News and Advisories

National Trails Day--Airport Dike Trail

Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Celebrate National Trails Day with us at the Airport Dike Trail! We will meet at 10:00 am at the trailhead on Radcliffe Road. Activities will include:

• Guided nature hikes in the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge.
• Work party-we will clear brush and improve drainage along the trail. Please bring gloves.

Perseverance Trail Grand Reopening

Saturday, June 21, 2008 at 3:00 pm

Join Trail Mix as we celebrate the grand reopening of the historic Perseverance Trail after two years and nearly $900,000 in major improvements.

Thanks the the Alaska Trails Initiative and the generosity of Trail Mix members, the most popular trail in Juneau has been preserved for generations to come.

We hope you will join those who made this project possible, including U.S. Senator Ted Stevens and Alaska State Parks Director James King, as we celebrate the completion of this historic project!

Ribbon-cutting to occur at the Perseverance Trailhead at the end of Basin Road.

2008 Summer Volunteer Work Days

Ask any one of our trail crew workers and they'll tell you, "The only thing more enjoyable than hiking a trail is building one." This summer, Trail Mix has a variety of rewarding projects on some of Juneau's finest trails. Please join us on one or more monthly volunteer work days:

• Auke Lake Trail (June TBA): Construct trail tread and drainage improvements. Revegetate former trail corridor.
• Perseverance Trail (Saturday, July 19 at 9 am - 4 pm): Improve drainage and trail tread between Mt. Juneau Trailhead and Lurvey Creek. Sponsored by the National Park Service, Alaska State Parks and CBJ Parks and Recreation.
• Dan Moller Trail (Sat.-Sun., August TBA): Repair and replace broken planking from Blueberry Hills Access Trail to Dan Moller Cabin. Optional overnight stay in the Dan Moller cabin.
• Mt. Roberts Trail (September TBA): Join the Mt. Roberts Stewards as they work to conserve this alpine area and education visitors on one of Juneau's most visited trails!

Employment Opportunities for 2008 Field Season

Trail Conditions

Perseverance Trail:
Due to the extreme danger of avalanches and rockslides along the Perseverance Trail, hikers are strongly urged to avoid the area until the spring.

While there is now a stable trail built on a bedrock shelf, the slope above the trail will remain unstable until the spring thaw. Until then, it is very likely that debris will continue to fall. Two weeks ago, a large amount of dirt and rock fell on a portion of the trail, blocking access beyond Ebner Falls.

Once again, hikers should not use the trail until the spring to allow the newly disturbed rock time to stabilize.

Once heavy construction is completed, there will be plenty of opportunities for volunteers to put the finishing touches on the Perseverance Trail. Your first opportunity will be in May, when Trail Mix crews will install two sections of wire fence along the most exposed sections of the trail. This critical safety feature was made possible through a generous contribution by Rich and Mary Stone, owners of AK Litho. Volunteers are needed to help move material and install posts and wires.

Volunteers are also needed to help replant native vegetation along the new trail using plants and seeds harvested prior to construction. This extreme gardening event will coincide with the grand reopening of the Perseverance Trail on National Trails Day, Saturday, June 7th, 2008.

We’d like to thank everyone who has contributed generously of their time and money to make this project a reality. If you’d like to volunteer, have questions about the Perseverance Trail, or would like to join Trail Mix, please call us at 790-6406.

Call for 2008 Project Suggestions

Trail Mix would love to hear from you. Do you have a favorite trail that needs repair? Please contact us with any project suggestions you may have for 2008. We will discuss your ideas during the Board Retreat.

Fall 2007 Newsletter

The Fall 2007 Newsletter has been distributed. View the PDF here.

Juneau Empire Trail and Nature Columns

Mary Willson regularly writes Trail and Nature Columns for the Juneau Empire. To read some of her submissions, go to articles.