Follow the trail or strike out and find your own way up to Point 3,200. He rushed to the Bird Valley Trailhead to aid volunteers from Alaska ATV Adventures in rescuing Knudsen. It is unclear what answer Kelly received, but documents suggest that Traffic had their own internal answer: directions from above had come down after all. Alberts answer was unequivocal: the Stewarts had never cared about permission to use the trail or cross their lot. The Landmine was unable to determine who first brought the situation to the attention of the Municipality of Anchorage (MOA), but on February 29, 2016 then-MOA Attorney Bill Falsey drafted a letter to Pugh with a clear message: the gate was illegal, and would need to be removed. Ill just make a brief comment that if you have to pay to be a part of a society that declares you have high intelligence, well you aint that smart to begin with. And Im closing it. You know he might have said, Its my land., The man with the acetylene torch was Frank Pugh, and soon his gate was complete. The Rabbit Lake Trail is about as exciting as hiking on a road, which is exactly what it used to be. In the back yard, Whitehead introduced Team Landmine to Star the Reindeer, a descendant of the same herd that Ivan and Oro had paraded through Anchorage decades ago. Fortunately, the trail to see this geological rarity begins just a 30 -minute drive north of Anchorage. Eliminating the easement and closing the trail had been Pughs plan from the beginning. Unfortunately, the most difficult thing about this route is parking: due to questionable city planning the cul-de-sac trailhead only has spots for five cars, parked tightly between two signs. Make noise, carry bear spray, and follow other best practices for traveling in bear country. This dynamic is clearly at play in the battle for the Stewart Trail. At the end of the article, Cavanaugh claims to have evidence of likely corruption within Anchorage up to perhaps the state level. Neither the alleged corruption nor the nature of the evidence are specified. With the closure of the StewartRead more . The reason that the MOA claims to lack authority over the Stewart Trail area is that much of the trail lies outside of the MOAs parks service area. When the boundaries for the parks service area were drawn, a diagonal line across the Chugach foothills excluded portions of Bear Valley, Stuckagain Heights, Potter Valley, and other portions of the upper Hillsideincluding much of the Stewart Trail. When it snowed, locals groomed nordic tracks onto the Stewart Trail and taught their children to ski. The McHugh peak is a rock crown at the end of the ridge. In early August 2017, a new figure emerged on the Stewart Trail. Because the Stewart Trail is the only developed public corridor in the area, Pughs gate effectively put him in control of access to the the entire upper Potter Valley drainagean area comparable in size to all of downtown Anchorage. Difficulty: Class 2(c4), Rabbit Creek routes (East Ridge): ~10 miles round trip, ~2,900 ft. elevation gain. I live by the park entrance off of Upper Huffman. Anchorage residents recreated below Ruby for decades, accessing Chugach State Park on an old homestead road called the Stewart Trail. quarter mile away ya-no some people think just because there privileged! Jesse Aaronsen's review mistakes Canyon Road trailhead for this one. Courtesy Anchorage Assembly records. From Bear Valley Trailhead Follow the relatively flat Bear Valley Trail south for 3.1 miles (5 km) to the Glen Trail. Illegal and/or disgusting behavior is always a potential problem where roads dead end at a park boundary. Book entire boat for your family or group, or opt to bunk with other guests. I thought it was a public road. And he said No, its private. After a while we turned our backs on Pughs gate and headed up the Stewart Trail. The hike is excellent and goes through to McHugh Peak, and can connect to other trailheads from there. To pass, the ordinance needed to be approved at the ballot box by two groups: members of the current service area, and Hillside voters currently living outside of the service area. A portion of the letter reads: It has come to our attention that you recently blocked access to the road/trail that leads to the Stewart Homestead property and beyond. Map showing Cavanaugh property and the Stewart Trail. At the front of the room, Friends of the Stewart Trail attorney Tom Meacham nodded. Groups are currently working to restore public access to this route. Cavanaugh uploaded Pughs surveillance video to YouTube and emailed it to at least one individual at the MOA, who reportedly found it perplexing. I feel compelled to set the record straight. . Sign-up for any of the following email series to help plan your Alaska trip. On September 17, 2012, Frank Pugh and wife Oksana Pugh purchased a 120-acre lot