Trail Mix, Inc.

Follow the 🔷🔷🔷.

The 2.5 mile winter traverse from John Muir cabin to Peterson Lake cabin is an undeveloped trail that many enjoy cross country skiing or snowshoeing. Metal blue diamonds on trees mark a route that travels through beautiful forest and subalpine meadows while avoiding the muskeg that would hamper a hike in the summer.

Most people start at the Spaulding Meadows trailhead, where the blue diamonds begin on the Auk Nu trail to John Muir cabin. From the cabin, head down the hill towards Auke Mountain to pick up the route. In total, the trek is a bit more than 10 miles, but the journey can be broken up into smaller chunks by cabin stays. Strong navigation skills are a must as poor visibility can make route-finding difficult. A map, compass, and/or GPS track are recommended.

Have you skied or snowshoed this traverse? Share your favorite part or best tip in the comments 👇.

📍Lingít Aaní

Summer is almost here and we’re preparing for another groundbreaking season. ☀️To make a larger impact on our trail system, we’re calling for help from trail lovers like you! 🥾

🌲Join the Juneau Trail Stewards Program, an exciting way for the Juneau community to connect with our trails during the summer. Trail Mix, Inc.’s Trail Stewards program enables volunteers to be active participants in maintaining and caring for Juneau’s 250+ miles of world-class trail. While our crews work hard, we only have three of them. By becoming Trail Stewards, your organization will help us multiply our impact on Juneau’s trails.

The Trail Stewards program is open to groups, businesses, and individuals and no trail experience is necessary. 🪓Do you have a group you want to see working out on the trails? Tag them below! Head to trailmixinc.org/trailstewards/ for more details and how to join the program!

📍Lingít Aaní

Back in 2009, we partnered with our friends Temsco Helicopters to clean up Mount Juneau! Volunteers and crew headed up the mountain to pick up litter, large debris, and even a few machines that had been abandoned at the top.

George Shaaf, Trail Mix Executive Director at the time, was contacted by the owner of the land on top Mt. Juneau. George remembered that “she had a desire to get all of that off of the mountain and try to return it back to its natural state as best as we could. We told her that we would help her out with that.” (Quote from KTOO’s “The story of the downtown Juneau tramway that was never built”: https://www.ktoo.org/2017/06/09/story-downtown-juneau-tramway-never-built/).

📍Yadaa.at Kalé

❄️Hikers, you have 9 days left to complete and redeem your passports! ❄️

This winter’s Hike for a Pint has almost come to an end. Please remember to complete AND redeem your passport at Amalga Distillery or Auke Bay Cafe by March 19th. 🍹🍦If you head out to the trails this week, make sure to snap a pic with your passport and tag us!

📍Lingít Aaní

It’s time to gear up for the season! Now, you can show your support for Trail Mix on and off the trail.

We’ll be selling t-shirts, hoodies, crewnecks, zip-ups, and long sleeve t-shirts now through March 31st. All orders placed will be shipped out by April 12th–just in time to rep your gear for spring hiking!

Head to bit.ly/trailmixgear22 or go to the “gear” tab on our website to access the order form.

Making our trail system safer one tree at a time! 💪

Last week, Meghan, Duncan, and Ryan worked to remove a tree that was hanging over Outer Point Loop. In forestry, trees like this one that could fall on someone are called fool killers or widowmakers. To reduce risk, avoid going underneath them or if that’s not possible, move as quickly through their fall zone as you can, one person at a time. Then take a quick pic from a safe distance and fill out the Juneau Trails Damage Report so we can take care of it. Photos are especially helpful for assessing hazard. Link in bio or find it on our website under ‘Contact.’

Thanks for being our eyes out on trail!

📍Deishú Áak’w

This Friday, we’re taking a look back to some work completed on the Treadwell Ditch in 2010. For this project, Trail Mix installed a turnpike on the trail a little ways before Lawson Creek.

Turnpikes help elevate the trail away from the soggy ground, which is crucial here in Southeast Alaska. Turnpikes are often built with surrounding materials from the trail. Most are created by felling a tree, stripping the bark to prevent rotting, and then creating a structure that resembles a ladder laying down. Once the structure is created, it is filled in with large, chunky rocks at the bottom and gravel on top. By layering the rocks this way, we’re able to ensure that water can drain off the trail with minimal erosion.

📍Sayéik

It’s time for another test of trail knowledge! 🤓

If you think you know where this bench is located, tell us in the comments. We’ll reveal the correct answer after a few guesses.

Here’s a hint: Trail Mix worked on this trail last year and will be back out there again this summer. Good luck!

📍Deishú Áak’w

Beepin’ 🔊for backcountry safety!

Big thanks to the Juneau Snowmobile Club for installing a beacon checker at the base of the Blueberry Hills access trail to Treadwell Ditch. For those who like to snowmachine and ski around Dan Moller cabin, this device will quickly confirm if you are transmitting a signal and also reminds you the other rescue gear you need to carry.

Remember, a functioning beacon will help you in the event of an avalanche, but more important are the knowledge and skills to recreate safely in the backcountry and avoid that worst case scenario.

📍Sayéik

Today is the last day to apply to be a part of a trail crew! Our website is currently down and we’re working as hard as we can to get it back up and running as soon as possible. In the meantime, if you’d like to apply to Trail Mix, please go directly to our application at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/trailmixcrew22 .We apologize for the inconvenience.

