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TURNAGAIN NEWS

Solstice Light Ski—A Community Nordic Ski Event

Girdwood Nordic Ski Club presents a Solstice Light Ski on Dec. 21, 6-8 pm. Fun for the whole family—all ages welcome. Show up rain or shine. There will be lights and a bonfire with treats from The Bake Shop, music and RAE lights for everyone that braves the weather. It’s an ice cleat walk event. Put on your rain gear and come out and have some fun. We are shortening the lighted loop from 2K to 400M. (Photo by Soren Wuerth)

LATEST ARTICLES

ARTICLES
Mining for Gold from Alaska to Paris!
Mining for Gold from Alaska to Paris!

Olympian to visit Girdwood during holidays

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

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ARTICLES
Assembly Postpones Vote on Area Plan

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

Forested land targeted for development in Girdwood was called, among other things, "magical", "cherished", a "paradise", a "crown jewel" and containing the "largest trees in Anchorage", during testimony Tuesday night on Girdwood's Comprehensive Plan.

Two densely-forested parcels, one near Virgin Creek and the other by Glacier Creek, would be protected "open space" in an update of Girdwood's 30-year-old area plan. 

But that conception is being contested by Anchorage's planning department which aims to include housing in those places.

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/assembly-postpones-vote-on-area-plan

Anchorage to decide Girdwood’s future in Land Plan Vote

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

A sweeping land plan that could determine Girdwood's future as either a sprawling resort town or a mountain community with an intact rainforest is scheduled for a vote in a little more than a week.

Should the Anchorage Assembly adopt the city's changes to Girdwood's comprehensive plan, the town could see hundreds of acres of Girdwood's old-growth rainforest habitat cleared for subdivisions, roads, businesses and resort expansion.

Besides 500 acres included for development in the plan, hundreds of additional acres of public lands could be added, including remote lands sought by Alyeska Resort for development as well as forests and wetlands along Virgin Creek, where a group, decades ago, hoped to build a golf course.

The plan comes with few conditions on the size of homes in most areas and even whether anyone lives in them, a trend facing many Western mountain towns with ski resorts, said Mike Edgington co-chair of the Girdwood Board of Supervisors   

"We're not here to sell things in strip malls," Edgington said Wednesday during a meeting. "There's places that do that very well. That's not what Girdwood is for. Girdwood exists and this economy exists because of the environment. There's always going to be a point where additional development starts cannibalizing the whole essence, purpose and economic value of the community." 

Read the entire story here:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/anchorage-to-decide-girdwoods-future-in-land-plan-vote

Turnagain News set for second NewsMatch Challenge

Story by Brooks Chandler

TNews Contributor

Money may not grow on trees but November and December donations to the Turnagain News will sprout another year of non-profit local journalism for Turnagain Arm.  

For the second consecutive year TNews has received a NewsMatch challenge grant.    

NewsMatch is sponsored by the Institute for Nonprofit News. INN describes NewsMatch as “a collaborative fundraising movement to support independent public service journalism.”  

"Collaborators" are local readers and sponsors of Turnagain News and a national network of philanthropic foundations and donors. According to INN, since 2017, NewsMatch has helped raise $330 million nationwide to “jumpstart emerging newsrooms”.  

The concept of the Newsmatch challenge is straightforward. 

The first $3,000 in individual contributions received by TNews in November and December will be matched two for one.  Donations above the $3,000 threshold will be matched one for one.   TNews hopes to receive $6,000 in individual donations. 

This will grow to $15,000 in funding for 2025 operations.   

“Turnagain News is pleased and grateful for local support and the vote of confidence from INN.  TN has gotten off the ground. The ability to keep flying in 2025 will be directly tied to local support of the NewsMatch challenge,” said TNI publisher Jon Scudder.

To donate click on the “DONATE NOW”  banner on the top of the masthead at turnagainnews.org. 

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/turnagain-news-set-for-second-newsmatch-challenge

Girdwood Trails Marathon: A Reflection

Story by Brian Pautzke

Photos by Deb Essex

TN News Contributors

Sometime in the middle of the night the rain stopped.  The race coordinators had been checking the river depth at the hand tram crossing and Plan A was still a go.  There has been Plan A and Plan B ever since the hand tram closed.  Either we get to cross the river or we run back through town.  This year Plan C was suggested the night prior when two days of rain had not shown signs of abating; the river crossing safety guide was authorized to turn racers back if the conditions were deemed too dangerous. As luck would have it, racers woke to a clear, cold morning.  Runners could be seen mozying around the neighborhood warming up their legs and encouraging their body to get its poop in a group.  

I had been awake since 5:30.  No need for an alarm.  A distance runner needs ample time to prepare mentally, physically, and with Body Glide.  I loaded my tank with coffee and set off for the race start at the Alyeska Day Lodge.  On the way to the start I listened to “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble” instead of my usual Franti jam “Follow Your Heart”, what inspired the switch I cannot say.  Between the coffee and the sports hype music, I felt as ready as usual.  This would be the 9th running of the Girdwood Trail Race, and only Melanee Stiassny and I have the honor of having done it every year (as far as we know).  