in upper Potter Valley formerly known as the Earl Hutchings Homestead. Cavanaughs signs demand that trail users exit the property and incorporate clip art of handcuffs, a person being arrested, and a person gripping the bars of a prison cell. As soon as the tundra permits easy walking, cut south from the Rabbit Lake Trail, descend into the creek ravine and cross Rabbit Creek. Also, the fire truck turnaround thing is obviously an excuse to keep hikers away. Several Anchorage real estate experts told the Landmine that subdividing the mountainous tract to muni standards and providing code-compliant roads, fire access, septic, water, and other services would be extraordinarily expensive and likely uneconomical well into the foreseeable future. Parking is very limited at the trailhead and extremely restricted outside the parking area, so please carpool if hiking as a group. US. This self-fulfilling cycle results in an undersupply of access points to the park, and causes chronic overcrowding at the access points that do exist. ), Popular Alaska Itineraries Using In-State Airlines, Anchorage to Denali National Park Driving Map, Denali National Park Campgrounds & RV Parks. On his LinkedIn profile, Pugh describes himself as a semi-retired drilling engineer with nearly three decades of experience in the petroleum industry. The net climb from the trailhead to the summit is 2200 feet. To enjoy a scenic drive just a few minutes from downtown Anchorage, head north to mile 6.1 on the Glenn Highway. Location:18691-18699 Seward Hwy, Anchorage, AK 99516, USA. 99516, The lot was bisected by the Stewart Trail, which runs from its northwest corner to the middle of its eastern side. This, they explained, was why the tract had sat on the market for so long and at such a seemingly low price. Find the best bear viewing spots by season. Residents were forbidden from turning the neighborhood into a gated community because the streets are public, but the camera-studded gateand its message to visitorsremains. Bear Valley Hike is a Hiking area located at 10471 Honey Bear Ln, Bear Valley, Anchorage, Alaska 99516, US. If Pughs purchase were simply a long-term investment, there would appear to be little incentive to alter the status quo. A city where most of the homesteader roads had long since been paved over, the trails had been blazed a generation ago, and the mountains already belonged to everyone. The store remains in business to this day. Around 1960, the couple obtained a homestead tract at the head of upper Potter Valley and began using their amphibious vehicle as a makeshift mountain home. From here, you can head up the steep and winding, Arctic Valley Road. Weekly hike Locations; Archives; 2022; Welcome to the Alaska Outdoors; 2021; Trailhead Direction; Photo Album; 2020; That is all on the opposite side of Rabbit Creek Valley, with no easy way across (i.e. Located 40 minutes north of downtown Anchorage in the Eagle River Valley, the center serves as the gateway to the Chugach. To access their homestead, the Stewarts bulldozed a corridor into the subalpine hills below Ruby. Ultimately you're responsible for yourself and your group. To access the Rabbit Creek route, park at the Rabbit Creek Trailhead at the end of Canyon (Upper Hiland) Road. Discover the optimal month due to daylight, temperature, and rain. Highlights plus less visited destinations. Out and back is about five miles through dense stands of spruce, lush fern and devil's club. Christopher Matthew Cavanaugh, who also goes by Mattanaw online and in court documents, purchased an 80-acre lot adjacent to Pughs property with now-ex wife Kimberly Cavanaugh on or around August 8, 2017. Local conservation giant Great Land Trust (GLT) commissioned an assessment of the easement, and Pugh indicated that he would entertain an offer. Baldy, Ram Valley, and Glen Alps, but perhaps no location exemplifies the difficulties providing park access as well as the Honey Bear trailhead in upper Bear Valley. There is one section of the trail that becomes singletrack. In the fall of 2018, Pease applied for a position on the municipal Board of Adjustment, an obscure but powerful board that can override land use decisions made by other municipal boards and commissions. Title: Bear Valley: Ray E Stork Homestead ParkLocation: Bear Valley: Ray E Stork Homestead ParkLink out: Click hereStart Time: 18:30Date: 2013-04-18End Time: 20:00, We hike around UAA park or Chester Creek Trail. In a July 2017 email, Langley suggests that because there was little precedent for the signs, it was unclear whether a ticket issued on Honey Bear Lane would actually hold up in court. Highlights plus less visited destinations. ADN and KTVA ran articles announcing that parking on both sides of the roads was now illegal. Its southeast ridge steps steeply into Turnagain Arm, its north ridge reaches