Yesterday I checked out the Treasure Creek Trail bypass that I had heard about. I am impressed.
A reminder: Earlier this year Felix Gold started using the first part of the Treasure Creek Trail, off Old Murphy Dome Road, to access an exploration site. The trail is also popular with other users, especially mushers who live along Old Murphy Dome Road. That caused a conflict because Felix Gold’s equipment made the trail very difficult to use for many trail users. Read more HERE.
I had heard Felix Gold put in a bypass trail and wanted to check it out. So, on a fatbike ride with my wife and a friend, we rode to where the Treasure Creek Trail takes off from Old Murphy Dome Road. That area, right off the road, used to have open, disturbed areas from some sort of past development (I assume mining) that had long been abandoned. Now it has a structure and other equipment, including generators, from Felix Gold’s antimony operation.
The Treasure Creek Trail has had several entrances — two near the highest point (farther to the east) and one farther to the west. The trail off the highest point is now being used by Felix Gold. It looks like what it is — a mining road.
Bypass Trail
The bypass trail put it by Felix Gold starts right off the entrance trail to the west. It is about a mile long. I don’t know what it looks like in summer, but it looks fine now — even with minimal snow. The Felix Gold crew did a good job with the trail. It mostly felt like riding on a well-established trail — no big ruts or uneven areas. In fact, a little after crossing over a side trail (see map HERE or below) we started to think we were on the original trail. I thought I had mistook the side trail for the original trail. It felt that much like the original trail. Fortunately, we pressed on and shortly came to the intersection with the original trail.
Since we were on bikes, we biked back up the main trail, which now feels and looks like an actively used dirt road with some snow but a lot of dirt and rocks showing. It is fine for biking, but it would be lousy for an activity requiring snow, like mushing or skiing. There is also a smell in the area, probably diesel. But that’s part of many industrial operations. No easy way to bypass that.
All in all, I am impressed and pleased with this compromise. Felix Gold didn’t have to put in the bypass trail. People can still use the original trail, which the company is using to access its exploration site on the east side of the ridge. But the bypass trail gives trail users a much better option. Also, it will help keep most trail users off the part of the original trail that the company is using for access, which will reduce potential conflicts with trail users and mining equipment.
Mining and Trail Conflicts
Fairbanks is here because of mining. Many of the trails we use in the area were originally put in by miners. Mining contributes to our local economy and provides minerals that we use daily. There are times when I think allowing mining is inappropriate, such as when it is too close to a residential area (of course, how close is too close is an opinion), but we should try to find compromise where we can. I do understand that lights and noise from Felix Gold’s operations are causing problems with some local tour operations. But from a trail user perspective, the bypass trail seems like a good compromise.
Obviously, all conflicts with mining and trail users can’t be solved as smoothly as has been done with the Treasure Creek Trail, but this is a good sign and one that can be used as a possible example for future conflicts.
If you use the Treasure Creek Trail, let me know what you think of the bypass trail in the comments. Is this a good compromise?
I’d like to hear you address the issue of hazardous waste left behind by mining operations. There are more than 2000 toxic waste Superfund sites all over the western U.S. and guess what – the mining companies “went bankrupt” so they didn’t have to clean them up. The number of water resources that have been heavily polluted by toxic chemicals and heavy minerals downstream from mines is incalculable. I believe we privatize the profits and socialize the expenses/damage for most resource extraction industries. I’d like to see that change and see some environmental responsibility.
That’s a valid concern and a huge one. Other journalists and activists are researching this issue. Unfortunately, I don’t have unlimited time. My focus is on trails. The Northern Alaska Environmental Center (https://northern.org) would have more information on mining hazardous waste in our area, though that group is struggling right now due to a mistake with grant funding. And the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner is understaffed due to changes brought by the Internet. State and federal regulators are also watching over things, but independent investigators are needed. I wish both the NAEC and the News-Miner were stronger.