A new interactive trail map created by the Mat-Su Borough shows trails throughout the area, including the Upper Valley. The Talkeetna Parks Advisory Committee met to suggest some corrections to the map.
Committee Chair Karl Swanson says their group created a spreadsheet of the area trails and corrected a few trail names. He says they also suggested adding the connector trail between Y and Christiansen Lakes, a popular ski trail within the park that is missing from the map.
Swanson also says they suggested potentially removing a trail that leads users directly into the river, which could be dangerous if it’s not frozen enough for snowmachines or for visitors who are unaware that the river can shift.
Several residents did provide the Borough with a few GPSed lines for the map, but the Borough did not reach out to the TPAC for guidance in the area, according to Swanson. He does note that the Borough does appear eager to accept corrections and to work with the local groups to make the map more usable. He says the group may also suggest a way to download the trail files so users may be able to access them offline in remote areas.
While it’s not perfect, Swanson says the TPAC will continue to work with the Borough to make it a better map.
