State plow operator training removes snow from popular Hatcher Pass ski area

What you need to know:

• State transportation officials used the Independence Mine ski area in Hatcher Pass for a snowplow and grader training exercise Tuesday, removing snow from a popular cross-country ski area and delaying the start of groomed trail maintenance into December.
• Snow along more than a one-mile stretch of a closed road leading into the Independence Mine State Historical Park, as well as adjacent parking lots, was cleared as part of the exercise.
• The section was selected because it did not have enough snow for grooming, transportation officials said. Ski club officials disagreed.

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PALMER — Cross-country skiers will have to wait at least a few more weeks before using the Independence Mine ski area in Hatcher Pass, after state transportation officials cleared snow from more than a mile of the closed road and adjacent parking lots during a new driver training exercise Tuesday.

Gold Cord Road, which connects a parking lot above Hatcher Pass Lodge to the Independence Mine State Historical Park, closed to vehicles in October in preparation for ski season. The road serves as the initial section for the premier early-season groomed cross-country ski area, drawing thousands of visitors each year, including many of the state’s top athletes and Mat-Su high school ski teams.

But low snowfall in Hatcher Pass so far this season has delayed full grooming operations. A cross-country ski race scheduled for Nov. 15-16 was canceled due to insufficient snow cover.

Officials with the Mat-Su Ski Club, which oversees winter maintenance at the area under an agreement with the state, said Independence Mine had about 16 inches of snow and was ready for grooming Tuesday morning.

State Department of Transportation officials opted to instead use the area to run a training exercise for state and city of Wasilla snowplow and grader operators because their review Monday indicated there wasn’t enough snow for grooming, transportation spokesperson Justin Shelby said in an interview.

“This early in the season, getting their grader operators trained is pretty important,” he said.

An initial version of the training plan announced Monday also called for clearing the Archangel Road ski area but was called off. That area received about six inches of new snow overnight Monday and was also ready for grooming, ski club officials said.

Tuesday’s snow removal will likely delay any use of Independence Mine for groomed cross-country skiing until mid-December, said Eric Strabel, head coach of the Palmer High School cross-country ski team and director of a competitive ski program for the Mat-Su Ski Club.

Some new snowfall is expected in Hatcher Pass on Friday, according to state transportation officials. Skiers who are looking for snow can visit Nancy Lake Parkway, Alaska State Park officials said in a social media post. Nancy Lake Parkway is about 50 miles from Independence Mine.

Plow and grader training has never been held this late in the season on Hatcher Pass ski area roads, ski club officials said.

The training was scheduled for Hatcher Pass due to low snow cover in other areas of Mat-Su, transportation officials said in a social media post Tuesday. State transportation officials did not immediately provide details on where they typically host such exercises. 

Officials with Alaska State Parks, which manages the area, said that while they also want to support skiing, working with the transportation department to safely plow and grade roads is a top priority.

“The goal ultimately between both of our agencies is to think big picture and have the best plan for the whole winter,” state parks spokesperson Wendy Sailors said in an interview Tuesday. “Part of that plan is having trained graders in place and having that for everyone.”

-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com