Friday, June 21st
Annual Solstice Hike
“New” Eska Creek Falls Trail

This is our annual Solstice Hike. We will meet at 12 Noon at the old Sutton Library, just off the Glenn Highway on Jonesville Road.

Eska Creek Falls Hiking Trail ~ We will hike the new trail which has been built over the last two summers by the Mat Su Borough trail crew.   It climbs up to the alpine area below the falls (about 1300 feet), then meets the old trail.  It is considered a moderate to difficult hike. It will probably take about 2-3 hours to reach the falls, so plan on a little snack and solstice celebration when we get there. The first half of the trail travels through forests of spruce, aspen and alder, then quickly becomes more open with some great views.

When & Where ~ Meet at 12 Noon at the old Sutton Library. We will meet up and then carpool to the trailhead from there.   It may take a couple of 4 wheel drive vehicles to get us all there.

Directions from Palmer: Drive northeast on the Glenn Highway to *Sutton. Take a left on Jonesville Road – the corner where the Alpine Bar, Fire Station and General Store are located – go about 1/8 mile and the old Library is on the right. It is a one story ‘reddish-brown’ building. * Sutton is about 15 miles northeast of Palmer, and we will be driving an additional 3 miles to the trailhead on a steep, bumpy road/trail.

What to bring ~ Wear sturdy hiking boots, gaiters are a good idea, as are hiking poles. Dress in non-cotton layers and be prepared for rain or sun. A stocking cap, gloves and wind/rain layer are good to pack in preparation for cold and wind at higher elevations.  Bring a snacks (or dinner) and plenty of water.

The draft management plan for Nancy Lake State Recreation Area is available for public review and meetings are set for this month to allow public comment and gather more input. The plan provides an overall management and facility development strategy for the lands and waters within Nancy Lake State Recreation Area and Nancy Lake State Recreation Site.

The plan addresses issues that affect public and private uses and agency management of the area. It also recommends new and redeveloped facilities and trails to meet the needs of the recreating public for the next 20 years.

Two open house-style public meetings have been scheduled to provide an opportunity for people to learn more about and comment on the plan. Each meeting will have a presentation followed by an opportunity to speak with agency staff where you are encouraged to provide input, share your concerns, and ask questions.

Meeting schedule:

Anchorage
Tuesday, June 4th, 6:00 to 8:00pm, Campbell Creek Science Center Multipurpose Room

Willow
Wednesday, June 5th, 7:00 to 9:00pm, Willow Community Center

To view, download, comment, or request a hard copy or CD of the plan or to find contact information please visit the planning website

www.dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/nancylk/planning.htm 

 * To receive full consideration, comments must be received by Friday July 12, 2013.

The Government Peak Recreation Area (GPRA) is a new Mat Su Borough park dedicated to non-motorized recreation.  It is located north of Edgerton Parks Road on the south-side of Government Peak.  Currently there are 5 kilometers of Nordic ski trails built with another 30 kilometers planned. The area lends itself to summer use as well, so biking and hiking trails will also be developed.  This summer VMBaH is partnering with Alaska Trails to construct 3 ½ miles of singletrack trails that should be ready to use in 2014.

This year’s construction will be just the beginning of an extensive trail network at GPRA that will appeal to both mountain bikers and hikers.  Once constructed the singletrack  trails will provide residents and visitors a wonderful recreational opportunity, and make GPRA a year-round destination.

Even though most of the construction will be done by mechanized equipment there will be plenty of opportunity for VMBaH members to stay involved in the construction.  Volunteer trail work days will be scheduled later in the summer to spruce up the trails once the machinery has left.  So, stay tuned for more information and your opportunity to be involved.

Rippy Trail update

The first portion of the historic Rippy Trail is designated as a ‘multi-use’ trail by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in the Knik River Public Use Area Plan.  The trail has reached a serious state of degradation making it difficult to traverse for most hikers and mountain bikers.  Valley Mountain Bikers and Hikers, Knik River Watershed Group and partners have repeatedly requested seasonal closures and considerations to alleviate rutting and ongoing issues impacting the trail. Weight limits, off-trail wetlands travel, illegal tree cutting, shooting regulations and anadromous waters laws have not received effective enforcement along this important trail route.

Many of you know that the Rippy Trail accesses rich and sensitive habitats of Jim-Swan Lakes Wetlands. It is also identified as an Audubon Important Bird Area. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service just completed two seasons of study in the area, adding to the Fish and Game anadromous waters catalog, as well as doing follow up work on Knik River Watershed Group’s 2005-2006 USFWS grant reports of the area. The new, complete report will soon be available.

The good news is the Rippy Trail may be improved.  DNR has recently awarded a contract to a private trail building firm based in Fairbanks to do a trail prescription to reroute and plan a sustainable trail. A USFWS Coastal Impact Assistance Program grant of $140,000 has been procured by DNR for this restoration work.

Stay tuned as VMBaH and the Knik River Watershed Group provide updates and possibly some new opportunities to advocate for this important valley trail.

 Palmer Bike Park

The Matanuska River Park Plan is its final stages and the Palmer Bike Park is on the map! The planners took the time to listen, learn and understand why the community needs a dedicated space for bicycle recreation. But, we can’t relax yet.  The plan still needs to be formally drafted and accepted by the MSB Assembly, but this is a huge leap forward.

A big thanks to ‘Supporters of a Palmer Bike Park’ (that’s you), USKH, the Mat Su Borough, National Park Service RTCA, as well as the supportive staff and officials of the City of Palmer.

Thanks for taking the time to comment and write letters of support. Palmer Bike Park group has worked hard with the public and other community stakeholders. A bike park in Matanuska River Park will make the park even more of a gem, and will be another great feature in one of the borough’s best parks!

For more information about the bike park and to weigh in on possible park designs go to www.bikepalmer.com

Annual membership drive is underway 
If you aren’t already a member of VMBaH, please consider becoming one today. If you are a member, please consider renewing your membership for another year.  Just go to www.vmbah.org  homepage and click on the ‘Become a Member’ button.

We are a volunteer organization and we keep our overhead low, but we still need your help to pay for our trail building, advocacy work, summer kids program and outreach efforts.  We hope to take our organization to a new level in 2013 with some sizable trail projects, so having paying members is especially important for prospective grantors and funders. Please show your support and become a member.

Many thanks to those of you who have already joined or renewed your membership, your generosity and support are appreciated.