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Post by SSO JOAT on May 26, 2013 19:15:07 GMT -9
Is Eklutna Lake Trail open and accessible yet (via bike or ATV)? Never been up there, so I'm not sure how far into the summer the snow cover will last.
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Post by ladybugkids on May 27, 2013 4:47:34 GMT -9
Last year at this time, skifast, akgh519, and I mountain biked all the way to the end of the road and found only a couple of patches of mud. We placed the Eklutna Glacier Ice Cube Cache, coord.info/GC3J4TT, and Balancing Act, coord.info/GC3MM8J. This year, bike access may be delayed a couple of weeks, but I believe the HELP crew rode ATVs back for a cache maintenance run a week or two ago. One wants to go early in the season so the avalanche snow bridge across Eklutna River is still in place to access the glacier without wading. The glacier ravine is amazing and the real jewel of the area.
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Post by SSO JOAT on May 27, 2013 5:34:03 GMT -9
Nice. I'm kinda thinking about grabbing the ATV and the Mtn Bike and heading up there for a full day, possibly on June 5, but maybe the beginning of the next week.
I'm 3 finds from 600 and think I've settled on a milestone target for that one. And it would be kinda fun to have my next milestone on the next day, but we'll see what kind of plan I can scrape together.
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Post by tomanoble on May 28, 2013 21:18:08 GMT -9
As of a week ago there were only 4 or 5 ice/snow patches across the trail up to the last bridge before where the road washed out during last Fall's storms. That was as far as we went that day. The trail is rideable up to the end of the trail if you use the detour atv-ers have cut to get around the washout.
One of the early sections of the bike trail suffered a lot of damage from the high lake levels last Fall as well. It basically doesn't exist for the one section but the rest of it is supposed to be mostly snow free and rideable/hikeable from what other users told us. The damaged section is hikeable but is a pain to carry your bike through.
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Post by tomanoble on Sept 3, 2013 12:12:16 GMT -9
All the rain and snow melt this summer has once again raised the lake level to where it has overflowed portions of the bike/hike trail. Please use your discretion as to which of the caches along this trail to search for, and how to get to them.
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Post by NeverSummer on Sept 11, 2013 13:53:51 GMT -9
I'd love to visit this area and grab some (most...or all) of the caches there. Anyone have a spare atv or a side-by-side that needs free gas, and needs some caches to find? I wish the missus and I had an ATV, but we don't. Yet. And my bike won't be shipped from my old house in MN until the snow flies. Go figure!
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Post by SSO JOAT on Sept 11, 2013 21:04:26 GMT -9
How accessible are these cache hides in the winter? A snowmachine ride up that trail in the winter could be an option, but only if all those micros are well elevated and easy to find.
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Post by fuzzybelly on Sept 13, 2013 7:49:30 GMT -9
You wouldn't have any problem finding HELP caches in the winter. I'll bet LBK loves to ski that area too.
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Mac5115
Bronze Cacher
Posts: 76
GeocacheAlaska! Membership Level: Sourdough
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Post by Mac5115 on Sept 17, 2013 21:20:57 GMT -9
Recently, I was given a report of the condition of the trail was closed due to the flooding. Has anyone verified this report and will it affect the caches that are out there?
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Post by NorthWes on Sept 18, 2013 16:05:30 GMT -9
There is extensive trail damage due to flooding, according to a conversation I had Monday with a Chugach Park Ranger. He didn't say the trail was closed, however. Best way to find out is to call Chugach State Park HQ during midday business hours, or check their Facebook Page.
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Post by tomanoble on Oct 1, 2013 22:22:37 GMT -9
Last time I looked on the Chugach State Park Website it said the atv trail was closed due to severe erosion and flooding. Just past the 8 mile mark the water at that time was 3 feet deep. The hiking/biking trail was still open but some of it was also under water and/or impacted by erosion. Some of the caches may now be in the water, even some that survived last year's high water. Personally I doubt the atv trail will be reopened this year.
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Post by SSO JOAT on Oct 3, 2013 11:28:32 GMT -9
Isn't much you can do when Mother Nature flexes muscle. Just wait 'till she's finished and then try to clean up the mess.
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