bear valley trailhead anchoragebear valley trailhead anchorage

This trailhead has many route options. Without support from the police, and perhaps suspecting an unfavorable outcome in civil court, Pugh resolved to defend the trail alone. After it became clear that he would not remove the gate voluntarily, several organizations attempted to negotiate with Pugh. On June 19, 2019, the Anchorage Daily News published a cryptic editorial by Cavanaugh titled Anchorages never-ending crime prevention loop. In the article, Cavanaugh excoriates the Anchorage Police Department for allegedly enabling criminal behavior, and expresses frustration at the time he has had to spend covertly recording and catching trail users. Boutique, small ship adventure cruises in Alaska's Inside Passage, Cruises depart from Whittier, a 1 hr drive from Anchorage. The Stewart Trail is far from the only prescriptive easement in Anchorage, where many trails and roads were built with little regard to official property lines. The trail begins about a quarter mile ahead. Its up to them to choose how they want to be remembered. Boy! In early 2018 Pugh became Chair of the RCCC, and Cavanaugh became Vice-Chair. Wildlife Viewing. The piece also neglects to acknowledge that there are multiple access points to Chugach State Park other than Stewart Trail. Features: Kid Friendly, Bicycling, Skiing, RunningDirections: To access the trail head, take Peters Creek exit from the Glenn Highway, then turn right on Ski Rd. In June 2019, Cavanaugh accosted Team Landmine and local journalist Craig Medred while walking on the Stewart Trail to prepare for this story. Ivan and Oro Stewart occupy a middle ground in Alaska history: not quite famous enough for the history books, but so impactful that the ripples of their adventurous lives are still visible throughout the state. Many hikers were irate after making the long drive to upper Bear Valley only to find the designated parking spaces full, and began parking on the shoulder of Honey Bear Lane and nearby Snow Bear Drive. Discover the optimal month due to daylight, temperature, and rain. A less developed trail continues on for another 2 miles, then quickly gains elevation to the pass. Because it is south-facing in a high-wind area next to the ocean, this route is often fully snow-free as soon as early May. The business is listed under hiking area category. According to some, the failure of Proposition 7 has perpetuated a dysfunctional cycle for public access across much of the Anchorage Hillside: residents vote to make their local parks and access points unmanageable, and the resulting problems are then used as a justification for further restrictingor failing to defendaccess. Smoked salmon and cans of King Street hefeweizen sat on the table, and an aged golden retriever ambled between guests in the packed living room. Melissas Monthly fhike. I can't give it the five stare ratings it deserves, maybe we can all get together and change things back to the way they should be! In fact, it is arguably the most reliable early-season hike in the Chugach, and is often snow-free long before traditional early-season hikes like Bird Ridge or Wolverine. The man in the audience grilling Pugh about his handling of the re-zoning issue was Bert Lewis, an Anchorage fisheries biologist who had already begun organizing a neighborhood effort to reopen the Stewart Trail. Dan Sr. was a smart, gracious engineer who tolerated our small house (at the beginning), and himself had no problem with me hiking and skiing the upper parts of Mountainside Village (before there were roads were built up there). Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, The 9 Best Northern Lights Viewing Spots Near Anchorage, How to Travel to Alaska in January and February, The Best Large Family & Group Vacations in Alaska, How to Get from Anchorage to Your Cruise Port in Whittier or Seward (or the reverse! It was easy to understand why even local residents who support reopening the Stewart Trail express anxiety about a sudden flood of visitors. This trailhead has many route options. Your must-have activity guide + map while in Alaska. Location:18691-18699 Seward Hwy, Anchorage, AK 99516, USA. Location: Bear Valley: Ray E Stork Homestead Park Link out: Click here Start Time: 18:30 Date: 2013-04-18 End Time: 20:00. Starting elevation: 2090ft, Ridge 3150 ft. Take left on Snow Bear Dr.. Still some snow patches on the mountain. . Secretly collecting and sorting through tens of thousands of photos, videos and audio recordings of your neighbors. Parking lot, Blueberry Loop Trail, Anchorage, AK 99516, Northern Trailhead, Seward Hwy, Anchorage, AK 99516, Blueberry Loop Trail, Anchorage, AK 99516, 10471 Honey Bear Ln, Its a bad situation, but theres a lot of blame to go around unfortunately. On the other side, strike out across the open tundra and climb any of the slopes arcing upward toward McHugh Peak. Bear Valley: Golden View Trailhead has great access to McHugh Peak, and view from ridge is one of the best view of Anchorage and Chugach mountains. By this point, many influential people in the broader Anchorage community had become aware of the bizarre drama unfolding on the Stewart Trail and at the RCCC. The Stewarts were regular fixtures in Anchorage parades, towing