Work recently finished on Eaglecrest’s Lower Nordic Trails to smooth and harden the remaining meadow loop. The end result means more skiing in low-snow conditions for Juneauites! In an era of declining and erratic snow pack, smooth and hardened trails hold snow longer and allow ski club volunteers to groom when only a few inches of snow has accumulated (something our smaller equipment can do whereas Eaglecrest’s heavier Piston Bullies require substantially more snow). The JNSC is considering this the first phase of our “climate proofing” trail efforts at Eaglecrest.
Special thanks to the Juneau Community Foundation for a $15,000 grant that kick-started this project. Funds were matched by Eaglecrest to purchase D1 gravel, rent heavy equipment, plus the labor of 5+ ski area staff over the course of the project. In-kind support was also received from Bobcat of Juneau as we test drove their new all-electric skid-steer during the course of the project, CBJ Streets and Parks for gravel trucking and dump truck use, and a number of JNSC volunteers.
Stay tuned for a ribon-cutting ceremony later this summer!