By Frans Weits

Jack Sprat Restaurant Owner in Girdwood

In July, 2005, four years after we'd opened Jack Sprat in Girdwood, my two year old son and I were about to go camping on the Kenai Peninsula when Kurt Hoessel, owner of Girdwood-based Alaska Wildland Adventures, contacted us. 

Kurt said he could not say what was happening, but that he was bringing a "very important guest" to our restaurant for Sunday brunch. 

“Just make sure to be there!" he said. 

This was my first time taking my son, Frans Ryker, camping and his mom was getting a much deserved break from child rearing. 

What did my wife, Jen Weits, do with her free weekend? Well, she cooked brunch, of course, as she often did. 

Jen has a way with making excellent soups, and on this particular weekend, she made a Welsh Rarebit Soup special served in a sourdough bread bowl.

We had only been in business for a few years so I was rarely away from work. Having a baby to care for turns out to be a great reason to take time off and so I was cashing in. 

James Dare had invited me to go fishing with him on the Kenai River and it was peak summer in mid- July. James was a chef for us and I have no idea how he had the weekend off. We were open seven days a week back then, so anything was possible, I guess. 

I was sure to leave camp earlier than normal so we would not miss whatever surprise was waiting for us. 

Meanwhile, Jen's cousin Tom Herrick was visiting from Michigan so he, Ryker and I made it back to the restaurant with time to have a latte before we found out what was happening. 

Two secret service men briefed us on the situation: Ex-President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn were coming in for brunch. 

Top photo courtesy of Frans Weits. Official photo courtesy Library of Congress.

Read the entire tribute at the below link:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/a-personal-tribute-to-former-president-jimmy-carter

By Allison Sayer

TNews Staffwriter

On Thursday, Dec. 19, a group of volunteers from the Girdwood Turnagain Arm Lions Club met at the Girdwood School to prepare holiday boxes for families who, according to longtime Lion Kathy Trautner, “could benefit from a Christmas boost.”

Lion Ally Goens supervised food sorting while taking and making calls regarding the special components of holiday meal boxes.

This year 14 families received a combination of holiday gifts. A gift-wrapped holiday meal box for each family contained traditional foods such as ham and pumpkin pie. Holiday items were purchased with some of the proceeds from fundraisers held throughout the year.

A supplemental box contained nonperishable pantry-stufferscollected by Girdwood School students. The sixth grade was the biggest collector this year, with 214 items. Sixth graders Aria Rice and Reagan Martyn spent one of their free periods helping sort food drive donations.

 Families also received gifts from the “Angel Tree” program, which anonymously pairs families in need with local individuals willing to purchase presents on their wish list.

The Girdwood United Methodist Church, the Girdwood School, and the Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows identifies families to ask whether they would like to be included. If the families are interested, they submit information including how many children are in the family and the children’s ages.

A few days before Christmas, families can pick up boxes at the Girdwood School. The pickup occurs after the school has closed for the holiday break.

Trautner expressed her appreciation for the school’s partnership. She appreciates school staff’s efforts to identify families in need, host a food drive, and provide a venue where families can pick up their gifts discreetly.

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/lions-give-neighbors-a-christmas-boost

By Seth Beaubien

TN News Contributor

Kristen Faulkner, double Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Gold Medal Champion, thank you so much for taking time from your very busy schedule to share your thoughts with the Turnagain News and its readers. 

TN: Growing up in Homer, what are your memories of the Arm and Girdwood Valley?

KF:  I remember learning to downhill ski at Alyeska. My family spent the whole day on the mountain and would break midday to get cinnamon rolls from the Bake Shop. I also love cross-country skiing in Moose Meadows, which are some trails in Girdwood that my Grandpa Stumpy helped build.  

TN: You have been an active athlete your whole life, in Homer, at Phillips Academy then Harvard before getting into the competitive cycling world, what about those experiences helped prepare you for becoming an Olympian?

KF:  Sports taught me the importance of discipline and hard work. As a student athlete, I also learned the importance of time management. I used to wake up at 6am for morning practice before school, and so it was an easy transition when I started training on my bike in the mornings before work. 

TN:  Cycling is both an individual and a team sport, can you describe that and the differences/similarities for our readers?

KF:  For each race, the team Director selects a team leader, and the entire team sacrifices themselves to help that leader win the race. Support riders do this by chasing down competitors, distracting the other teams, and allowing the leader to draft off them. Different races suit different riders, and so the team leader changes depending on the race. It's important that we sacrifice ourselves for our teammates, knowing that they will do the same for us when it is our turn to be the leader. 

