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For years, the 3-mile roundtrip climb up 3,510-foot Flattop Mountain has been widely considered Alaska's most popular climb.
Time to move over. South of town, a new trail up Mount Alyeska's north face offers eye, ear and even taste bud candy for hikers, who earn a tangible reward for their efforts ascending a scenic trail that follows switchbacks up the 3,939-foot mountain. The North Face Hiking Trail is the latest in a binge of summer trail building at Alyeska Resort since developer John Byrne, an avid hiker, purchased the resort about three years ago. "It's an awesome trail," said Girdwood hiker Jody Jenkins. "It takes about an hour to an hour and a half and there are berries along the way. "When you get above tree line and start looking out, it's a stunning view." That's the main reason a hiker might choose the 2.2-mile North Face Hiking Trail over Flattop -- but not the only one. • Glaciers: While a completely clear day may be rare, the A-1, Uti and Chief glaciers up Crow Creek Valley are visible even amid some clouds. Big 5,215-foot Raggedtop Mountain looms over the valley, with Turnagain Arm off in the distance. • Eat and Drink: Once you reach the top of the trail, food and drink are available at the Tramway Cafe, which has an outdoor patio, and Seven Glaciers restaurant, open 5-10 p.m. Sept. 1-13, 17-19 and 25-28 this month. • Ride Down: Hikers get a free ride back to the base of the mountain on the tram. Take in the view of Turnagain Arm and the oh-so-steep trail you conquered along the way. "The idea of riding the tram down for free is a wonderful incentive," Jenkins said. • Museum Visit: A taste of Alyeska history is available at the Roundhouse Museum, run by Girdwood Inc. The former restaurant and lounge is now an interpretive center on the National Historic Register. • Soaring Paragliders: When the weather is good, watch paragliders -- most with Alaska Paragliding -- glide on the thermals. • Mountain Brooks: Much of the way along the trail you'll hear the soothing sound of mountain streams rushing downhill. To be sure, not all is sweetness and light. The new trail, which took three years to complete, is still being broken in. And remember, Girdwood is wet, with an average of 650 inches of snowfall and 39.94 inches of precipitation -- more than double that of Anchorage, according to the Alaska Climate Center. A gorgeous trail on a sunny day turns into a muddy slog with limited views when rain and clouds take over. "It's pretty slick in some spots," allowed Warren Rowe, the main designer of the trail who's been working on it with crews since last summer. "Above the alpine, it's a really nice 10-12 percent grade. Half of it is nice and comfortable. The other half is not as gentle of a grade." Using pulaskis and lugging rocks, the work was slow -- but laborers were able to drop gravel from the tram during construction. "It is a fantastic new trail," said Michelle Cosper, an Alyeska lift operator. "It has been extremely popular ever since it opened -- especially on the weekends." Over the past three years, Alyeska has created several new trails. Two of them, North Face and Winner Creek, are showpiece routes. During that time, by comparison, trail building in the half-million acre Chugach State Park has nearly ended in favor of maintaining existing trails. The quarter-mile Muktuk Marston Overlook Trail at Arctic Valley and a short connector trail built in conjunction with the Eagle River Nordic Ski Club are the only new routes, according to Superintendent Tom Harrison. "There's been little in the way of new trails," he said. At the same time, Alyeska has gone in the opposite direction, building summer trails for bikers and hikers. There's no trail fee and parking is free. "(Alyeska owner) John Byrne is the driving force behind it," said mountain services manager Brian Burnett. "It's his love of trails. If it helps the resort, cool. If it doesn't, so be it. "We believe that we are one of the best hiking destinations in Southcentral Alaska." But building trails is never easy. "Digging out the roots and pulling big rocks was tough," said trail builder Michael Montague of Girdwood during the opening of the trail last month. "Operating the chain saws in the rain can get a little dicey." Montague was among six people in his work crew. Last Saturday, his work done, Montague hiked the trail to sample the fruits of his labor. Wooden 2-by-2s screwed into parallel logs eased his passage over some wet spots. Having hiked up plenty of times over the last year, a cruise down the completed trail was, for him, a fitting conclusion.