toward the south face of Flattop, and its eastern ridge winds all the way to Rabbit Lake below the Suicide Peaks. The north ridge of McHugh Peak. If your car doesnt have good clearance or if the road is in poor condition, park at the lower parking lot and walk the last few hundred feet to the gate. It requires only a bit more elevation gain than the north ridge route (2550 ft. vs. 2320) and far less than the McHugh Creek route (4,300 ft). Surveillance camera operated by Frank Pugh on the Stewart Trail. Yes, he said, Weve heard several stories of that effect.. McHugh is often climbed from one of three public trailheads: the McHugh Creek trailhead off the Seward Highway, the Rabbit Lake trailhead at the top of Canyon Road, or the Bear Valley trailhead at the top of Honey Bear Dr. Map of McHugh Peak, with the three most well-known routes marked. But that would require a vote of the Anchorage Assembly, and one Assembly member told the Landmine that secession attempts would be dead in the water. My notes on the summit pinnacle itself are in the Bear Valley route description above. There are several approaches to this peak and this description starts from the Bear Valley neighborhood and utilizes the northwest shoulder to gain access to the north slopes for the final ascent. It is not good access to Rabbit Lake's, Flattop, Peak 2 etc. In 2016, a large wildfire tore throughportions of the McHugh Creek drainage, leaving a striking landscape of brilliantly-colored orange and green mosses between the charred, fire-sculpted trunks of burned trees. To enjoy a scenic drive just a few minutes from downtown Anchorage, head north to mile 6.1 on the Glenn Highway. Heres your chance LM Team: Sue Pugh for slander. Overwhelmed by choices? The legislature approved $100,000. There is a parking-fee area at the Rendezvous Peak Trailhead. Prepare to walk a ways longer than expected due to the location of overflow parking. come on, admit it,you know who did that. Just past the first private drive, we immediately noticed several large boulders blocking vehicle access on the roadway. I grew up in Alaska and currently live in Anchorage. It can be overgrown so stay bear aware in this area. Given all of that, its tempting to call Pease the Queen of the Mountain, but that would be shortsighted. Karma, dudesheaded your way. In early 2018 Pugh became Chair of the RCCC, and Cavanaugh became Vice-Chair. The Alaska Landmine is a owned and operated by Speedogate Media, a division of the Landfield Global Group. At some point in 2016 the situation had reached the 8th Floor of City Hall, which houses the offices of the mayor and city executives. Anchorage, Under Alaskas criminal statute, its legal for trappers or hunters to access unimproved and apparently unused land unless the land is marked with 144-square-inch signs that give information about the people who can grant access, and specify prohibitions like No Hunting or No Trespassing. But, view is worth. The hike was awesome both times I did it!!!! This is one of the steepest hike we do. Patrolling the trail. I grew up in the house adjacent to the 120 acre Hutchins/Schoff piece, and later built a home above it on Big Mountain Drive and that trail was always open. See them by hiking up 1,500feet to the 4,050-foot summit. In June 2017, custom No Parking signs citing AMC 90.30.040 were installed along the roads. Melissas Monthly fhike. But in the summer of 2015, everything changed. Boutique, small ship adventure cruises in Alaska's Inside Passage, Cruises depart from Whittier, a 1 hr drive from Anchorage. Frank I dont know how long youve been in the area, or where you live, but my folks homesteaded the 1/4 section north of Earl Hutchins old homestead (Doc Schoffs place, to us kids as he bought it from Earl). Follow the large-well-maintained trail about 400 feet until it intersects with the Turnagain Arm Trail. Pugh took the mic and, in a thick southern accent, began. Thats my final thought.. exit of I-8 and is one of the closest OHV opportunities in the Greater San Diego Area. hiking area Christopher Constant, Chris Birch, and Jeff Landfield walk the Stewart Trail, October 1, 2018. Seans citation of the sixth car problem is laughable, about as much so as a five car access point (thats 1 spot per 60,000 Anchorage residents) to a massive public use area. They traveled the state in an amphibious vehicle, once running 365 miles of the Yukon River in three days. In the winter, experienced outdoorspeople hike its wind-blown ridges and ski on its mellow north and west-facing bowls. Which one is right for you? The skiing is excellent and the whole area is open to snowmachines when weather conditions allow. The legislator laughed. This trailhead has many route options. Langley replied that the streets were not fire lanes. 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