TN:  Can you describe what it feels like and means to you to represent America and wear USA kit and jersey? How is it different from the Tour de France Suisse or Giro Donne?

KF:  I love representing my country. I am really proud to be American, and donning the Red, White, and Blue is a dream come true. I feel like I am racing for something much greater than myself, and that inspires me and motivates me.

Read the entire story here:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/mining-for-gold-from-alaska-to-paris

By Girdwood Parks and Recreation, Girdwood Trails Committee, Girdwood Nordic Ski Club

Girdwood is a magical wonderland in the winter because of the variety of activities available during this special time of the year. Ask any local, and most will say their favorite time of year is winter! Download a Girdwood Trails Winter Map or a map from the Girdwood Nordic Ski Club and get prepared to ski, walk, bike, or snowshoe on some of the best winter trails in Southcentral Alaska.

Starting a couple of years ago, narrow-gauge grooming was initiated around the perimeter of Moose Meadows and upper valley, on Winner Creek Trail, the Lower Iditarod Trail and part of the Beaver Pond Trail. Narrow-gauge grooming provides a great multi-use surface for walking, biking and skiing and is maintained as snow conditions allow.

Cross Country Skiing

The Girdwood Nordic Ski Club and Girdwood Parks and Rec volunteers groom diagonal and skate skiing lanes in Moose Meadow, some upper meadows, and the community’s Nordic 5K Loop.  Moose Meadow and the upper valley multi-use trails are groomed once the snow depth measures 16”. The Nordic 5K Loop is groomed once 6” of snow has collected on the trail. 

Moose Meadow is the ideal place to go if you are unsure of your ability or have small children who want to cross country ski. This multi-use trail is approximately 2K, slopes gently toward the middle of the valley, and has terrain that is most often soft and forgiving.  The ski trail is set wide enough to accommodate diagonal as well as skate skiers, and dogs are welcome. A headlamp can be handy on dark winter nights, but if the night skiing lights are on at Alyeska Mountain, try a lap without your headlamp. You’ll be amazed at how your eyes adjust and how well you can see. Stop for a minute and listen for owls, too!

Connector cross-country trails lead from the northwest end of Moose Meadow to the upper meadows, requiring a thrilling trip down Horror Hill. It is fine to side-step or walk down this hill.  Grooming through the upper valley meadows makes a great out-and-back ski, although if you like to go off-trail, you can ski through the trees and discover social trails and quiet meadows. 

Read the entire story here:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/enjoying-turnagain-arms-winter-wonderland

By Tim Lydon

TNews Contributor

 Girdwood is home to the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center, which provides daily Turnagain Pass avalanche forecasts from the Glacier Ranger District office. The center’s director, Wendy Wagner, recently shared updates with the Turnagain News.

TN: Southcentral Alaska has several avalanche programs. Do you all work together?

Wagner: We do. We have a close-knit network that includes avalanche professionals at the Department of Transportation, Alaska Railroad, and Chugach Electric, who work along the transportation and powerline corridors. There’s also the Alyeska Ski Resort and Chugach Powder Guides. We all communicate regularly, especially when conditions get interesting or scary. We also coordinate with the Alaska Avalanche School on outreach and keep our online platform consistent with the Hatcher Pass program since people might visit Turnagain one day and Hatcher the next.

TN: What’s new this year?

Wagner: The big news is we have two new positions on the Seward Ranger District. We’ll now have daily forecasts for Turnagain Pass, Summit Lake, and Seward/Lost Lake. With three zones, you might see different conditions across the areas. We’re also updating our website for greater consistency with the National Avalanche Center and others. It’ll be a new look, but it should be easy to navigate.

Read the entire story here:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/whats-new-at-the-chugach-avalanche-center

By David Nyman

TNews Contributor

For more than 40 years, two state agencies have kept a good record of avalanche forecasting, control and detection along Turnagain Arm and in the mountains above Alaska Railroad corridor to Seward. 

While avalanche control has relied on military surplus 105 mm howitzer artillery—big, booming cannons shooting at a snow pace—ammunition has become five times more expensive and harder to find.

Now, state agencies are exploring new technology to shear a dangerous snowpack before it becomes a dangerous and massive avalanche.

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/fire-in-the-hole

Girdwood Vote Key in His Election, Helps in Flipping House

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

Though November's election saw a Republican takeover of federal offices, a more local race that sent independent Ky Holland to Juneau had the effect of tilting the state house in a more progressive direction. 