Today we’re looking back on one of our favorite days of the year: National Trails Day! 🌲🪓On June 1st of 2019 more than 40 volunteers joined our Trail Mix crew to help improve part of the Montana Creek Trail on National Trails Day. National Trails Day helped connect trail users with the actual work of building and maintaining trails and strengthen our already vibrant trail community here in Juneau.

For this National Trails Day, volunteers rerouted the trail away from the steep, eroded area near the creek. Volunteers hauled out gravel, shaped the new trail, and hardened the surface.

😳Kaxdigoowu Héen Dei

Do you want to help maintain Juneau’s 250+ miles of trails? There are just four days left to apply to join a Trail Mix crew this season!

Join one of our trail crews where you work hard, build friendships, and make a big impact on Juneau’s trail system all in a 4-day work week. The best part? No prior experience is necessary. If you’re ready to join the crew, head to bit.ly/trailmix2022crew for the full job posting.

The application deadline is February 28, 2021. ✨We strongly encourage applications from BIPOC, LGBTQ2S+, women, and others with underrepresented identities in trail building and maintenance.✨

📍 Lingít Aaní

Planet Alaska: A place for healing at Waypoint for Veterans | Juneau Empire

"Goddard, who is Tlingit and Aleut, is no stranger to the outdoors. His pathway to founding Waypoint was inevitable. He spent his youth hiking local trails around Baranof Island, exploring the surrounding islands, hunting, and fishing. Our Southeast Alaskan lifestyle shaped him."

Planet Alaska: A place for healing at Waypoint for Veterans | Juneau Empire A point at which a course is changed…

We're now one month into Hike for a Pint! Make sure to tag us in your photos as you work towards completing 5 trails on your passport. Here's a pic that Deborah Rudis shared with us from this weekend.

📍 Dzantik'i Loop Trail

Today, we’re looking back to Perseverance Trail circa 2009. In 2009, Trail Mix worked to reconstruct the eroded trail along Gold Creek near mile three. Their work included bolstering existing retaining walls, removing and busting up chunky rocks, and creating a defined, even trail.

Perseverance is one of the most well-loved trails here in Juneau. However, it tends to get hit the hardest during our storms. This season, we’ll be back up on Perseverance working to make the trail more resistant to storm damage and improving many sections of the trail.

📍It’ji Shaanáx̱

New motorized maps 🗺 for Montana Creek!

Now it's much easier to know where to go when you want to take your snowmachine or ATV out. View these maps of existing motorized use regulations for both winter and summer at bit.ly/3BrrhCZ. They were created as part of the ongoing planning process for the Montana Creek recreation area.

Big thanks to Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition for working with Juneau Parks & Recreation, the Forest Service, and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources to make this happen. You can also find these maps on the Montana Creek Master Plan page on the CBJ Parks & Recreation website.

Happy Elizabeth Peratrovich Day! Join Sealaska Heritage Institute and many other groups to celebrate this iconic civil rights leader.

YOU’RE INVITED: Elizabeth Peratrovich Day virtual event!

Join the Alaska Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood Grand Camp this evening for a virtual celebration in honor of civil rights leader Elizabeth Peratrovich. The Facebook Live event includes a lineup of incredible speakers so don’t forget to tune in! #ElizabethPeratrovich

We 💚 sharing a home with all these creatures! Happy Valentines Day!

Today we’re taking a special look back on one of our very first trail building machines… the beast. “The beast” was a machine that served us well for many years. It was able to dump gravel to the side and from the back, which can be incredibly handy in tight spaces. The beast also had a lift so crew members could pick up heavy materials.

🌲Can you guess what trail is being worked on in these photos?

Do you have a Trail Mix story you’d like to tell? If any former crew or volunteers have photos you’d like to share, we’d love to see them. Please send to [email protected].

📍 Lingít Aaní

Woohoo, blue skies! What’s your go-to trail when you want to take advantage of a small weather window?

It’s been rough lately, so we hope everyone can get outside today even if it’s only a short jaunt. This photo was taken on the Dan Moller trail just above Treadwell Ditch. From the Blueberry Hills access trail, it’s about 1.5mi round trip.

Let us know in the comments👇what your favorite shorties are!

📍Sayéik

The king of tents: How Jake Lah's influence extends to every corner of the modern tent industry

If you enjoy camping in a sturdy but lightweight tent, thank Jake Lah, the genius who revolutionized aluminum poles.

The king of tents: How Jake Lah's influence extends to every corner of the modern tent industry Jake Lah, the founder of DAC Poles, may dislike camping—but his genius with aluminum has turned him into the wizard behind many of the world’s best outdoor shelters.

🪓We’re Hiring!🪓

Do you love the outdoors? Spend every day outside this summer with Trail Mix!

We’ll teach you everything you need to know about trail work, so prior experience is not necessary. We’re looking for candidates who:
🌲enjoy working outside all day in all weather conditions
🌲can work effectively as a team member to overcome challenges
🌲contributes to a welcoming and inclusive environment for all crew members

Head to our website or go to bit.ly/trailmix2022crew for the full job description and how to apply. Apply by 2/28. Starting pay is $17/hour. We strongly encourage applications from BIPOC, LGBTQ2S+, women, and other underrepresented identities in trail building and maintenance.

📍 Katlaax Jíni