Summary from November Public Meeting

Thank you all for attending the meeting in November and for sending your comments to us!

A general summary of the comments from the November public meeting meeting:

What do you know about the road corridor?
• Gets a lot of use, lots of camping along corridor. Need enforcement from troopers, bear baiting in the area.
• Consider flooding, 4th of July camping/parking. Windy. Pavement is not good for horseback riding

How do you currently use the road corridor?
• Winter use mostly, some bike use early spring, skijoring, snowmachining, cross-country skiing, mushing, dog walking
• We like when the “gate is closed.” It’s safer, and more fun. Families don’t use the road because it has no shoulder. Bird watching, berries, wildlife hunting/viewing, horseback riding, mushing, snow machining

What about the corridor currently functions well for trail-based recreation?
• Trail is wide open (no blind corners) for mushers / snow machine users
• Summer – Higher vehicle use. Winter – varied use. Winter it is wider, flatter, can be groomed, good visibility, bridges

What about the corridor makes for challenging trail based recreation?
• Who is responsible to manage each area when road closures happen? The terrain and amount of water may be problem.
• Summer traffic is dangerous – no shoulder on road. Winter use has conflicting uses. Snow machines vs skiing vs mushing

How would you like to use the corridor in the future?
• Corridor could provide a more backcountry feeling for Nordic skiers. There was interest in single track or pathed bike path for safety reasons. (Seward woman was hit by a car on the road last year)
• We would like to be able to get to the glacier without competing with traffic. Multiple access for grooming trail

How can the community be involved with the success of this trail?
• Nordic Ski Club has interest in managing a portion of the trail and responsible for grooming (200 members). Seward Cycling Club has interest in summer trail work. Iditarod Trailblazers probably have interest and support of the trail corridor.
• Trailblazers brushing out trail

For your interests, activities, or sports, what makes the best trail?
• Winter Parking. No Parking at 1st gate. Present parking forces snow machiners to drive down road which is illegal. Mushers with dog also have problem with current parking. Machiners/mushers need large area. 4th of July use!
• Wide trail for two-way traffic. Unpaved for horses, paved for biking/roller blading
If any, what do you see as a fatal flaw in the success of this project
• 6’-8’ trail width Dog mushing. 16’ trail width wide skate skiing. Uninterrupted flow
• Mother nature (flooding), All agencies coordinating new trail non-motorized

Current Uses
• Dog sledding
• Snow Machining
• Camping
• Nordic Skiing
• Hiking
• Roller Skiing
• Skating
• Ski Joring
• Automobiles
• Biking
• Dog walking
• Hunting Access
• Rafting / Kayaking
• Jogging / Running
• Races

Roadway Issues and Notes
• Entire length is used
• Is grooming possible or necessary?
• No conflicts now
• Over use – very high demand
• Why past effort for trail stopped: some felt citizens dropped the ball, everyone was complacent
• Winter - the community's roadway
• Summer use – tourists take road but locals use trail
• Illegal camping – state lands
• Maintain – adopt a trail need community effort
• First 1.5 miles – private property issues with trail development

Vision for a trail in the Exit Glacier Road Corridor
• Good gravel trail
• Want non-motorized trail
• Dog mushers AND cross country skiers
• Classical cross country ski track
• Skate skiing
• Loop trail on South side
• 4 Wheelers Club
• Summer not safe for biking – but prefer hard compacted gravel surface
• Biking with kids
• Tourist Issue
• Horses