Holland won District 9 which e. Girdwood overwhelmingly approved Holland and, he said, the margin not only gave him the win, but his election helped give a bipartisan coalition a slim majority in the state house.

Holland, 62, beat Republican Lucy Bauer by roughly 1,000 votes and will take over a seat vacated by Republican Laddie Shaw. Nearly 700 voters from Girdwood and Indian picked Holland on Election Day. 

Girdwood resident Lee Ellis withdrew from the race after a primary election and endorsed Holland. 

Holland said though the District, which encompasses Anchorage's hillside and stretches along Turnagain Arm to Whittier, is diverse—he called it "purple". He said many residents share the same views on issues like the economy, getting a secure natural gas source for home heating, and education. Holland's wife, Sharon, is a school librarian in Anchorage.

Read the entire store here:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/new-district-representative-holland-ready-to-get-to-work

District Slightly Favored Harris

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

Girdwood's voters chose Kamala Harris over Donald Trump, 70% to 22%, in the Nov. 5 election with 830 people showing up at the community center to fill in ballots. 

The election district containing Girdwood and Indian and which includes Anchorage's hillside and Whitter, District 9, also gave Harris the nod, but only by a fraction, 49.3% to 47.1%. 

Girdwood's total vote, including absentee and early voting ballots, is not included on the state Division of Elections' website, but the community typically votes heavily in favor of Democrats. 

In Girdwood, more votes in the U.S. House race fell to Mary Peltola, 75.4%, than to Nic Begich, 21.3%, though Begich would end up winning the total state vote.

Almost 600 Girdwoodians voted for Ballot Measure 1, which increases the state's minimum wage, then rejected it (208) and voters chose to reject a repeal of rank-choice voting 607-189.

Both measures would eventually go Girdwood's way in statewide totals.

And Girdwood helped bring independent Ky Holland to office. He beat Republican Lucy Bauer in a local Election Day vote of 609 to 176. Holland went on to win District 9 by just over 1,000 votes, 6,079 to 5091. 

Seventy-two percent of registered District 9 voters turned out for the election, a turnout that is among the highest of any district in the state.

The municipality of Anchorage also leaned blue, with Harris winning there with a one-point lead. 

Statewide results will be finalized at the end of the month.

By PWS Regional Citizen’s Advisory Council

TN News Contributor

Last year, researchers from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, or SERC, partnered with the Council to conduct the largest survey of non-native benthic marine invertebrate species in Prince William Sound since 2003.

The work is part of a larger survey being conducted by Dr. Gregory Ruiz and a team of researchers from SERC to document non-native species in ports and bays throughout the United States. The researchers have also recently surveyed in California, southeast Alaska, and other sites along the Pacific coast of the U.S. Researchers anticipate surveying Cook Inlet in 2025.

What are benthic invertebrates?

Benthic: Occurs at the bottom of a body of water.

Invertebrate: An animal with no backbone.

This opalescent nudibranch (left) is an example of a benthic invertebrate that is native to Prince William Sound.

Non-native marine species of interest to the Council’s work

Researchers detected three non-native species during the survey: two crustaceans, Caprella mutica and the Monocorophium acherusicum, and a bryozoan, the Schizoporella japonica.

One of the three, Schizoporella japonica, had been detected previously. The other two are new to Prince William Sound.

Another new non-native species, Ciona savignyi was found by volunteers for the PlateWatch program, a separate monitoring program also sponsored by the Smithsonian. This tunicate has now been reported in both southeast Alaska and Prince William Sound.

Evidence of the Ciona savignyi was found using genetic analysis on a single settlement plate in southwest Prince William Sound. The report noted that this marine worm could be of concern as it has caused damage to oyster populations in locations where it has invaded. Further evaluation is needed to confirm this identification.

This survey brings the total number of non-native benthic marine invertebrate species confirmed in Prince William Sound to seven. The species Schizoporella japonica and Mya arenaria, a clam originally from the east coast of the U.S., are confirmed to be established in the area. Researchers do not know if any of the other five are established.

Read the entire story here:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/researchers-find-new-non-native-species-in-prince-william-sound

By Soren Wuerth and David Nyman

TNews Editor and TN Contributor

Following concerns that Anchorage is planning to sell land in Girdwood's Industrial Park, the municipality's Heritage Land Bank sought Thursday to dispel conjecture of an imminent land disposal and to assuage the public the idea is only up for discussion.

Girdwood's Industrial Park is a 15-acre area, near Girdwood's transfer and wastewater facility, has a long history of use by various Girdwood contractors, the Girdwood Valley Service Area and Girdwood Fire Department.

