1/31/2019-Seward Ranger District

Hello to all of you, after a long spell of being away from work I am pleased to be back!

The warm up this past week has created icy and hard packed trail conditions below 900’ in elevation. Even though all of the Seward Ranger District (except Resurrection Pass Trail) is open to winter motorized use, conditions up to approximately 900 feet in elevation are icy though manageable in some areas for the more experienced rider. Lost Lake Trail is not recommended due to extreme icy conditions for the first mile unless you have studded tracks. 

I always have Kahtoola Micro spikes with me, they are easily worn on shoes when biking on ice, you don’t notice they are there until a sudden slip and they help catch your fall.

Slippery roads we couldn’t (might have been able to but we chose not to) drive today:

Resurrection Creek Road beginning at mile 3.5

Snug Harbor beginning at mile 5

Slaughter Ridge last 400’ to the winter parking at mile .5

Skiing at Mile 12 Divide, Russian River and Trail River C.G.’s is more difficult due to hard pack, frozen ruts, and boot prints. Keep an eye on weather, 1” of snow would make these areas fabulous. 

For those who walk, run or bike on groomed ski trails please try to stay off to either side when conditions are soft so prints aren’t frozen in the middle of the ski trail.

Dale Clemens Cabin now has plenty of propane to make it through spring.

Ice skating is the name of the game until the next snowfall, please keep in mind ice thickness may vary drastically on each body of water depending on past and present weather, location, inlets, outlets and springs, etc… just because I give ice thickness reports on frozen bodies of water does not mean ice travel is safe, it’s just information on ice thickness. There are many factors in determining where, how, when, and if you should travel on ice, refer back to the link I sent earlier this winter on ice safety.

Irene Lindquist 
Forest Technician

Forest Service

Chugach National Forest, Seward Ranger District

p: 907-288-7748 
irene.lindquist@usda.gov

33599 Ranger Station Spur
Seward, AK 99664
www.fs.fed.us 

Caring for the land and serving people