Lee Helzer will lead "Snow Turtling" with a duration of 2 hours somewwhere in West Anchorage.
Note change of location due to record snow fall.
Meet at the Kincaid chalet for a 6:30 departure. We will snow turtle around the bluff and dunes. Snowshoes suggested.
Lee Helzer will lead "Upper Highway Spring Loop" with a duration of 3.5 hours somewwhere in Turnagain Arm.
Meet at the Rainbow trailhead for a 6:30 departure.
We will review The Upper Highway trail progress and make and make minor adjustments if required on the way to the highpoint near Tortilla Chip Rock. We will then follow the ridge north-east for a short distance and take the gully north-west down to the lower trail and return.
Lee Helzer will lead "Chasing Sunsets" with a duration of 4 hours somewwhere in The Chugach Front Range.
Meet at the South Side Flattop trailhead for a 6:30 departure. We will head up the southside direct trail to Flattop and then follow the ridge back as far as Ptarmigan Pass and return via Rabbit Lake trail.
Epic photo opportunities will hopefully present themselves.
Lee Helzer will lead "The Hidden Williwaw Ramp Cirque" with a duration of 4.5 hours somewwhere in The Chugach Front Range.
Note the earlier time to try for an optimal sunset.
Meet at the Glen Alps parking lot for a 6:00pm departure. We will head up Nintendo Hill and cross the Ballfield to access the Williwaw Lakes Trail. After a short time on the trail we will break off and explore a small body of water in the picturesque Hidden Williwaw Ramp Cirque. We will return via the same path or a slightly longer alternative with less elevation.
This will be a re-attempt of the 6/24/2021 Epic that was thwarted by a moose kill on the trail.
Lee Helzer will lead "Service Work" with a duration of 4 hours somewwhere in Turnagain Arm.
Meet at the Rainbow Trailhead for a 6:30 departure. We will follow an intermittent trail (No Disco) up valley toward South Yuyanq’ Ch’ex to an undetermined point then return via the same route.
Lee Helzer will lead "The Abomination" with a duration of 3.5 hours somewwhere in Eagle River - South.
Meet at the South Fork Eagle River trailhead for a 6:30 departure. We will take the Abomination trail to Hunter Pass then follow the ridge to Rendezvous Peak. We will return by the new Muktuk Marston Trail taking the occasional detour to investigate spent rocket boosters.
Lee Helzer will lead "Unnamed Ridge" with a duration of 6 or more hours somewwhere in Eklutna.
Note Earlier Time
Meet at the Thunderbird Falls Trailhead for a 6:10pm departure. We will carpool to the Eklutna Lake trailhead for the start. We will make a brief detour to the Doly Varden public use cabin before we ascend the well established rouge trail on the south side of the dam up to the unnamed ridge. We will follow the ridge west, ticking off 3, 300′ prominent highpoints (Peak 855, Peak 820, and Peak 594) before descending to Thunderbird Falls.
Lee Helzer will lead "Tour de Kincaid" with a duration of 3.5 hours somewwhere in West Anchorage.
Meet at the parking area near the Kincaid Chalet for a 6:30 departure. We will attempt to get a full value tour including bluffs, sand dunes, single track, ski trails, and beaches.
Lee Helzer will lead "Ladders and Chutes" with a duration of 3.5 hours somewwhere in Turnagain Arm.
Meet at the lower McHugh Creek Day Use parking lot for a 6:30 departure. We will head up the McHugh Lake trail to a hopefully mostly snow free ridge and return via a snow Chute. Ice axe recommended for optimal glissading.
Lee Helzer will lead "Rays on Rainbow" with a duration of 3.5 hours somewwhere in Turnagain Arm.
Meet at 6:30 in the Telephone Pole Rock parking area wearing bright colors (on the left after Beluga Point) on the Seward Highway. We will head up to the Turnagain Arm Trail and then diverge onto a ridge heading towards the Black Mesa. From there we will asses snow conditions and either continue up the North Face or the south west ridge of Rainbow Peak (hopefully) enjoying a beautiful sunset along the way. Ice axe, snowshoes, and micro spikes recommended.
From the summit we will take the standard route back to the Turnagain Arm Trail and return to the cars.
Lee Helzer will lead "Jodhpur Jaunt Reversal" with a duration of 2.5 hours somewwhere in West Anchorage.
Meet that the Jodhpur Trailhead for a 6:30 departure. We will drop down to the high tides of the tidal flats then proceed north west. We will return via the high grounds of the bluff.
Lee Helzer will lead "Sheep Thrills" with a duration of 3.5 hours somewwhere in Turnagain Arm.
Correction. Meet for a 6:30 departure from the Falls creek trailhead. We will jog along the highway to the Falls Creek trailhead where we will attempt to follow the proposed new standard route up Sheep Thrills Ridge. We will return via locals trail.