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Share photos of what you love most about your cabin; bonus for any outhouses that make it into your submissions.
Reader-submitted: 2012 Bicycling
Share photos of your races, rides, tricks or even your favorite bike.
READER-SUBMITTED
Alaska is home to hundreds of different migrating bird species and readers have posted hundreds of their bird-watching finds. Share your photos.
Submit your photos from community projects and social occasions around town in May, 2012.
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TYPE: Long, scenic road miles
DIFFICULTY: Moderate due to frequent windy conditions
DISTANCE: 44 miles one way
BEST SUITED FOR: Road biking
DESCRIPTION: Great ride for road racers or touring enthusiasts who consider a 50-mile day just the beginning. The views, on a clear day, are spectacular, but you'll be sharing the road with lots of traffic, so bike defensively. Some cyclists hop onto the Bird to Gird trail in Indian to get a reprieve from the traffic. Park at the south end of Potter Marsh, where the mailboxes and Potter Hill are located. To extend the ride, turn left on Portage Valley Road, past Girdwood, and ride to the Begich Boggs Visitor Center. Beware, head- and crosswinds can be vicious.
TYPE: Technical and fun
DIFFICULTY: Moderate, with roots and rocks
DISTANCE: A 5.5-mile loop
BEST SUITED FOR: Mountain biking
DESCRIPTION: A good trail for mountain bikers looking to refine their bike-handling skills. Expect roots, rocks, twists and turns in this loop section, which often gets wet and stays wet. Ride only in good conditions to avoid tearing up the trail.
The best access is via the Campbell Airstrip trail head. Ride across the bridge, turn left on the Viewpoint Trail and then another quick left onto Rover's Run, the wettest and most technical of the three trails.
Moose Meadow Trail intersects about a mile down the trail (take a right), but keep going straight to make a longer loop. This will lead to the Gasline-Richter and Ridge Loops, which eventually lead to the Black Bear Trail (look for the Campbell Airstrip sign).
This fun trail is mostly downhill, and after crossing a small bridge will head left onto Moose Meadow. Moose Meadow leads to Viewpoint and, ultimately, back to the parking area.
TYPE: Off-road challenge
DIFFICULTY: Taxing
DISTANCE: 12 miles, end to end, Glen Alps to Indian
BEST SUITED FOR: Mountain biking
DESCRIPTION: Only the most experienced of riders will want to tackle this rocky, steep backcountry trail, which, amazingly, people once drove vehicles on. Park at the Glen Alps parking lot ($5 Alaska State Parks parking fee), and access the trail to the far left of the stairway to Flattop. After passing the gate, turn right toward Powerline Pass. There's a creek about 4 miles in and the trail becomes rougher. Powerline Pass is at Mile 6, but you can keep going for the steep, switchback descent into Indian. The trail ends at Ocean View Road, right by the Indian House Restaurant, where you can be met by a ride - or pedal 16 miles back to Anchorage.
TYPE: Off-road scenery
DIFFICULTY: Easy
DISTANCE: 13 miles one way
BEST SUITED FOR: Mountain biking
DESCRIPTION: One of the most scenic areas in Southcentral. Bring a tent and some fixings and make a weekend of the outing, camping at the Eklutna Lake campground. An old gravel roadbed trail follows the lake's edge, climbing occasionally, and getting more rugged as it reaches into the valley toward Eklutna Glacier. Take the Glenn Highway north to the Eklutna exit, north of Peter's Creek. Follow Eklutna Lake Road to the end, about 10 miles. Ride from the trail head parking lot, over the Twin Peaks Creek bridge and take a right onto the Lakeside Trail. Parking is $5.
TYPE: Scenic fitness gauge
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
DISTANCE: 5 miles one way
BEST SUITED FOR: Road cycling
DESCRIPTION: This longtime Arctic Bicycle Club route is used for routine time trials, or races against the clock, during the racing season. But you don't have to be a racer to use this course as a barometer of your overall fitness. Coming from Anchorage, the beginning of the route is off the Arctic Valley Road exit. Park at the Moose Run driving range parking lot and begin your ride there. Follow Arctic Valley Road away from the mountains, veering right at the frontage road along the highway. The route will climb, descend and climb again before dropping into the intersection of the Arctic Valley-Fort Richardson exit and Glenn Highway. Don't cross the highway but continue straight and follow the frontage road three miles to the rifle range. The rest of the area is off-limits to civilians. Turn around for a 10-mile round trip.
TYPE: Scenic and casual
DIFFICULTY: Easy
DISTANCE: 4.5 miles
BEST SUITED FOR: Casual riding, any style bike
DESCRIPTION: This flat route will let you see the bustle of Spenard and watch floatplanes come and go in the summer. Beware small planes on the runway and watch for traffic. On a clear day, this is a nice casual biking spot that can be incorporated into a picnic or family outing. Park at Spenard Beach Park, off Lakeshore Drive and Wisconsin Street, and ride toward the Millennium Alaskan Hotel and around the lake clockwise. Picnic tables near the far end of Lakeshore Drive, a few hundred yards from Spenard Beach, make a great place to picnic.
TYPE: Scenic and challenging
DIFFICULTY: Easy to difficult, depending on trail
DISTANCE: Short as 1 mile, long as 30 miles
BEST SUITED FOR: Mountain biking
DESCRIPTION: Kincaid Park has 30-plus miles of dirt trails, ranging from wide grassy paths to winding dirt singletrack. There are lots of hills, which makes this area challenging for beginners, but very accessible. Try parking at Kincaid Park chalet or the Raspberry Road trail head. The trails can be confusing, so be sure to ask at the chalet for details if you're unfamiliar with them.
TYPE: Hill-climbing heaven
DIFFICULTY: Tough
DISTANCE: 8 miles one way
BEST SUITED FOR: Road biking strength
DESCRIPTION: This hill climb on steroids has some wicked steep pitches but a few breaks and downhills in between for the dedicated cyclist trying to gain strength. From Anchorage, take the Hiland Road exit and turn left. Park at the park-and-ride at the gate by Hiland Landfill. Drive to the stop light at the beginning of Hiland Road, on the right. Beware of fast drivers.
