Girdwood Trails Committee

Minutes of Regular Meeting

7 pm, Old Library Building

Tuesday, September 6, 2005


The meeting was called to order at 7:05 pm by Chair Dario Martinez.  Kate

Sandberg acted as Secretary for the meeting.

 

Present: Dario Martinez, Norman Starkey, Kate Sandberg, Matt Wedeking, Carl Skustad, Carolyn Brodin, Diana Livingston, Chad Frank, and guests: Tom Swanson of Oregon Woods Inc., and Sarah Sadowski and Tynille Rufenacht of Serving Alaska Youth Corps (SAYC/SAGA)

 

Minutes of August 2, 2005, were approved.

 

OLD BUSINESS

1.  Nissman Memorial: The project is going well. John Simmons, with help from others, set forms and poured the concrete slab in mid-August.  Lumber is expected to arrive in Girdwood by late September, cut the first two weeks of October, and raised during mid-October.  Jake Thompson will cut the lumber and oversee this portion of the project.

 

Tongue and groove wood will be purchased from SBS and asphalt shingles will come from Lowes. Chad expects to have an Anchorage ironworker create a pair of backcountry telemark skis and poles for the Memorial.

 

Parks and Recreation funding for the Memorial is expected to come out of this year’s budget.  Chad will forward the budget to all committee members.

 

Official dedication of the Memorial will be June 3, 2006, National Trails Day.  Tommy O’Malley will create PSAs and posters for community involvement in the project. 

 

2.  Trails Issues

a.  Grant Application for Alyeska Highway Bike Path/Bridge Repair:  No announcement yet as to the awards. The announcement is expected this month.

 

b.  Winner Creek Improvements: The Sawtooth crew has more work to do, but all members agreed that the trail to Berry Pass is well done and the scenery spectacular. No bridges are planned on this section.

 

The Oregon Woods crew continues to work on the Gorge section.  The two crews will meet by approximately September 9.

 

c.  Universal Trail Assessment Program:  The committee agreed to have Chad email Paul Sandofer.  Chad will tell Paul that he can measure and rate the Iditarod Trail for disability access, but that the committee needs to approve all signage prior to use.

 

There was no discussion about adding the Iditarod Trail to the trailsexplorer.org database.

 

3.  SAYC Work Progress:  Sarah Sadowski, Field Manager for SAYC, reported that her crews have begun work on the committee’s priorities.  She has 12 people working, soon to be 15.  The committee clarified priorities and answered questions.  In summary:

 

a.  Matt and Chad will work with Sarah on September 8 to flag the Beaver Pond trail so that the crew understands the desired trail line.  Trail will have a 2-foot tread with 4-5 feet brush cuts.

b.  Matt and Chad will also move the wood from the Trails Committee shed down to mile 2.5 of Crow Creek Road.  SAYC crews will move the wood away from the road that same day.

c.  SAYC will use the wheelbarrow from the shed and get help moving gravel from Oregon Woods.  Gravel is at the Mine.

d.  Virgin Creek access has been moved to the bottom of the priority list because of access issues.

e.  Added to the list of priorities is brushing out the current trail from the airport road to Aspen and soccer field. Sarah agreed to add this.

f.  Crew may spend Saturday nights camping in the Forest Fair Park.

g.  Robbie’s Route second bridge:  Sarah’s crew does not have time to repair this bridge.  Dario will see if the hotel staff will help him fix it.  He will report back in October.

 

4.  Old Trails Committee Records:  No action taken.

 

NEW BUSINESS

The committee thanks Mark Jonas for his willingness to coordinate grooming and groom trails again this winter. Mark will also brush below Horror Hill and by the bridges of Stumpy’s Winter Trail this fall.

 

The lease on the snowmobile has run out, and a new one is expected to be purchased this fall with Parks and Recreation funding.   All other equipment is in working order.

 

OTHER BUSINESS

The tram door that was ripped off has been fixed.

 

Maps: Norman has given 20 maps to the Tourist Trap to sell, some to the Bike Shop, and the hotel purchased 200.  The Java Haus is interested in selling them too. It was suggested that Norman contact the Chamber of Commerce, specifically the bed and breakfast owners for more sales. 

 

Tom Swanson mentioned that Oregon Woods has a trailer too either store or sell. He may contact DOT for storage if he can’t sell it.

 

Kate mentioned that she will be absent November-January and probably October as well. Chad will help with the minutes when necessary.

 

The meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m.