Read the entire story at the link below:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/girdwood-trail-marathon-a-reflection

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ARTICLES
Enjoying Turnagain Arm’s Winter Wonderland
Enjoying Turnagain Arm’s Winter Wonderland

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

What’s New at the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center
What’s New at the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center

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

‘Fire in the Hole!’
‘Fire in the Hole!’

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

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STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

ARTICLES
Cross Country: Native Alaskan Ava Earl stars as squad climbs to new heights
Cross Country: Native Alaskan Ava Earl stars as squad climbs to new heights

By Henry Frieman, Sports Editor

The Daily Northwestern

Girdwood, Alaska, population estimated at 2,500, sits in a valley at the base of Mount Alyeska, a ski resort in the winter and a hiking destination in the summer. The mountain town has one main road, a two-lane highway surrounded by hemlock and conifer. 

There is one elementary school, but the nearest high school is 30 miles away in Anchorage. There is a fire department, but no police station. Further away from the resort, the paved roads turn to gravel. 

It was on the gravel paths and dirt trails of the Alaskan woodlands where Northwestern cross country runner Ava Earl, now a senior, fell in love with running.

Read the entire story here:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/ava-earl-carries-alaskan-roots-to-nu-cross-country-stardom

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Raw Market: ‘Together, We Thrive’
Raw Market: ‘Together, We Thrive’

By Hannah Dillon

Assistant Editor

A red ribbon hung on the entrance to the Raw Market—just off Holmgren Ave. next to The Laundromall—as community members gathered around the store at 5 p.m. July 2. When the ribbon was cut, a new local market officially opened in Girdwood.

People quickly entered the intimately-sized store once the doors were open. Aesthetic lighting and plants hovered overhead as customers sorted through bell peppers, chocolate milk glasses, candles, locally made pottery, dried herbs, cherries and aloe vera plants.

Behind the register, employees created delicious acai bowls and smoothies for everyone in need of a cool treat on a warm sunny day.

Michelle Young, who, along with her husband James Glover, owns the Raw Market sat down with Turnagain News to discuss opening day and a little history of the store.

Young said the inspiration to establish a store like Raw Market stems from a visit to Maui, where nearly every small town had a juice bar that sold acai bowls, smoothies and juice. “We really loved the abundance of fresh food,” said Young.

Young’s experience with the fresh food available on the streets of Maui inspired Young and Glover to bring that experience to Girdwood.

Read the entire story here:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/raw-market-together-we-thrive

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Girdwood Board reverses community decision on Alyeska Development
Girdwood Board reverses community decision on Alyeska Development

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

The Girdwood Board of Supervisors, in a 3-2 decision Monday, rescinded an earlier community vote that rejected a subdivision proposed in a popular recreational area.

The board's move tells municipal planners it has no objection to plans by Alyeska Resort to build an assortment of housing, roads, parking lots, a tram and in the Glacier Creek watershed north of the town's airport.

The GBOS has since voted to reconsider its Monday vote and will discuss the reconsideration at a meeting Thursday at 1 p.m.

"I suspect [the vote] will be changed," said Supervisor Mike Edgington on Wednesday. "We're basically going back for a re-do."

He said he feels Pomeroy's goals for development are sound, but the location the company has chosen for development isn't.

In both meetings, community members expressed criticism, skepticism and dismay about Pomeroy Lodging's plan to acquire nearly 100 acres of municipal land in the upper valley for housing.

Read the entire story at:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/girdwood-board-reverses-community-decision-on-alyeska-development

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Alaska newspaper publishers worry about bill ending some public notice requirements
Alaska newspaper publishers worry about bill ending some public notice requirements

By James Brooks

Alaska Beacon

The Alaska Senate voted without dissent Monday to allow the Department of Natural Resources to stop publishing some public notices in local newspapers.

Senators approved Senate Bill 68 by a 17-0 vote. It now advances to the House for consideration. Sens. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel; Bert Stedman, R-Sitka; and Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer, were excused absent.

Before the final vote, newspaper publishers unsuccessfully asked legislators to reconsider their plans. Allowing the state to control its public notice process poses transparency risks, they testified, and it likely will harm papers’ finances, potentially reducing the amount of independent reporting available in Alaska.

Read more at:

https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/alaska-newspaper-publishers-worry-about-bill-ending-some-public-notice-requirements-2

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Potter Marsh Watershed Park is on the Horizon
Potter Marsh Watershed Park is on the Horizon

Great Land Trust has been working with Municipality of Anchorage (MOA) Heritage land Bank and GCI to conserve 300 acres of important hillside watershed features that are critical to sustaining the vibrant habitat of the Potter’s Marsh, located between Golden View Drive to the east and Old Seward Highway.

“We are thrilled how this project is proceeding and it is nice to be doing a project in Anchorage at this scale as these opportunities are few and far between,'“ said Dave Mitchell, Conservation Director with Great Land Trust.

“We select our projects based on prioritizations that look at wetlands and anadromous streams and adjacency to protected areas and we try to collect all the data we can and rank and put it into GIS and rank land based on conservation value,” he added. “This property actually ranked number one.”

Set between the old and new Seward highways, Potter Marsh is a portion of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge is Anchorage’s gateway to Turnagain Arm. The new Potter Marsh Watershed Park will be owned, operated and maintained by the MOA Parks and Recreation Department.

Read More →