The Stewart Trail is far from the only prescriptive easement in Anchorage, where many trails and roads were built with little regard to official property lines. There is no way fire department equipment could have accessed, much less turned around in, the space. As a resident of Anchorage who previously had not hiked these trails-Im inspired to begin hiking them this coming season! We hike around UAA park or Chester Creek Trail. In a 2018 phone call, one exhausted legislator described the situation as an emotional shitshow.. The Bear Valley area is a hiker's paradise! Courtesy Anchorage Assembly records. Carpooling to the trailhead is highly recommended. Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, The 9 Best Northern Lights Viewing Spots Near Anchorage, How to Travel to Alaska in January and February, The Best Large Family & Group Vacations in Alaska, How to Get from Anchorage to Your Cruise Port in Whittier or Seward (or the reverse! Ship Creek flows through the bottom of the valley to the west and steep mountainsides hem the road to the east. The blood coursing through reindeer antlers, Whitehead explained, causes them to vibrate like a tuning fork. The creek is generally low and easy to cross. Anchorage, It was trivially obvious that several spots on Honey Bear Lane would allow vehicles to pull fully off of the road surface and onto the shoulder. The Alaskan spirit is to allow all to enjoy the outdoors and do things for the greater good of the community, not just ones own self (that is a very American quality- the self serving, individualistic culture). Great views. The Chriss hadnt met before and occupied opposite sides of the political spectrum, but nothing encourages bipartisanship in Alaska like the prospect of an interesting hike. Given all of that, its tempting to call Pease the Queen of the Mountain, but that would be shortsighted. An assemblyman wants to change that., rejected by residents of the upper Hillside, January 30, 2018 email obtained by the Landmine, the burdens and challenges of high intelligence. After repeated objections and pressure from a man in the audience, it became clear that Pugh was attempting to obliquely record the RCCCs support for a re-zoning measure to allow higher-density development on the Hillsidean effort that RCCC members had previously opposed. Cavanaugh developed his own network of cameras to surveil trail users, and began confronting people on the trail. In 2018, as it became increasingly clear that the Municipality and Great Land Trusts negotiations with Pugh had failed, the group began fundraising for a potential legal challenge against Pugh and Cavanaugh. I hope the trail is eventually reopened without the bullshit in the future. Opponents tend to view them as hostile coups, while others simply see the messy process of local democracy in action. As for Ivan and Oro Stewart, as Dan (Jr) says, they had no problem with us using the StewartRead more , At least two of the Board Members of Friends of Stewart Trail live within 400 yards of the Stewart Trail and there are several other neighbors who have submitted notarized affidavits and made monetary contributions to the cause. There was an audible gasp in the room. Honestly. After a quick call, he agreed to an interview. Traveling to the East from Bird Creek Pass will lead you to Grizzly Bear Lake and Moraine Pass. Sign-up for any of the following email series to help plan your Alaska trip. This was the first time hiked this trail in late summer. Big ship or small ship? This is one of the steepest hike we do. The trailhead parking lot can hold only 5-6 cars. Mar 16: Turnagain Arm McHugh Trailhead. Yes, Dennis, you and other landowners including the developer of the Southpointe Subdivison, have done your best to shut down access to the ridge between Turnagain Arm and Potter Valley, which extends to the Ruby Peak referenced in the article. Now is the perfect time to assure public access while not imposing on private dwellings. It is best as an out and back hike, however you could use it to do a few loops: 1) go to the "peak" and head over ridge to connect to McHugh-Rabbit Lake trail and end up at McHugh Rec Area along Turnagain Arm, or 2) go down to Rabbit Lake from the end of the ridge, return on the Canyon Road-Rabbit Lake trail and eventually end up at Canyon Road, but neither are obvious and both require some wayfinding. Meanwhile, the situation on the Stewart Trail was devolving into a tense standoff. Proof: your dead end problem. Bears. For more about how the information on this site should be used, please click here. category. Around this point the brush gives way to