12/11/2025 – 25th Anniversary Epic

Rob DeVelice will lead "25th Anniversary Epic" with a duration of 1 hour somewwhere in West Anchorage.

Note early start time of 6:00pm.

For twenty-five years, Thursday Evening Epics have turned an ordinary 6:30 p.m. weeknight into a standing date with adventure and fortitude!  From early outings in 2000 to recent classics like Bird Creek 20K, No Man’s Land, Bunny Boots, Rays on Rainbow, McMurdo, Hairy Potter, and dozens more, the theme has stayed the same – adventurous, supportive non-competitive runs/hikes of a few hours where most never go.

Over 1,200 Epics, a loose collection of names on the “leaders” page has quietly built a tradition: Rob, Jesse, Lee, E. Marquez, and many others go every week no matter what the weather or season.  We’ve post holed by headlamp our way up peaks and bushwhacked impenetrable valleys, kicked balls through Rarámuri-inspired routes, left footprints on ski tracks, been the only cars left in the parking lot, and sometimes just rambled to “see what’s out there.”

On those Epics we’ve found many hidden trails and  visited countless unnamed places that some now have a name on the map like Nintendo Hill, Dicky Bird, Upper Highway, Caballo Blanco, Tortilla Chip Rock, Quadruple Bypass, Path of Destruction, Rough Around the Edges, Tire Iron, Sheep Thrills Ridge, No Mans Land, Black Mesa, Nigra Falls, Ninja Ridge, No Disco, Old Stump Road, Hole in the Wall, Workshop of Horrors, McMurdo, Keg and Ales, Lilly’s Trail, How Low Will it Go, and Sweat Lodge just to name a few.

This 25th-anniversary Epic is a simple walk around the track to reminisce all the perils and favorite adventures, see familiar faces, brainstorm future routes and celebrate Thursday Evening Epic Runs.

Meet at The Dome for a 6:00pm start time.  We’ll walk the track for as long as we wish and if participants desire will gather for meal at the participants discretion.

09/18/2025 – Puppies Intro to Epics 101 – Bushwacking

Lee Helzer will lead "Puppies Intro to Epics 101 - Bushwacking" with a duration of 2.5 hours somewwhere in West Anchorage.

Meet at the Upper Huffman Trailhead for a 6:30 departure.  On this Epic we will introduce puppies to single track trails, animal trails, bushwhacking, and river crossings while being cold and wet.

We’ll investigate a new bridge on the Campbell Gorge Trail and perform minimal trail maintenance along the way.  We will target an 8:55 return to avoid locked gates and exhausted puppies.

This epic will be more hiking than running.

03/13/2025 – Let There Be Light

Lee Helzer will lead "Let There Be Light" with a duration of 3.5 hours somewwhere in West Anchorage.

Meet for a 6:30 departure at the Campbell Creek Estuary parking lot which is off Selkirk Dr. and Edinburgh Dr.  We will take the coast to Jodhpur and ascend the Bluff.  We will turn around in the vicinity of the Costal Trail and return on the coast chasing the receding tide.  Expect muddy feet.

08/22/2024 – How Low will It Go?

Lee Helzer will lead "How Low will It Go?" with a duration of 3 hours somewwhere in West Anchorage.

Meet at the concrete soccer ball near the Kincaid Chalet for a 6.30 departure.  We will head to the coast and see how low the tide is then follow the water north doing our best to avoid quicksand.  Expect muddy feet.  We will return via trails and bushwhacking.

02/29/2024 – Potter Marsh Watershed Park Exploration

Lee Helzer will lead "Potter Marsh Watershed Park Exploration" with a duration of 2.5 hours somewwhere in West Anchorage.

Meet for a 6:30pm departure at Moen Park off Golden View Dr. We will explore trails in the proposed Potter Marsh Watershed Park.  Snowshoes advised.

https://greatlandtrust.org/press-release-great-land-trust-to-create-new-300-acre-anchorage-park-above-potter-marsh/

 

11/09/2023 – Snow Turtling

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.