Cooper Landing, Moose Pass, Trail Mix Journal 29 Aug 2023 Devil’s Pass The trail where the sun always shines, Down south the Seward Highway, A rain cloud follows around. Tucked in a valley, A slow steady climb... Rachel Blakeslee
Seward, Trail Mix Journal 27 Jul 2023 A Favorite Hike Note the title—A Favorite Hike—Not “MY Favorite Hike.” I have too many that I enjoy without deciding which one has the correct attributes to be my one and only favorite... Rachel Blakeslee
Event Updates, KMTA Communities, Skiing 23 Feb 2023 KMTA Corduroy Crush Coming March 26th! Join us March 26th for the KMTA Corduroy Crusher! Hey Nordic skiers! The KMTA Classic has undergone a transformation and is now the KMTA Corduroy Crush! The name change reflects… Karen Lewis
History, History Articles, Iditarod, KMTA Stories, Lowell Family, Seward The Mary Lowell Homestead. Photo courtesy Resurrection Bay Historical Society, 21.1.4. 04 Oct 2022 Iditarod Trail Pioneer Alfred Lowell Alfred Lowell was born in 1876, the son of Frank and Mary Lowell, who settled on Resurrection Bay in 1884, some 19 years before the founding of Seward in 1903. … Karen Lewis
Event Updates, Hope, Race Photo courtesy of Goon Gallery 01 Sep 2022 Gnarly Weather Didn’t Stop the Success of Last Month’s Mineshaft Grinder KMTA hosted our third annual Mineshaft Grinder on Saturday, August 13th, and we are still riding high from all the fun. With a 63% increase in the number of athletes… Karen Lewis
Big Jim, Clark Fair, Cooper Landing, History Articles, KMTA Communities, KMTA Stories, Mining History Big Jim's gold nugget & Mercury head dime 06 Jul 2022 More Fun in the Finding than in the Having – Part Three By Clark Fair AUTHOR’S NOTE: Last time, we learned how “Big Jim” O’Brien and “Little Jim” Dunmire came to the Alaska in 1935, made a home near Schooner Bend on… Karen Lewis No Comments
Big Jim, Clark Fair, Cooper Landing, History Articles, KMTA Communities, KMTA Stories, Little Jim, Mining History Little Jim & Big Jim with furs. 28 Jun 2022 Coming Home & Battling a Bully – Part Two By Clark Fair AUTHOR’S NOTE: Last time, we explored the story behind the name of Jim’s Landing, on the Kenai River just outside of Cooper Landing, and we met James… Karen Lewis No Comments
Big Jim, Clark Fair, Cooper Landing, History Articles, KMTA Communities, KMTA Stories, Little Jim, Mining History A friend approaching the Jims' home near Schooner Bend. 22 Jun 2022 Coming in for the Landing: An Origin Story – Part One By Clark Fair The name itself receives little attention, but the “Jim’s” in Jim’s Landing is misleading. The apostrophe implies that the landing was named for a single man named… Karen Lewis No Comments
Event Updates, Girdwood, KMTA Communities, Race, Skiing Kids at the start of the KMTA Classic 2k race. 02 Mar 2022 KMTA Classic Brought A Day of Fun to the 5K Nordic Loop in Girdwood Skiing Community Comes to Girdwood for the Inaugural KMTA Classic On Sunday, February 27th the Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area (KMTA) partnered with Girdwood Nordic Ski Club (GNSC) to… Karen Lewis No Comments
Event Updates, Girdwood, Race, Skiing 01 Feb 2022 KMTA Classic Race Results Are Posted! Join Us on February 27th in Girdwood! Calling all Nordic skiers! We are thrilled to announce the inaugural KMTA Classic, a family friendly classic ski race on the 5k Nordic… Karen Lewis No Comments
Grant Projects, Grants, History, Iditarod, KMTA Communities, Programs & Education Max Romey watches as the sun begins to set in Seward, sharing a glimpse of the watercolor scene he just created. 18 Jan 2022 Trailbound Alaska Documentary Showcases the Historic Iditarod Trail “Trailbound Alaska”, a KMTA grant funded film is finally ready to debut at the Bear Tooth this spring. The documentary is the brainchild of filmmaker Max Romey. In the summer… Karen Lewis No Comments
Annual Report, Girdwood, Grant Projects, Grants, Hiking 05 Jan 2022 Girdwood Trail Signs Increase Accessibility to the Outdoors “Signs are probably the quickest and easiest way to leave the trail user with a positive impression. If signs are high quality, well maintained, and properly located, other trail problems… Karen Lewis No Comments
Hiking, Hiking in Winter, KMTA Communities, KMTA Stories 26 Nov 2021 #OptOutside This Winter in the KMTA National Heritage Area! #OptOutside This Year... Spending time together and spending time outdoors has always been an integral part of life in the Heritage Area. Splitting and stacking firewood, preserving the summer and… Karen Lewis No Comments
Hiking, History, KMTA Communities, KMTA Stories, Steve Cleary Photo by Paxson Woelber 16 Nov 2021 National Take A Hike Day is November 17th! National Take a Hike Day Today, we celebrate hiking not generally as our primary transportation, but for recreation and exercise. Since the 1800’s hiking has become more popular as a… Karen Lewis No Comments