their vehicle behind a team of domesticated reindeer. Around this point the brush gives way to open tundra and cross-country walking becomes simple. And if I saw that it was a well-established trail, which it was, I probably would not have bought it planning on not letting other people use it. And there are so many stories of hikers and berry pickers being harassed by residents up there. The lot appeared to have significant value to only one group: users of the Stewart Trail. But Pughs new acquisition presented major challenges: the bottom portion was encumbered by a wetland and stream, where development would be severely restricted, and the upper areas were steep and exposed. A vehicle gate was installed across the mouth of the Stewart Homestead Road, but pedestrian access remained unimpeded. The vast majority of McHugh is long, fairly relaxed Class 2 (hiking, light scrambling) ridgelines, but attaining the true summit requires a very short Class 4 climb up a cluster of large rocks. Does this trail get overgrown. The idea that everyone who wanted to hike was able to do so is preposterousthose people who used to legally park there on the roadside didnt just disappear. Roadblock on Snow Bear Lane, photographed November 29, 2019. The lot was bisected by the Stewart Trail, which runs from its northwest corner to the middle of its eastern side. Anyone familiar with the peak would find that name fitting. From the trailhead, the clearly-signed trail begins at the parking lot and switchbacks through dense alder toward the broad shoulder of McHughs north ridge. After a quick call, he agreed to an interview. 3 and 4: 55 Ways to the Wilderness (1972). Free personal GPSdriven travel guide to Alaska. 2-5 day small ship explorations. they can do what they want and have friends in some interesting places they can pull string to have are park access restricted and in forced by APD, that's funny. 03/16/2023 . Great article on an important issue in Anchorage. We'll match you with a local itinerary expert to help you plan your trip. Cavanaugh developed his own network of cameras to surveil trail users, and began confronting people on the trail. In a September 24, 2018 email to Anchorage Assemblymember Christopher Constant, Pugh states this belief explictly: As for Ms. Stewart, based on your comments and the many discussions that I had with people on my property, it is evident that she granted permissive use to many people thus making claims of prescriptive easement null and void.. In a 2016 Alaska Trails Survey, over seventy people stated that they had openly used the Stewart Trail for decades. Sign-up for any of the following email series to help plan your Alaska trip. It leads along an old roadbed that can be steep and muddy in sections. ", "Jesse Aaronsen's review mistakes Canyon Road trailhead for this one. It is steep; however, wherever you stop, you will have a gorgeous view of Anchorage and Chugach mountains, from Flattop far on the left to peak 2, 3, and Ptarmigan Peak. In 2016, a large wildfire tore throughportions of the McHugh Creek drainage, leaving a striking landscape of brilliantly-colored orange and green mosses between the charred, fire-sculpted trunks of burned trees. He was sometimes slow, one former coworker told the Landmine, but he was careful. My notes on the summit pinnacle itself are in the Bear Valley route description above. Nobody wants crime in their neighborhood, but it persists across this city nonetheless, regardless of the stringency of parking rules. I Am so thankful for your persistence and work! Also, it is a relatively short hike to the first peak with a great view of Anchorage. The position requires confirmation by the Anchorage Assembly, and Pugh was determined to stop it. Pugh, it seemed, dreamed of finding real estate riches in the steep slopes of upper Potter Valley. Make sure you bring your camera, there are pullouts the entire way up with stunning views of Anchorage, Cook Inlet and on a clear day, Denali (Mt. Cruises and land tours are great ways to see Alaska. 2023 Bear Valley Resort. At the end of the article, Cavanaugh claims to have evidence of likely corruption within Anchorage up to perhaps the state level. Neither the alleged corruption nor the nature of the evidence are specified. Falsey followed with letters dated March 2, 2016, and April 20, 2016. Not long after, the Stewarts moved to Anchorage and opened Stewarts Photo on 4th Avenue. Though it is possible to bushwack across the valley toward McHugh at any point, the brush thins substantially in the upper valley and the Rabbit Creek ravine becomes shallower. At the last rocky point before the summit, the trail disperses onto a broad face that sweeps up toward McHughs craggy crown. On September 26, 2019, Team Landmine attended a public Friends of the Stewart Trail meeting at the home of Chris and Janice Reynolds, not far from the entrance to the trail. Lock on Frank Pughs gate, photographed December 2, 2019. They traveled the state in an amphibious vehicle, once running 365 miles of the Yukon River in three days. I have photos. Distance: 0.9 miles, Elevation gain 1000 ft. This expansiveness and proximity to Anchorage make McHugh an excellent choice for easy day trips, afternoon berry-picking jaunts, long ridge walks, and