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Dimond - Mears Ski Trail

1968 to 1972
Name of Ski Area: Dimond - Mears Ski Trail; Dimond High School Ski Trails
Location: Anchorage, across Arlene Street from the Dimond High school track, in an area that now consists of subdivisions and on into the Campbell Creek Greenbelt
Type of Area: Cross Country Ski Trails
Dates of Operation: 1968 to 1972
Who Built It?: Coaches Jim and Sally Burkholder, Marv Hathhorn and parents of Dimond High School ski teams
Elevation:

~50' - ~200'

Facilities: Dimond High School across the road from the trailhead
Miscellaneous: This trail system was built in conjunction with the construction of Dimond High School in the mid 1960's.  This trail system had to be abandoned due to subdivision development.  This trail system used subdivision roads, before houses were built, east of Dimond High to access the Campbell Creek Greenbelt area.  A narrow trail, made for wooden skis, looped up to within 1/3 of a mile of Arctic Blvd and then returned back to the school.
Sources of Information:

Jim Burkholder; Tammy Thiele

Photos: Does anyone have pictures of cross country ski training on the Dimond - Mears Ski Trail that they would like to contribute to ALSAP ?

~  PHOTOS  ~
 
The picture on the left, taken in 2007, shows Dimond HS XC Ski Team Alum Tammy Thiele holding a 35 year old Dimond-Mears Ski Trail sign that she saved from her high school ski racing days.  [Photo credit: Tim Kelley]

~  AERIAL VIEWS  ~

This 2002 aerial view of west Anchorage shows the location of Dimond High School and the area the ski trail system occupied.

(click on this view to expand it)

terra_dimond.jpg (145149 bytes)

A zoomed in view shows the Dimond High School ski trail.  The trail followed subdivision roads to gain access to the Campbell Creek greenbelt.

(click on view to expand it)

terra_zoom_dimond.jpg (154892 bytes)
Research Correspondence 
[Jim and Sally Burkholder -  excerpt from their "History of Nordic Ski Trail Development in the Anchorage Area"] 

When Dimond HS was built in the mid 60's coaches and parents built trails near the school but had to abandon those trails to subdivision development by the early 70's.  At that time skiers began to use existing trails, fence lines and roads at Kincaid Park.  Volunteers established the original 15km of new cross country ski trails at Kincaid during the summers of the early 70's. 

 

 

Do you have further information, stories or pictures that you would like to contribute about this ski area?