Girdwood, Grant Projects, Grants 18 Oct 2021 Another Successful Summer of FVCS Adventure Camps Four Valleys Community School’s summer Adventure Camps have become a staple within the communities of Girdwood, Portage, Indian, and Bird to provide youth with continued education outside of the school… Karen Lewis No Comments
Grant Projects, Grants, History, Seward 16 Oct 2021 Children’s Museum Pop-Up Attracts Visitors in Seward The Happy Youth Programs & Educational Resources (HYPER) Children's Museum Pop-Up made its debut this past August. Sponsored by the Seward Prevention Coalition and a KMTA annual grant, the pop-up… Karen Lewis No Comments
Event Updates, KMTA Communities, Race Racers take off for the 2nd Annual Mineshaft Grinder in Hope, AK 14 Sep 2021 Successful Second Annual Mineshaft Grinder Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area (KMTA) coordinated the second annual Mineshaft Grinder race after taking a COVID year off as did many races in 2020. The event was a… Karen Lewis No Comments
History Articles, KMTA Stories, Seward Benny Benson’s original submission for the flag competition. ASL-MS14-1, American Legion, Designs by School Children for Alaska’s Flag, Alaska State Library-Historical Collections. 20 Apr 2021 Benny Benson: An Alaskan Kid Who Made History Before 1927, Alaska did not have a flag. At the time, Alaska was still a territory, meaning that the federal government controlled Alaska and its citizens lacked voting representation in… Karen Lewis No Comments
Grant Projects, Grants, History, Seward 12 Apr 2021 Seward Cable House Restored By Tanguy Libbrecht The “Govt. Cable House” located on 6th Ave is in the original Seward tract where the Ballaine brothers first envisioned that Seward would become a large bustling… Karen Lewis No Comments
History, KMTA Communities, KMTA Stories, Moose Pass Trail Lake Lodge today. 03 Feb 2021 KMTA Business Spotlight: Trail Lake Lodge in Moose Pass, Alaska By Karen Lewis An unexpected text popped up on Jen Boyle’s phone this past new year. A former guest was sending greetings for the new year and wanted to let… Karen Lewis No Comments
Grant Projects, History, Moose Pass 29 Jan 2021 The Frontier History of Moose Pass, Alaska By Willow Hetrick The community of Moose Pass is proud to announce the completion of a new book titled: People, Paths, and Places: The Frontier History of Moose Pass, Alaska.… Karen Lewis No Comments
History, KMTA Communities, KMTA Stories, Lowell Family, Seward The Mary Lowell Homestead. Photo courtesy Resurrection Bay Historical Society, 21.1.4. 28 Jan 2021 Mary Lowell: A Link Between Cultures By Deanna Ochs One might wonder why, until recently, there were no peaks named after her. After all, two of the tallest peaks presiding over the city of Seward, Alaska,… Karen Lewis No Comments
Grant Projects, Seward 24 Jan 2021 The Whales Are Back in Seward! Public art is alive and well in Seward! The Seward Mural Society continues to create beautiful and thoughtful pieces on every corner. Or, as in the case of the Whales… Karen Lewis No Comments
Alaska Nellie, Grandview, Helen Hegener, KMTA Communities, KMTA Stories, Seward Alaska Nellie 20 Jan 2021 Alaska Nellie By Helen Hegener “There were possibilities of an extensive business at this place for at least three years, as I saw it, and now I would be needing a dog… Karen Lewis No Comments
Clark Fair, History, History Articles, Hope, KMTA Stories, Moose Pass Harry A. Johnson (far right) with a party of hunters, 1904. 14 Jan 2021 Harry Johnson: Man of the Mountains By Clark Fair By the time Harry A. Johnson heard the handcar moving toward him down the rails, he had walked 15 of the 20 miles to Seward from his… Karen Lewis No Comments
Hiking, KMTA Communities, KMTA Stories, Steve Cleary The Gull Rock trail near Hope provides amazing views of Cook Inlet and the mountains of the Chugach. 07 Jan 2021 We Can All Use a Little Hope – Recalling What Gave Us Comfort in These Unprecedented Times By Steve Cleary Trails have increased in value through the pandemic, for both physical and mental health. And Hope has a lot to offer. Several times in recent months we… Karen Lewis No Comments
Hiking, History, History Articles, KMTA Communities, KMTA Stories, Moose Pass, Shawn Lyons Looking up to the headwaters of Falls Creek 09 Nov 2020 Solars Mountain on the Kenai Peninsula By Shawn R. Lyons We only had to cross the 15-foot wide stream and climb up through 100 yards of brush to reach the open rock field leading up into… Karen Lewis No Comments
