Jim Creek

Bryant and I took our bikes out for a ride today.  And while it would have been really cool to be biking in the summertime in France where this pictures and his video from this summer were taken (http://youtu.be/kLFvarC6KOo ), that is not to be, so we went where we can go

and what is now: the other side of the Knik River from where our house sits.  The local name for this 20 mile stretch of river is known as Jim Creek and the Glacier.  About three miles from the access trail is Jim Creek, a popular silver salmon stream that flows into the Knik and at the head of the Knik River is the Knik Glacier.  All kinds of recreation enthusiasts visit the area on various modes of transportation, 4-wheeler, Little 4 x 4 trucks, Big 4 x 4 trucks, dirt bikers, and an occasional hiker or biker.  There are all types of trails, gravel bars, and sand/silt dunes to play around on. 

Access Road heading toward Jim Creek

It can be a very windy dirty dusty place; luckily today wasn't one of those kind of days. The temperatures were in the teens, the ski was blue, and the sunshine felt wonderful. What a person has to like or hate, depending on perspective, more than anything else about Jim Creek is that it is anything but boring.  

 

Days spent at Jim Creek are always good for some type of story that quickly moves into "And you wouldn't believe what they were doing!  They were . . . . "  That particular statement could end in: snagging fish, flipping dirt bikes, using appliance for target practice, leaving truckloads of trash, stealing vehicles and burning them, etc..  Jim Creek has a long dark history of people acting in ways that aren't really acceptable anywhere else.  In recent years, the State of Alaska has taken over management of the area and there were funds allocated to patrol it regularly.  This cut down on the reckless shooting, underage drinking, and car theft, but there is plenty of stupid left to be done at Jim Creek.  This video documents, "How Big is Your Stupid."  http://youtu.be/-ty6gICVwJg