Goldstream Sports Fairbanks Alaska

100 People Donating $100 Needed ASAP

We have an opportunity to increase our original plan for the summer from 5 miles to 6.6 miles but we need more funding. We have flagged the entire 6.6 mile loop but will need to cut the length if we do not receive more funds.  Please donate now. Larger donations are welcome, as are smaller donations.

People interested in donating money to the project should make a donation via PayPay (http://www.alaska-trails.org/get_involved/onlinemembership.html) or send a check to Alaska Trails; P.O. Box 100627; Anchorage, AK 99510. Alaska Trails is a 501(c)(3) non-profit group, so donations are tax deductible.

Volunteers are also still needed for the project. Volunteer work parties are being held Thursday evenings. To be put on the notify list contact Geoffrey Orth (geoffrey.orth@alaska-trails.org). Joel Buth, owner of Goldstream Sports and another organizer of the project, is leading weekday sessions behind the dozer and excavator Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. People interested in helping with those should give Joel a call at 455-6520.

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.

Unfortunately, riders that could not wait until the trail dried out before riding it have in effect vandalized what they love. The trail now has deep wheel gashes in the berms and the water drainages have been backed-up by ruts. It will take many hours of work to fix the damage done to this point.

The trail was built to sustainable standards, meaning that the entire trail was built with a five degree out-slope on the tread, grade reversals, drainages, and other construction methods of preventing erosion. The five degree out-slope is vulnerable to damage, especially during the first year, because the trail has not had enough time to fully harden. When ridden in soft conditions it forms a groove in the line most ridden by users. The water then runs down the groove and erosion becomes a serious problem. The best line, usually the most ridden line, becomes an erosion rut. All areas where this rutting occurs will need to be re-graded if the trail is to last for future riding enjoyment. The repairs will take many hours of hard work and manual labor.

Don’t be a trail vandal! Please stay off the trails until they are dry, and the trail has a chance to harden.

If you have ridden the trail this spring, please come and volunteer with us this summer.  Contact us at Goldstream Sports for days and times of volunteering.  The more help we have, the easier it is to build and repair the trail, and everyone can enjoy a fun and beautiful trail.  Thank you.

Ester Dome Single Track has had great reviews from those who road it last year. As we look forward to the mud drying up and being able to get out on the trail we are planning additional miles of trail to be added this summer.

Last year we build 3.5 miles of trail and we have 5 more miles planned for this summer. We will break ground on the next 5 miles of the project mid June. We still have hand finish work to do on the trail built last year.  We will be putting out a call for volunteers soon.

Ester dome Single Track has received $105,000 grants to cover the bulk of the construction cost to this point. However we are still about $10,000 short of our goal for this year. We are hoping that the requests for funding we have out will cover $5000 of the shortfall.  We still need your help in funding the last couple mile of this summers trail. Donations can be made though Alaska Trails. http://www.alaska-trails.org/

It is that time of year when I squeeze those last minute summer activities. I just finished a fun tandem bike ride with my son Luke.  The Ester Dome Single Track is quite a challenge for a tandem.  We had  a little trouble in one spot but managed to stay up right. Sharp steep turns are not easy to do on a tandem.  Needless to say the T&T was not possible with the tandems long wheel base and I had to skip the jumps. Luke said he wanted breaks and did not like the fact he had a large blind sport right in front of him, me. Thanks Luke. When we finished riding there we 8 cars in the parking area. Good thing we are adding trails next year.

Check out the Joplin seat post. It features adjustable height on the fly. I found myself adjusting it almost as much as I shift. One of those things that when you get used to it it will be hard to live without.  At least on the Ester Dome Single Track.  Three inches of  adjustment. I set it high for the climbs, a little lower for the rough areas and most of the way down for the jumps and drops.

I road the new single track and it is in great shape. A few small spots of snow. Further up the hill trails were snow covered and the upper part of Henderson Rd was icy. Time to get out and ride it for the last time before it snows.

A trail Map of the amazing Ester Dome Single Track

Want to see it bigger? Look at the Large Map of Ester Dome SingleTrack (JPG)

Saturday I road the new Ester Dome Single Track in both direction. Wow what a ride. It is designed to ride both directions and does so very well. I can not decide which one I like better. Going clock wise offers some fun descents through mining trenches, a wooden drop and one spot for some major air if desired. going the other direction offers more air and breaks up the climbing more.

We still have more finish work to do and will be building more features from wood and rock. We meet every tursday at 6 work a couple hours (all tools are provided) and have beer and pizza after.

Come ride it. Come Help build it. And look forward to more then doubling the size next year.