In her report to HLB's Advisory Commission, director Tiffany Briggs said the industrial park the department is considering selling is the "Maui" industrial park in Anchorage and that her staff was only discussing "future options" for the Girdwood's industrial park.

HLB's Emma Giboney wrote Friday that her department will meet with the Girdwood Board of Supervisors Monday to get feedback on the industrial park's value and how to address it in HLB's 2025 work plan

Read the entire story at:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/muni-bank-isnt-selling-girdwood-industrial-park-yet

By Clark Fair

KMTA Contributor

When I was 14 years old—long before I understood the concept of pacing myself—my father decided to take our family on a hike up from the heart of Cooper Landing into the valley holding the headwaters of Slaughter Creek. Dad strapped my four-year-old brother into a backpack and grunted his way along the difficult, rocky ascent, while my mother and younger sister tottered along behind him.

I was reaching the age at which I was losing enthusiasm for “family time” and desired more to be in the company of friends. In a tacit acknowledgement of this adolescent switch, my parents had allowed me to bring along my buddy Monte, a junior high classmate. Together, we were irrepressible in our energy and enthusiasm, racing up the trail ahead of everyone else, chattering like monkeys.

Eventually, all of us reached the saddle—a nexus for decision, where one can choose to rest before descending to the car, drop into the boggy Slaughter Creek drainage for further exploration, climb an adjoining ridgeline to the west, or embark on numerous bushwhacking options. There, my father stepped apart from the rest of us and took a somewhat fuzzy color photograph of the family reclining in the soft moss, proof that all of us on this July 1972 adventure reached the same goal.

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/a-lifetime-of-mountain-memories

By TNews Staff

A cluster of eager "Explorers" from an after-school program sped from Girdwood School to the Forest Service building Thursday to dig up spuds in an annual potato harvest. 

Among potatoes dug up from three patches were "Tlingit potatoes", a potato grown in Southeast Alaska for possibly more than two centuries. The Tlingit potato is a variant that may have been brought by early indigenous traders thousands of years ago.

"Though the potatoes aren't well suited for French frying, they're perfect in soups, where their creamy texture and somewhat buttery flavor complement salmon," Tim Lydon wrote in a an article for Hakai Magazine. Lydon is the Forest Service's lead gardener and helps run the Explorers program.

Read the entire story with more pictures at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/annual-potato-harvest-yields-of-bevy-of-spuds

By Brooks Chandler

TN Contributor

Both ends of the career spectrum of what Anchorage Fire Chief Doug Schrage said was “the greatest occupation in the world” were recognized on Saturday at the Girdwood Fire Station.  

Following presentation of badges and helmets to six men who had recently achieved Firefighter 1 status, Girdwood’s Rich Parry was feted for having served as a firefighter and paramedic for a half century.     

Rich is a “legend” said Girdwood Chief Michelle Weston. Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance was on hand and read a Girdwood Board of Supervisor’s Resolution thanking Parry for five decades of service to Anchorage and Girdwood.  

Rich focused his remarks  at the ceremony on the new members of GVFD.  Rich said he was “proud of you all” and “happy to serve” alongside them as they endeavored to serve the Girdwood community.

Read the complete interview and more photos at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/local-firefighter-celebrates-50-years-of-service

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

Mushrooms were everywhere over Labor Day Weekend: a collection on the ground at a trailhead, an assortment on the tailgate of a pickup truck, and, especially, in Girdwood's Community Center where foragers had gathered a sample of every species found during the annual Fungus Fair.

Despite the veritable cornucopia, this year's collection was smaller than previous years, said organizer and local mycologist Kate Mohatt. 

Mohatt said mushrooms are arriving the latest in 17 years of Fungus Fairs, a phenomenon that is occurring across the Pacific Northwest due to warmer summers. Warmer summers are a byproduct of the fossil-fuel driven climate emergency. 

As she spoke just outside the center Sunday afternoon, Mohatt glanced back in to see how visiting mycologist Steve Trudell's presentation was going.

Trudell spoke about the history of mushroom identification in Alaska. The first surveys were conducted in 1899 when railroad tycoon Edward Harriman gathered a team of 23 scientists aboard his steamer for a two-month expedition. 

Read the entire story and more pictures below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/mushroom-count-low-for-this-years-fungus-fair

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

The Lion's Club celebrated 25 years of annual "rubber ducky" races this Saturday with three races of bobbing, yellow ducks and a split-the-pot trebuchet fish launch. 

