Ester Dome Single Track Update. Construction has begun.
by Joel on Jun.22, 2010, under Advocacy, Ester Dome Single Track, News
The Blade has dropped. Phase Two has begun.
The first phase of the Happy Valley Trail was a great success. We were able to lay in two separate loops last year, one 3 miles and the other a very technical 1/2 mile, and both have gotten rave reviews! These are the blue-colored trails on the above map.
The shorter trail was completely hand built (about 220 hours of work) while the longer loop was carved out by a mini-dozer under the control of Jon Underwood (dba Happy Trails), then partly hand-finished. This hand work was done by 68 individuals who volunteered a total of 683 hours!
Now, as we move into Phase II of the project, we realize that we have enough area and terrain features to increase the miles on the Outer Loop (marked in red) from the initial 5 to an estimated 6.6. To accomplish this though, we need additional funding. We’ve received a second $50,000 State Recreation Trail Program grant and a $5,000 facilities grant from Bikes Belong. But if we want those extra 1 1/2 miles, we are still about $15,000 short. So we need your help in both dollars and volunteer time. If we exceed the $15,000, we’ll use the excess to hire a crew to do the hand-finish work and apply it to other trail projects on Ester Dome.
** Remember, Alaska Trails is a 501(c)(3) so those dollars are tax deductable **
Use the button at the bottom of this link (http://www.alaska-trails.org/get_involved/onlinemembership.html) to make a donation via PayPal or snail mail to:
Alaska Trails
P.O. Box 100627
Anchorage, AK 99510
And, to supplement our Thursday evening volunteer sessions, Joel Buth (455.6520) will be leading weekday sessions behind the dozer and excavator Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, 8.30a to 11.30a. So give him a call and sign-up for some morning exercise!
We’ve all heard it, Trails Don’t Fall from the Sky! Thanks again for your generous contributions and support.
