Skiers must share Independence Mine with private vehicles under state park update

What you need to know:

• Skiing at Independence Mine in Hatcher Pass will look different this winter. A private property owner plans to plow half the road for private property vehicle access while leaving the other available for skiing and grooming.
• A recently clarified state permit affirms private property owners' right to remove snow from state roads to access their land, even if doing so disrupts recreational use.
• Mat-Su Ski Club officials said they are still exploring grooming options in the area. The club plans to groom nearby Archangel Road once state park officials give the go-ahead.
• Short on time but need the local news scoop? Get free weekly news in your inbox for Mat-Su, from Mat-Su.

PALMER – Cross-country skiing will look very different this winter on the long approach trail leading to the popular Independence Mine Historical Park in Hatcher Pass, where a private property owner said he plans to plow half the road for vehicle access while leaving the other covered in snow for skiers.

A recently clarified state snow-grooming recreation permit gives private property owners priority use of the road, allowing them to remove snow when necessary to reach their land.

The more than 1-mile-long Gold Cord Road leads from a parking lot near Hatcher Pass Lodge to a series of old mining company buildings overseen by Alaska State Parks, as well as private property and active mining claims.

The road closes to vehicle traffic in late September and is transformed under the area's heavy snowfall into a series of premier ski trails used annually by thousands of winter visitors, including Olympians training with the Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center. It is typically one of the first trails in Southcentral Alaska to have a deep enough snowpack for early-season grooming.

For decades, both lanes of the road were groomed for Nordic skiing by volunteers, including members of the nonprofit Mat-Su Ski Club. The grooming created wide corduroy for skate skiing and parallel tracks for classic skiing. It was also open to walkers and bikers.

But starting this season, state officials say skiers should expect to share the road with private property owners whose vehicle access over state roads takes priority, even if it means plowing away snow otherwise used for skiing. The clarification is outlined in a permit issued to the Mat-Su Ski Club late last month.

Private property owners are not obligated to leave snow on roads for grooming or other recreational uses.

Alan Renshaw, a Usibelli Coal Mine executive whose family has long owned private property and Gold Cord Mine above the historical park, said he plans to plow the east side of Gold Cord Road while leaving the other half for recreation, including ski grooming.

“We live at the Gold Cord Mine above the Independence Mine Park, so I need to plow to get to my home with supplies,” Renshaw said in a text message Wednesday. “We are spending more time at our place, and I will continue to share the road with all skiers and snowboarders.”

Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities officials said the update is a clarification, not a policy change.

“The primary change this year is not in the long-established legal status and use designations, but the expectation that some property owners and mining claim holders may need winter access,” state transportation department spokesperson Karolina Zakravska said in a statement.

“Because DOT&PF is responsible for ensuring reasonable access over state roadways that take precedence over recreational use, recreation permits administered by Alaska State Parks now more explicitly document that recreational grooming may not impede access for private property owners.”

Wasilla resident Pete Hjellen holds multiple mining claims on state property in the area around Independence Mine but said he does not plan to access them during the winter.

Renshaw, who also owns land accessed by Archangel Road, said he has no plans to plow or access that area during the winter. The Mat-Su Ski Club said it will groom that road for skiing as soon as state park officials give the go-ahead, a step that depends on snow depth.

Mat-Su Ski Club officials said they are still working on plans for whether and how to groom the Independence Mine area.

“We’re working with those involved to better understand what this means for the season ahead,” Mat-Su Ski Club General Manager Marla Jakab said in a statement.

Last year, cross-country skiing at the historical park was put on hold when state transportation officials opted to use the road for early-season plow truck driver training rather than allow snow to accumulate. Officials said the training took place elsewhere this year.