NPS Photo

Primrose

2/2/08

Trail leaving from mile 3 on the road to mile 9.5 is excellent with 6 inches of snow. In the mile 9.5 drainage the trail splits to take either Jenny Creek to the Savage River or the road. Both options have 4-6 inches of snow cover. The Savage River itself is nice with 2-14 inches of snow cover. Trail up and over Primrose is beautiful with 6-24 inches of snow. There are two options from Hogan Creek to Sanctuary Cabin. The road has 3 inches of snow, while a trail that veers off to the northeast of the road and follows the drainage is icy in places with up to 7 inches of snow. Once around the bend the trail dives off the road on the south side and heads across the flat to the Sanctuary Cabin.

Trail heading up the Sanctuary 15 miles is in excellent condition! Most of the trail is in 4-6 inches of snow. There are a few short sections of overflow, some ice and some 6 inches deep.

NPS Photo

Overflow in Igloo Creek

The trail from Sanctuary Cabin over the pass to the Teklanika River is in 7 inches of snow. The Teklanika River is beautiful to travel on, with 7 inches of fresh snow cover. The trail after the slough and just past the bluff heads through a section of overflow about 8 inches in depth for 100 feet. Travel on the road to Igloo Cabin is excellent as well in 6-24 inches of snow. There is an alternative route which goes north under the bridge on the Teklanika River, and then follows Igloo Creek upstream to the cabin in 4-6 inches of snow cover.

The trail from Igloo cabin is put in on Igloo Creek and follows the creek up to the Sable Pass accent. The trail on Igloo Creek varies from overflow ice 1 to 18 inches deep, sections of glare ice, and sections of snow from 1-24 inches deep.

Trail up Sable Pass is good with about 14 inches of snow. The trail up the road is in good shape in 1 to 3 feet of snow (the later depths in drifted areas).

NPS Photo

The road just west of the turn off into Coal Creek at Mile 41.

The trail going down the west side of Sable drops into Coal Creek at approximately mile 41. The decent into the drainage is a gentle slope. The trail in the creek has 8 inches of snow cover in most areas, a few patches of glare ice and many sections of overflow, ranging from 2 inches to 28 inches deep.

Trail on the East Fork River up to the Plains of Murie is great. Most of the trail is on 8-20 inches of snow with a few sections of overflow ranging from 3-9 inches deep. Trail heading down I-Scream Gulch is good. The upper section has 8 inches of snow cover. After that is a section of ice approximately 400 feet long, followed by mostly overflow ice 4 inches deep. Trail across the Toklat is good on 8 inches of snow over the river rocks, and some drifted areas below Divide ranging from 4-24 inches deep.

Trail down the Toklat River just past The Narrows (about 6 miles downstream) is good. This trail was put in before the last snowfall of 8 inches, so most of it is likely covered by the snow now.

Please be advised that heavy equipment may be on the park road from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. 7 days a week from mile 3-7 to regulate ice build-up.