APPENDIX 5:
JUNEAU NORDIC SKI CLUB MEMO
To all participants in the McDowell Eaglecrest nordic long-range planning meeting:
It was good to meet with all of you last month and talk about our vision for the 20 year plan.
We have marked our trails and proposed trails (to the best of our ability) on a series of google
maps (below) that will hopefully make it easier to visualize and discuss options amongst
ourselves and others. JNSC has advocated for many of the proposed upgrades and additions
to the nordic area at Eaglecrest for many years, and the board and membership would love to
see them realized.
It is easier to see some of the google-Earth images if you view them at 200 or 500% in Word.
Thanks for inviting all of us to the meeting, Jim. I hope it wasn't too chaotic - it usually gets
that way when you get a room full of passionate nordic skiers!
Jim, please let us all know how we can stay involved in the process.
Bart Watson
President
Juneau Nordic Ski Club
Upper Loop/ Hilda Valley extension
The existing Upper Loop Trail is in red. The proposed extension into the Hilda Creek Valley is
in purple. The trail is a rough approximation at best, in that a cloud was sitting on this area
when the Google photo was taken.
The proposed extension would parallel upper Hilda Creek and could potentially open up a
great view of Stephen's Passage. The capital expenses would be minimal if we use club
volunteers to cut the trail. The work will consist mostly of clearing short stretches of wooded
areas to link existing meadows. The extension could initially add two or more kilometers of
trail. Thinking 20 years out, this extension could eventually be linked all the way down to the
proposed road at Hilda Creek. If hardened, it would be a fabulous mountain bike and hiking
trail as well. JNSC (as well as many alpine skiers) would like to see the west slopes of Mt.
Troy closed to use by recreational snow machines to make the Upper Loop and Hilda Valley a
quiet, non-motorized recreation area.
Cropley Loop & Connector Trails
This area would make a really outstanding loop. It is mostly meadow and would require
minimal capital expense for trail work. The loop would be approximately 2.5 km. long. The
(very light) purple trail is the proposed connector between the upper Porcupine Chair area and
the proposed Cropley Loop. This route goes through a heavily forested area and will need to
be studied further to estimate a cost to develop. The trail could go all the way around the lake
when avalanche danger is low.
The green trail is the Cropley to Upper Loop Connector trail. This trail crosses several alpine
runs, a fairly common practice at other alpine ski areas, including Silver Star and The Summit
at Snoqualamie to name a couple, and could certainly be done safely with proper signage.
Many of us have skied across this route and once you are out there, it doesn't feel any more
dangerous than crossing the street - you just watch for traffic and cross the run. The
connector trail is about one kilometer long, all on existing trails and runs. The only capital
expense would be for a half-dozen or so signs.
Lower Loop, Lower Valley, Humpy Trail
White: Existing Lower Loop.
Blue: Proposed Humpy Trail with extension to the trailhead across the street from the
proposed nordic lodge. Part of this trail, closest to the lodge, is already in but needs to be
widened and improved. Extending the trail to across the road from the new nordic parking lot
would make for an excellent gentle loop. JNSC would like to see this trail designated as a
“dogs allowed” trail to serve the sizeable group of pet owners in Juneau’s nordic ski community
who currently aren’t welcome with their dogs at Eaglecrest . An abbreviated “dog cut-off trail”
could be used to keep dogs clear of the Porcupine Chair runs.
Green: Existing Lower Valley trail. This trail could use some minor upgrades, possibly a small
permanent bridge over a little creek if Eaglerest isn't comfortable driving its Pisten Bully across
our log bridge. Eaglecrest has begun grooming this trail in the last few weeks and it is a great
addition to the trail system.
Purple: Proposed "alternate" route. The capital expense would be minimal since JNSC
volunteers could cut the trail. This trail connects some small meadows and would make an
interesting alternative to the regular loop.
Entire Proposed Trail System
All of the existing and proposed trails and facilities. A skier could depart from the nordic lodge
and ski approximately 24 km. of trails, returning to the lodge almost without skiing the same
trail twice. These trails could be hardened, as a single track or to full width similar to the
existing lower loop hardened areas, to make a great mountain bike/ hiking circuit, filling
another important Juneau recreational need. A couple small warming/ overnight huts could be
added in the Cropley Lake and Hilda Valley extension areas, greatly enhancing the use of
these trails that are more distant from the base lodges .
Additional Facilities
Nordic Trail Entry by A-Frame
We propose the construction of a covered staircase to welcome skiers to the nordic area and
get them safely from the parking lot and day lodge down to the A-frame and start of the trail. A
rough estimate of the cost is $5,000. The current access from the day lodge parking lot is both
hidden and treacherous. A stairway would not only help to get people to the trailhead, it would
serve to announce that the nordic program is a part of Eaglecrest, and not just an afterthought.
Small day lodge for nordic area
A day lodge, separate from the existing alpine lodge, is needed to anchor and grow the nordic
program at Eaglecrest. One possible location would be at the new nordic parking lot. It has a
great view overlooking the valley. The pad is already in place in the form of the level gravel,
and construction vehicles can drive right to the site. Power poles run adjacent to the site.
There are countless options for an appropriate building. For example, Icy Straits Lumber could
put together a kit for us. They make some beautiful timber frame buildings:
http://www.alaskawoodproducts.com/timberframestructures.html
JNSC could possibly form a crew led by volunteer carpenters (a la Project Playground). If it
turns out to be too expensive to service the building with water lines, it could have composting
toilets like the Eagle's Nest lodge. In fact, the Eagle's Nest may be about the right size. We
could probably construct the lodge for approximately $100/ sq. ft. with volunteer builders at,
say, 1,000 sq. ft. for $100,000. It is likely that we could get some major donors to support a
project like this, and maybe leverage a Rasmussen matching grant. The 4H Nordic Ski Club
and the JNSC Youth Development Program both strongly advocate building a nordic facility to
use for their programs.
Wax Room
For many years, Eaglecrest nordic skiers have advocated for the addition of a ski waxing
facility. For practical and cost reasons, this room should be built as a part of the nordic daylodge building. Depending on the final design of a day-lodge, this room could be built beneath
or beside the main room of the lodge.
Dedicated Grooming Equipment
To upgrade nordic skiing at Eaglecrest it will likely be necessary to purchase a dedicated
nordic grooming machine and equipment to supplement Eaglecrest’s existing Pisten Bully.
The existing machine is too heavy for nordic track grooming, especially in wet, heavy snow
conditions. Here are a couple of potential machines that would be appropriate for Eaglecrest’s
existing and proposed trails:
http://www.pistenbullyusa.com/en/products/pistenbully-paana/standard.html
http://www.alpina-snowmobiles.com/
Trail Lighting
JNSC members have long expressed an interest in lighting the Lower Loop trails to allow for
after -work/ after-school recreation opportunities. With Eaglecrest connected to the grid, this is
now an achievable goal. There are many possible ways to light the track, from lights on power
poles, as many nordic areas do, to cheaper alternatives using lower-to-the-ground poles and
LED lights. Further study will be needed to estimate cost of this project. With our months of
short winter days, the JNSC feels that making Eaglecrest’s ski trails available to users in the
evening hours will be a great addition to outdoor recreation opportunities in Juneau.