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Low impact, small carbon footprint field day in the #FRange to assess conditions pre-storm. Rode the #fatbike from headquarters in East #Anchorage up to Glen Alps for the Middle Fork Loop. In terms of riding, trails pre-snow this afternoon were the iciest I’ve seen them in seven seasons of #fatbiking in Southcentral #Alaska. On the bright side, just the dusting of snow by late afternoon drastically decreased the sketchy slickness. Mid afternoon #snow line was at Prospect Heights trailhead elevation, but had come down to Muldoon by late afternoon, and all trails were greatly improved for riding from just the dusting. In terms of the mountain snowpack, we’ve had worse for early December and at least the uppermost elevations of the Western #Chugach are plastered more than they have been in at least a few years. Extreme winds are forecast to arrive tomorrow, and with fresh snow in the #alpine #avalanche danger will increase significantly. When the weather becomes more benign for mountain recreation, keep in mind that early season snowpacks are generally sketchy and ours is expected to be sensitive to human triggered avalanches due to the stress from recent precip and wind. Be mindful that whether you’re #hiking, #biking, or #skiing; many popular #trails in #ChugachStatePark (like the Powerline trail from Glen Alps) cross potentially dangerous avalanche paths. Wind events, like the one expected tomorrow, can trigger natural avalanches that cross such trails. Learn how to identify avalanche terrain to keep yourself safe. We recommend @akavalancheschool for a variety of educational opportunities from a few hours for free to a few days for a few hundred bucks. 1) near University Lake 2) South Fork Rim trail between Prospect Heights and Glen Alps 3) near the start of Middle Fork Loop 4) midway through MFL at the bridge

A post shared by Anchorage Avalanche Center (@anchorage_avalanche_center) on Dec 6, 2018 at 7:26pm PST