It rained, at times heavily, during the duck launch and harvest, but that did not stop yellow-vested Lions from wading into California Creek to net duckies released upstream minutes earlier.

With this year's effort, the Girdwood Turnagain Lions Club surpassed its fundraising goal, said Lions organizer Kathy Trautner.

"There were only about 25 onlookers in the pouring rain," Trautner wrote in a message. "Girdwood Lions plan to add some activities to this fundraiser in the future and we have some new Lions with fun ideas.  

"This is our only annual fundraiser to support our many community projects like food bank, scholarships, an end-of-school BBQ, eyeglasses and exams. We added a quilt raffle this year to raise funds to build the John Trautner picnic pavilion at the Lions park," Trautner said.

Read the entire story and more photos below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/lions-ducky-race

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

Sitting outside Girdwood's school with his dog, Jack, Sean Kelliher took measure of what he'd just seen, a swath cut into a forest for a road to a planned subdivision some call "Holtan Hills."

He said Jack picks the route for their walks and this Saturday morning chose the middle Iditarod Trail.

"It took me by surprise," he said. "It's sad to see the nature back there wiped out." said Kelliher, an 11-year local resident. 

He said the fact that unanimous opposition to the project from residents and local government just makes the clearcut swath more distressing

"It seems like a project that the entire community was against and vocalized our collective concern about and yet it's going forth anyway. It's disappointing."

Two Hydro-Ax mulchers and an excavator were unloaded at a gate near Girdwood's school Thursday afternoon. A worker said the equipment would be used to clear a right of way for a municipal water utility and, when asked whether required permits were secured, only said "she'll have it."

It turned out the heavy equipment was actually being staged to plow a new road into the rainforest and a right of way permit issued Thursday, the day before, was posted on the entrance gate Friday. 

Following years of local opposition and vote to postpone by the Anchorage Assembly, the Assembly suddenly reversed and approved the so-called "Holtan Hills" project last winter. Since then, a municipal land manager said she didn't expect development would occur this year.

(Story Photo by Sean Kelliher; Top Photo by Soren Wuerth)

Read the entire story and more pictures below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/machines-tear-path-through-old-growth-forest-in-unannounced-road-into-holtan-hills

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

After managing years of gross wayside toilets, scary pull-outs, dangerous biking shoulders and narrow winter travel in Turnagain Pass, a multi-agency effort is underway to improve safety and access to trailheads leading into the backcountry in the pass.

At a cost of around $65 million, a Seward Highway corridor redo from the end of Turnagain Arm up and over the pass to Canyon Creek would connect current pullouts with a paved pathway, create larger pullouts for backcountry ski and snowmachine destinations and widen the highway for snow removal. 

Planning is underway on the route, from mile 56 to mile 75, and, during a meeting last Tuesday, in Girdwood's community room, the public was invited to check out the vision so far.

An 11-mile pathway and other projects have price tags "a lot of uncertainty baked into those costs", said project manager Cole Grisham. 

But the idea is to connect the campgrounds with a pathway that could align alongside the highway or "meander" through the forest. "The greatest need for the pathway is to connect the [Bertha Creek and Granite] campgrounds," said a representative for Dowl Engineering.

Read the entire story here:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/planning-underway-for-turnagain-pass-upgrades

By Jim Sweeney

TNews Contributor

Kristen Faulkner wasn’t even supposed to be in the Cycling Road Race at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She had been slated to compete in the track team pursuit, but when her teammate Taylor Knibb bowed out of the road race, opportunity came knocking and Kristen opened the door and lined up to race with 92 of the world’s greatest female cyclists early Sunday morning.

Her parents, Jon and Sarah of Homer and Girdwood, Alaska waited at the finish line beneath the Eiffel Tower. Kristen had won the US National this year, but her folks could’ve never known what was going to happen Sunday in the City of Love.

Kristen is the granddaughter of Stumpy Faulkner, the longtime Glacier Valley icon. She has skied Alyeska her whole life. Her parents own Stumpy's old home, a short walk from Alyeska’s slopes. Kristen’s always been driven, it’s a Faulkner trait. She rowed on the varsity crew at Harvard and is known as an animal in the gym.

The race starts with attacks just a few miles into the 157.6 kilometer (98 miles) competition and these assaults continue until a strong breakaway is established with two riders from Afghanistan, one from Israel, one from Vietnam and a neutral rider. The group works well together and develop a six minute lead over the peloton.

Read the entire story here:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/opinion-womens-gold-medal-cyclist-has-proud-roots-in-alaska