By: Eric Troyer

Trip Location: Twin Bears Mountain, 4-5 miles round trip, total elevation gain about 900 feet.

Access: Trailhead in front of Twin Bears Camp at Mile 30 Chena Hot Springs Road (park before entering the camp). After the gate, turn left and follow the Nature Trail as it wraps around the south and west sides of Twin Bears Lake until it meets the Twin Bears Mountain Trail heading north (you’ll soon cross a wooden bridge on that trail). After crossing the Winter Trail turn right and follow the ATV trail to the summit.

Trip Date: Friday, June 12, 2015

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By Stan Justice
Photos by Kaye Robinson

Richardson Highway, southeast of Fairbanks

Years ago many a mountaineering adventure used this access route to enter the mountains, but the popularity of recreational snowmachining has driven mountaineers to quieter areas. From the north, go over the gentle Isabel Pass and pass the Richardson Monument, then turn left on the gravel road at mile post 197.5. If coming from the south, pass Summit Lake and at the end of a 2 mile straight-a-way look for a gravel road on the right.

In the winter the road may be snowed in adding four miles to your approach. During construction of the pipeline the first mile of the road was improved and a large pad housed Isabel Camp. Every April the pad becomes Alaska’s third largest city with 10,000 snowmachiners gathered for the Arctic Man competition which pairs a downhill ski racer with a powerful snowmachine for a thrilling event.

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By: Eric Troyer

Trip Location: Denali State Park, several miles south of the Hurricane Gulch on the Parks Highway

Access: This trail has three access points roughly equidistant from each other: Little Coal Creek Trailhead (Mile 163.9), Ermine Hill Trailhead (Mile 156.5) and Cascade Trail (from Byers Lake Campground at Mile 147).

Trip Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2015

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