Girdwood, Grant Projects, History, KMTA Communities The Girdwood Community Mural acknowledges the Dena'ina people: Thank you Dena'ina for letting us walk on your land. 05 Nov 2020 “Thank you Dena’ina people for letting us walk on your land” Girdwood Mural Installed this Summer Dena'ina qut'ana chiqinik, chin'an gheli gu yeh Dena'ina ełnen'aq' łuh ch'nidatl' ghu “Thank you Dena’ina people for letting us walk on your land” This past summer a KMTA Mini Grants… Karen Lewis No Comments
Birding, KMTA Communities, KMTA Stories, Portage, Programs & Education A flock of geese fly over the gazebo at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center 24 Sep 2020 Do You Like Birding? Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is the Place to Go! By Duane Magoon and Lily Grbavach The southbound fall migration of our winged, feathered friends has begun. Thousands of birds pass through Turnagain Arm and Portage Valley on their… Karen Lewis No Comments
Grant Projects, Grants, History, Iditarod, KMTA Communities, Programs & Education Max Romey watches as the sun begins to set in Seward, sharing a glimpse of the watercolor scene he just created. 03 Sep 2020 Trailbound Alaska Sets Off to Retrace the Iditarod National Historic Trail This summer, Trailbound Alaska, a grassroots film project, set off to retrace the Iditarod National Historic Trail with a pair of running shoes and a sketchbook. Trailbound Alaska’s first short… Karen Lewis No Comments
History, History Articles, KMTA Communities, KMTA Stories, Seward, Sylvia Sexton A northward view of Fourth Avenue in Seward, Alaska in the early 1900s. (SCLA 1-216) 28 Aug 2020 Happy Birthday Seward, Alaska! Happy Birthday! Happy 117th Birthday Seward, Alaska! August 28th, 1903 is the official birthday of the city of Seward when John Ballaine and 82 other pioneers arrived in Resurrection Bay… Karen Lewis No Comments
Dan Walker, History, History Articles, KMTA Communities, KMTA Stories, Seward, Turnagain Arm Late Night Trail Running on Mt. Tiehacker near Seward, Alaska by Nelson Brown (Entry into the KMTA Photo Contest 2020) 25 Aug 2020 The Persistence of Nature’s Wild Side By Dan Walker Anyone who drives the Seward Highway and enters the mountains west of Portage gets the sense that they are driving into the wilderness. The forests reach down… Karen Lewis No Comments
Biking, Bird, Girdwood, Grant Projects, Grants, Hiking, Programs & Education, Turnagain Arm 09 Jul 2020 Check Out Alaska State Parks Video about the Bird to Gird Bike Trail! The Alaska State Parks was awarded a KMTA grant of $14,207 in the spring of 2019 to create a trail guide video and the result is fantastic! Want to receive… Karen Lewis No Comments
Asian-American, History, History Articles, KMTA Communities, KMTA Stories, Mushing, Seward Jujiro Wada with other marathon racers. (Courtesy of Jujiro Wada Memorial Association, Japan) 19 May 2020 The Samurai Musher Jujiro Wada By Lia Slemons “This is my country, Frank. I hope to live and die here.” Jujiro Wada’s friend, Frank Cotter, recorded this sentiment during the historic scouting trip he, Wada,… Karen Lewis No Comments
Girdwood 04 Mar 2020 Girdwood Trail Town Meeting Join Us... The Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area invites Girdwood residents to discuss becoming the region’s first Trail Town. Share ideas and hear from neighbors on opportunities for a… Karen Lewis
Becky Butler, History Articles, KMTA Stories, Seward, Sylvia Sexton 01 Mar 2020 Sylvia Sexton, Business Woman of the Early 20th Century and Prominent Alaskan Photographer By Becky Butler Despite being a transplant, Sylvia Sexton's life in Alaska proved her to be an industrious, creative, and adventurous woman who embodied the Alaskan pioneer spirit. Sylvia is… Karen Lewis No Comments
Event Updates, News, Seward 26 Feb 2020 CANCELLED – KMTA Photo Contest Exhibition and T-Shirt Fundraiser Canceled: Out of an abundance of caution due to the Covid-19 virus, KMTA will not be having our event in Seward tomorrow on March 14th. Stay safe out there! Photo… Karen Lewis
Clark Fair, Hiking, History, History Articles, KMTA Stories, Moose Pass, Seward The author and his brother rest at the top of LV Ray Peak in 1997. 07 Feb 2020 The Naming of A Peak LV Ray Peak Near Moose Pass By Clark Fair Hikers climbing the Carter Lake Trail near the Trail Lake Fish Hatchery will notice the dark grey, pyramidal summit of… Karen Lewis No Comments
Girdwood, Grant Projects, Grants 15 Aug 2019 Youth Explore through Four Valley’s Community School’s Summer Camps This year KMTA helped sponsor a two day “Tides and Ecology” Camp for 4th -8th graders through the Four Valley’s Community Schools (FVCS). The camp focused on learning about local… Karen Lewis
Cooper Landing, Grant Projects, Grants, History, Programs & Education 15 Jun 2019 Cooper Landing Youth Discover the Past As a child Kristine Route used to climb on each of her grandmothers’ laps and ask them to tell her stories. “I used to listen intently to everything they had… Karen Lewis