open tundra and cross-country walking becomes simple. In her will, Oro Stewart divided her homestead tract between two beloved local organizations, the Alaska Botanical Garden and the Alaska Zoo. Signage on the Stewart Trail posted by Christopher Matthew Cavanaugh, photographed October 14, 2018. Follow the trail or strike out and find your own way up to Point 3,200. As Constant said, Its dangerous to ask questions if you cant control the answers.. Take your route going up to the ridge. This trailhead has many route options. The business is listed under The brush on the south side of McHugh is not at all bad by Chugach standards, though the tundra and grasses can be steep and slippery. Pugh began patrolling the trail on foot or in his truck, often confronting those who circumvented his gate to demand that they sign Access Agreements. Many relented and signed the agreements, which affirm that Pugh owns the Stewart Trail and has the exclusive right to dictate trail use. At least one section of road corridor was wide enough that we reached the STOP message at the end of our 35-foot measuring tape. You are under no obligation to speak with anyone on a public easement, and use of a public easement is not trespass. We had been told that the HOA occasionally plowed snow into the trailhead cul-de-sacs fire truck turnaround to discourage parking by hikers. But others refused. He writes that he is a good team player that is able to work effectively within interdisciplinary teams to deliver complex projects. Former coworkers describe Pugh as methodical and precise. Located 40 minutes north of downtown Anchorage in the Eagle River Valley, the center serves as the gateway to the Chugach. Your must-have activity guide + map while in Alaska. Whitehead handed out carrot treats and suggested touching Stars antlers once he warmed up to the new attention. Bear Valley Hike is a Hiking area located at Ivan and Oro Stewart occupy a middle ground in Alaska history: not quite famous enough for the history books, but so impactful that the ripples of their adventurous lives are still visible throughout the state. Heres your chance LM Team: Sue Pugh for slander. Pugh began prominently displaying a large revolver on his hip, and reportedly began driving close behind nervous hikers with his truck. The Alaska Landmine is a owned and operated by Speedogate Media, a division of the Landfield Global Group. My verdict is still the same. As Falsey explains in his March 2, 2016 message to Pugh: The publics consistent use of this trail for the past several decades has created a public use easement across the property. Bear Valley, His will have the burden of proving that his statement is true that you are trespassers. Boutique, small ship adventure cruises in Alaska's Inside Passage, Cruises depart from Whittier, a 1 hr drive from Anchorage. Still some snow patches on the mountain. Screenshots from Pugh surveillance footage, published on YouTube by Cavanaugh. Others thought that Pugh wanted to change municipal policy related to trail development and park access requirements for new developments. Hiding cameras. As the road starts climbing, the pavement ends, sending you up a wide gravel road. After it became clear that he would not remove the gate voluntarily, several organizations attempted to negotiate with Pugh. Boutique, small ship adventure cruises in Alaska's Inside Passage, Cruises depart from Whittier, a 1 hr drive from Anchorage. The trail is a mix of dirt and rocks. sean, as article explains your neighborhood has such problems with trash, parking, etc because yall VOTED to stay out of the parks area so you could keep dodging that parks tax. Dont come on here! Those who were not confronted by Pugh in person were photographed and recorded by an increasingly large network of surveillance cameras that Pugh installed along the trail. Pugh had always known about the trail and the public easement, the man said. In one Instagram post detailing an attempt to climb Ruby, Cavanugh explains that he has decided to name the peak Mattanaws Peak, after himself. A man answered the door. Letters sent from MOA Attorney Bill Falsey to Pugh demanding the removal of the Pugh gate. The lot appeared to have significant value to only one group: users of the Stewart Trail. I was up there in the 60s. Secondly, to say that the homeowners are somehow at fault for creating the situation of littering and illegal parking is asinine. Use our calculator to find out, Stay casual, dress in layers, and get proper footwear, View All Southcentral & Interior Towns on a Map, Cruises depart Juneau or Sitka. He was sometimes slow, one former coworker told the Landmine, but he was careful. The Municipality has an obligation to protect the publics interest in this trail. There is no guarantee of a parking spot, and rumors of harassment by local residents are numerous. There are many unofficial trails, game trails, and old inholding trails in this area. The problems theyre facing with people parking in their streets and using private property will not stop.. My notes on the summit pinnacle itself are in the Bear Valley route description above. This trailhead has many route options. But in the case of the Stewart Trail, evidence of historical use seems to be overwhelming. Boy! Overwhelmed by choices? Some residents appear to have a curious relationship with fire safety; on July 24, 2017, Honey Bear Circle resident Laurie Holland asked Langley what criteria the neighborhood streets would need to meet to be designated as fire lanes, thereby increasing parking tickets from $20 to $200. Nine-time champion and record holder at Crow Pass. Also, it is a relatively short hike to the first peak with a great view of Anchorage. Which one is right for you? If you asked people what the largest cities in the US are, few would guess Anchorage. According to an email from MOA Traffic Safety Division Manager Kris Langley, someone installed illegal signage around the trailhead, at times using MOA sign posts: In a series of emails sent between May 28 and June 23, 2016, Stolle Subdivision board member Dan Toomey requested that the MOA allow the local HOAs to gate nearby Snow Bear Drive and permit residents to assist in parking control at the Park access point. Toomey states a desire to limit parking to the approved spots at the trailhead and cites documented instances of crime and violence at the end of Snow Bear Drive. Out of necessity, homesteaders built and travelled this road to reach their homesteads. The most intimate multi-day cruise option. The Bear Valley Trailhead is a popular place to begin a hiking, biking, or horse riding adventure in Point Reyes National Seashore. want help with those problems (which exist everywhere in every city)? The nearest access points to Chugach State Park are the micro-Trailhead at Honey Bear, the end of Canyon Road, and Turnagain Arm Trail across from the Potter Section House. In 1967, the Stewart Trail was featured in 30 Hikes in Alaska as the preferred route to climb McHugh Peak. At the last rocky point before the summit, the trail disperses onto a broad face that sweeps up toward McHughs craggy crown. Like countless thousands before them, both came north with big plans for new lives in Alaska. Either way, public access would remain. Difficulty: Class 2(c4), Rabbit Creek routes (East Ridge): ~10 miles round trip, ~2,900 ft. elevation gain. what, yall expect us to believeRead more , I personally have tried to access the Honey Bear Trailhead parking area in late winter/early spring and been unable to because the cul de sac was blocked with plowed snow. I made sure to make a lot of noise due to the numerous sightings of bear scat. From downtown, take New Seward Highway toward Seward. No, no, no, they never had a problem with people going up there! We been up there, after Ivan died, we went up there with Oro, people [were] up in there. One bought the property to make money off of a public trail & the other needs to remind us how smart he is. In a January 1, 2019 phone call with the Landmine, Weddleton said the proposition had failed because those outside of the service area wanted to continue avoiding city park taxes, and wanted to keep outsiders out of their neighborhoods. I will make sure to choose someone smarter for my bookkeeping. With the snap of a padlock, Pugh claimed the de facto right to exclusively dictate access to over a thousand acres of Anchorage, including vast swaths of private, nonprofit, and state park land. There is a parking-fee area at the Rendezvous Peak Trailhead. However, it was clear that the RCCC meetings under Pughs leadership had accomplished one thing: a resistance had crystallized. Karma, dudesheaded your way. Features: Kid Friendly, Bicycling, Skiing, RunningDirections: To access the trail head, take Peters Creek exit from the Glenn Highway, then turn right on Ski Rd. Snow into the trailhead cul-de-sacs fire truck turnaround to discourage parking by hikers was wide enough that we reached STOP. Numerous sightings of Bear scat a broad face that sweeps up toward McHughs craggy crown Whittier a! Up in there agreed to an interview parking lot can hold only 5-6 cars trailhead cul-de-sacs fire truck turnaround discourage! 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