After completing the design in 2020, Interior Trails hired a six-person crew to begin two seasons of hand construction on this mostly alpine trail connecting Denali State Park's well-loved K'esugi Ridge Trail to the Curry Ridge Trail. Upon completion, this 15 mile route will create a near 50 mile continuous trail through the Park's spectacular eastern segment.
Otto Lake Lakeside Trail Design-Build, 2019
Just outside of Denali National Park, in our own backyard, Interior Trails designed and constructed a new 1/2 mile trail around the east shore of Otto Lake as part of the first phase of the development of a new private lodge. This migratory hotspot offers exceptional birding.
Saddle Trail Turnpikes Construction, 2019
Interior Trails subcontracted to Trailwerx to build 120' of rustic log turnpike in Kachemak Bay State Park, across from Homer, Alaska. The remote site required mobilizing all tools and equipment by landing craft & ATV. Using on-site logs and fill material, we employed chainsaws, hand tools, and mini-mechanized equipment to build the structures and grade trail approaches.
Interior Trails provided design & consulting on Camp K's overall trail plan, and completed multiple construction projects as part of an on-going phased build out. Projects include a 20' pedestrian bridge, 150' of wetland plankwalk, and 300' of gravel-capped causeway. Work included planning, flagging, clearing corridors, hand & mechanized grubbing & gravel capping, drainage, coordinating/supervising volunteer labor, and all carpentry associated with lumber construction.
Curry Ridge Trail Design-Build, 2015-2016 Interior Trails completed this multi-stage project in Denali State Park as part of the new Kesugi Ken Visitor Complex. IT designed and built a 2 mile, 4' wide bench cut hiking trail from the new trailhead to tree line, with a 2 ton mini- excavator (and lots of hand finishing). IT subcontracted the first dozer-cut to Jon Underwood, of Happy Trails, Inc., who brought his skills and Sutter 500 down from Fairbanks. Additionally, IT designed another mile in the sub-alpine area that was hand-built by the Denali State Park trail crew.
Island Lake Trail Bridge #1 Construction, 2016 IT built this 5' wide, 30' span glulam stringer bridge on the popular Island Lake Trail, for Island Trail Network, in Kodiak, AK. Construction included decommissioning the old bridge, and hauling stringers in by hand along the narrow non-mechanized trail.
Government Peak Singletrack Construction, 2014 IT worked for Happy Trails, Inc. building 7 bridges (16-20' in length) on the GPRA Phase 1 mountain bike trails. IT also provided mechanized and hand finishing of all bridge approaches, misc excavator work, tread work, and volunteer management.
Rippy Trail & Upper Jim Creek Bridge, Knik River Public Use Area Construction/Installation, 2014 IT worked for Happy Trails, Inc. performing clearing & tree felling, excavator operation & trail finishing; as well as construction of concrete abutments, assembly & installation of 6' wide 55' long prefabbed aluminum truss bridge, flown in by helicopter.
Denali Nat'l Park Front-country Multi-use Trails Project Planning, Management, Crew Leadership & Construction, 2004-2007 While working for the NPS in Denali, Gabe and Christine led crews and used heavy and mini-mechanized equipment to build the network of gravel-capped trails connecting the brand new Visitors Center Complex buildings. This work included the relocation of more than an acre of native tundra from the trail alignments onto the Visitors Center Campus to serve as instant revegetation and landscaping-- pioneering this technique in the largest known native tundra transplanting effort of its kind at the time.