Safari Lake trailhead
MP 11.8 Petersville Road
SORRY FOLKS! there’s snow in South Denali but it’s BULLETPROOF at the moment from all the temperature swings right after the big dump last week. I don’t know about you, but my mountain sled (Summit) overheats too easily over boiler-plate. Added to that, we’re supposed to get an arctic blast of single digits for daytime highs this weekend (which is good to finish up the ice) but not great for early season sled breakdowns. Erring on the safe side of caution, I’m calling it quits for this one….looking forward to the rides in January with more snow! Happy Holidays to all
This traditional Holiday ride is always a BLAST because of all the soft “fluff” (powder snow) early in the season. Rated as intermediate-advanced skill level due to variable terrain conditions with early season riding and traditional trail grooming and snow bridges are not likely to be found. Proficiency in deep-snow riding with a track 153″ or longer is most advisable for this ride.
We’ll scout out the “best snow” in the South Denali and Petersville area—a bit of a “tour” if you will, making tracks so have a full gas tank and oil on your sled. Expect some deeper snow riding but nothing overly technical, no big hills, etc. Total miles will depend on the group and the snow depth but no more than 60 miles.
Meet at Safari Lake Trailhead parking lot at 9am, MP 11.8 on the Petersville Road (this parking lot fills up by 10am and there is additional parking in pullouts up the road a bit farther, you can backtrack if necessary and meet up). Driving time to Safari Lake Trailhead from Anchorage on plowed and sanded roads is 2.5 hours.
MP11.8 PARKING LOT IS THE FIRST BIG PULLOUT PARKING AREA AFTER THE MP10.5 *GATE LAKE* SMALLER PULLOUT.
After a brief rider safety meeting be ready to depart at 10am. Have lunch and beverage and your camera. Bring extra socks just in case we have to do some shallow water-skipping (early season). We should be returning to the parking lot approximately 4pm.
TIP: as this is one of the first rides of the season, please do your sled maintenance now to avoid breakdowns and embarrassing group delays ! As always, CHECK THE HOTLINE BEFORE DEPARTING FOR THE RIDE for any last-minute updates.
GET OUT OF THE HOUSE and celebrate the holiday season with the Anchorage Snowmobile Club !
