A big hydro-axe like brush cutter (the size of a very big front end loader) will start work on two sections of the ADMA trail on Monday, April 20th.
Walking the equipment to the work site will probably make ruts in the trail and the work will scatter debris around. Our permits require the work to be done when the ground is frozen so it has to be done either early or late in the season–can’t wait until summer.
The first area will be the 5.9 mile re-route that was partially cut by hand last fall to avoid a bad wash-out. We now have permission to extend the re-route straight through the trees to avoid more rough areas and will widen the existing part.
That area is already having dirt showing through so wouldn’t have lasted much longer anyway. If you plan any late runs, starting Monday avoid the inbound at the 5.9 mile turn.
The second area is a major re-route around the 80 acres owned by Mike Jayne (an Iditarod musher). The previous owner put a new subdivision road in from Constitution Avenue across the ADMA inbound trail about 1.5 miles from the hall. This re-route will turn the inbound back towards the airstrip then up the east side of his 80 acres to eliminate the road crossing but keep the overall distances the same. Mike donated the easement to ADMA! (The previous owner was going to charge several thousand dollars.)
This work will be near the ADMA outbound before and at the little airstrip about 1 mile out and near the inbound around 2 miles from the hall.
Few people are running now but please pass the word along to anyone who is. (Buddy Streeper just did his last run the other day! Nice to have him around this late.)
In addition to Mike Jayne, a big thanks to Stutzman Engineering for the survey work, TJ’s Land Clearing for the clearing, Creamer’s Refuge and the Fairbanks North Star Borough for allowing the work and the State of Alaska Recreational Trails Grant Program for some of the funding.
For anyone interested, I put some maps at: