead laws to the District of Alaska.  In the rest of the United States, homesteading began when President Lincoln signed the 1862 Homestead Act, enabling over 1.6 million people to claim federal land intended for small farms. By the time the last Alaska homestead claims were made in the 1980s, approximately 3,500 people had homesteaded in the Alaska territory.  Potential homesteaders traveled by boat, car, and later by airplane, some north of the Arctic Circle where grizzlies outnumbered humans, some to a plot accessible only by train, most settling near areas close to roads or where boats could land.  They included Gold Rush era miners who resumed prior careers as farmers in the early 1900s, and some WWII soldiers returning to Alaska after 1945 having become enchanted with their memories of a sportsman’s paradise.  Others came just wanting the adventure of Alaska, some arriving as late as the 1970s.  Most Alaska homesteaders came overland, some dragging trailers up the Alaska Highway after it opened in 1947, they were the only ones who avoided building a house from scratch with no indoor plumbing.  All faced the brutal Alaskan winters, some found it to be too much and abandoned their dreams of living in the wild, leaving Alaska or settling in a town where life was easier.

The distinction of being Alaska and America’s last female homesteader to receive a homestead requiring cultivation of the land belongs to Elizabeth M. Smith.  She received a homestead patent on Oct. 18, 1984, for land near Big Delta, Alaska.  The distinction of being Alaska’s last male homesteader, and the last homesteader in the entire nation to receive a homestead requiring cultivation of the land, belongs to Kenneth W. Deardorff.  He received a homestead patent on May 5, 1988, to land on the Stony River near Lime Village in southwestern Alaska. He filed his homestead claim in 1974, but its remoteness caused delays in his receiving patent to the land until the spring of 1988.  Descendants of homesteaders today are estimated at about 93 million Americans, with many thousands still living on farms claimed by their ancestors.

Some Snow Machine Areas Remain Open in Chugach

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Seasonal snowmachine closures for parts of the Chugach National Forest are in effect beginning May 1^st. The normal closure date of the Forest for over the snow vehicles is May 1, however, due to above average snow depth the following areas will remain open:

Turnagain Pass from Bertha campground NORTH to where the power line crosses the Seward highway at approximately Mile Marker 74 can remain OPEN to allow access from the motorized lot, to the up-track, and into the Seattle Ridge area.

• NOTE: Turnagain Pass from Bertha campground SOUTH, including Johnson Pass is CLOSED

Most winter-motorized areas on the Seward Ranger District remain open. See below for trail conditions and recommendations.

• Motorized travel in the following areas is currently good: Carter Lake, Lost Lake via Primrose or Seward Trailheads, Resurrection North (road to the trailhead has been plowed), and Palmer Creek.
   
• Travel is not recommended to Lost Lake via the Snug Harbor Rd. Chugach Electric has plowed the road one-mile beyond the winter parking area and the road is blocked with a large dozer blade. This mile of plowed road is down to gravel and there is no snow.
   
• Travel is not recommended by snowmobile on West Juneau Road or Slaughter/Bean Creek for access to Resurrection South due to road plowing activities.
   
• Travel is not recommended by snowmobile up the South Fork of Snow River due to the amount of open water.
   
• Travel is not recommended by snowmobile on Trail Lake.

We will measure snow depths weekly.   When conditions deteriorate to the point of resource damage, areas will be closed to motorized travel. Areas may close with little notice, so check our website at www.fs.usda.gov/chugach or follow us on twitter @ChugachForestAK or www.cnfaic.org for the latest information.
Recreationists should be aware of weather and snow conditions before they go into the backcountry. Using the backcountry involves risk anytime of the year. Avalanche conditions may exist even in the summer.  Take a look at the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center website at www.cnfaic.org for “Springtime Avalanche Tips.”
If you are going into the backcountry, tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return. Travel in a group rather than alone. Be prepared to survive an emergency situation. All backcountry users need to know their skill level and use common sense and discretion.
For more information visit www.fs.fed.us/r10/chugach or call one of our offices: Anchorage 743-9572; Cordova 424-7661; Girdwood 783-3242; or Seward 224-3374.
 Violations of motorized closures may result in a fine.

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