Independence Mine – Archangel Road

The Mat-Su Ski Club grooms ski trails at Independence Mine (at Hatcher Pass) at the very start of winter (usually mid-October) until snow levels descend to Archangel Road, GPRA, and the Moose Range. In the spring, when birds are returning and early flowers are blooming at the lower elevation, we resume grooming at independence Mine (typically for a few weeks in May). We groom from the parking lot at the A-frames up to and winding around the historical mine buildings.

Archangel Road is an old mining road near Hatcher Pass that is about 1000′ lower in elevation than the Independence Valley. It reaches about 8 km back into the Archangel Valley. The Mat-Su Ski Club grooms at least the first 4 km, and sometimes the entire 8 km, depending on snow conditions and snowmobile openings (the farthest 4 km are open to snowmobiles in mid-winter).