rocky scrambles. Arctic Valley; East Anchorage. It is not good access to Rabbit Lake's, Flattop, Peak 2 etc. The nearest access points to Chugach State Park are the micro-Trailhead at Honey Bear, the end of Canyon Road, and Turnagain Arm Trail across from the Potter Section House. At first glance, this would appear to be an astonishing value; buildable lots nearby often sell for $150,000/acre or more. In a January 1, 2019 phone call with the Landmine, Weddleton said the proposition had failed because those outside of the service area wanted to continue avoiding city park taxes, and wanted to keep outsiders out of their neighborhoods. But community councils are unable to change regulations directly, and their powers are largely advisory. Basin of the McHugh peak is a wide moonscape like rock field. A tentative trial date had been set for June 22, 2020. Title: Bear Valley: Ray E Stork Homestead ParkLocation: Bear Valley: Ray E Stork Homestead ParkLink out: Click hereStart Time: 18:30Date: 2013-04-18End Time: 20:00, We hike around UAA park or Chester Creek Trail. This is one of the steepest hike we do. Trail was steep for the first mile and a little muddy in places. Site by. 10471 Honey Bear Ln, The Chriss hadnt met before and occupied opposite sides of the political spectrum, but nothing encourages bipartisanship in Alaska like the prospect of an interesting hike. To assess Pughs claim that the Stewarts granted permission to individuals to use the trail, the Landmine contacted the Stewarts longtime employee and friend Albert Whitehead. McKinley). Out and back is about five miles through dense stands of spruce, lush fern and devil's club. All trails are moderate with wonderful view. Book entire boat for your family or group, or opt to bunk with other guests. All trails are flat. Click on the thumbnail to read the full letter in PDF format. Its nowhere near the tallest or most difficult, but by land area its a sprawling giant. But the people are coming anyway.. It has a few outcrops that you may not want or need to climb over, but its generally easy to follow and fairly low-angle. While you can find wildlife throughout the surrounding area and along any of the four established trails . I dont usually read this site but was sent a link to it because I live off Honey Bear Lane. The Bear Valley area is a hikers paradise! Local conservation giant Great Land Trust (GLT) commissioned an assessment of the easement, and Pugh indicated that he would entertain an offer. In emails, Pugh frequently refers to unauthorized trail users as trespassers engaged in criminal trespass. None of those access points offer the same kind of grade perfect for young children and people of limited mobility with unfettered views up and down valley. These guys just sound like two outstanding citizens of Alaska. But, view is worth. How does Mattanaw access his parcel? The trail, and the state park beyond it, are beautiful. Bear Valley Hike is a Hiking area located at In the end, the current land owners affected by the prescriptive easements have a wonderful opportunity to establish a positive legacy for themselves and their heirs by working nicely with the community. The park has many trails. Yes historically it is an access point, but when many of these houses were built it was a barely used one. Book entire boat for your family or group, or opt to bunk with other guests. But in the case of the Stewart Trail, evidence of historical use seems to be overwhelming. At first, Cavanaugh seems to have taken enthusiastically to his new life on the Anchorage frontier. because upper hillside voters ACTIVELY VOTED to keep it that way. Great article! As soon as the tundra permits easy walking, cut south from the Rabbit Lake Trail, descend into the creek ravine and cross Rabbit Creek. And thats when residents knew something had gone badly wrong. It has highlighted how decades of compounding errors in city planning have created so much dysfunction that one rogue landowner has been able to seizeand, for years, successfully holdcontrol over more land than any other individual in the Municipality of Anchorage. This 2 mile-long, family-friendly trail, which begins 90 minutes south of Anchorage at the far end of the Whittier Tunnel, remains the only easy way to see Portage Glacier on foot. Sign at the Honey Bear parking lot, photographed November 29, 2019. Campgrounds, RV Parks & Public Use Cabins. But in a May 7, 2018 email to a member of the public, Langley writes that, despite the No Parking signs, parking would still be legal if a driver could find a way to leave 20 feet of roadway clear: According to Langley, Honey Bear Lane was a public street open to the appropriate legal use by any person, and parking on the shoulder was no more or less illegal than parking on the shoulder of any Anchorage road of equivalent width. Gains elevation to the middle of its eastern side we do the gate voluntarily, several organizations attempted negotiate... Actively VOTED to keep it that way voluntarily, several organizations attempted to negotiate with Pugh people!: 55 Ways to the middle of its eastern side Team of reindeer... Temperature, and April 20, 2016 brush gives way to open tundra and cross-country walking simple! 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