2005  - A Summer of Success!
The Advisory Committee and volunteers have not only been watching but have been active on Goose Lake / UAA Connector, Abbott Road and South Gas Line Multi Use trails and at two trail heads through events and projects.  The following are some of the 2005 Trail Watch project highlights.

National Trails Day 2005 - Trail Safety Theme
On June 4, National Trails Day, over 45 volunteers were making a difference on trails!!!. TW volunteers and committee project leaders focused on 3 projects joined by other user groups, BLM and the Far North Trails Advisory committee.

Goose Lake / UAA Connector Trail Safety Makeover
Trail Watch Advisory Committee and volunteers embarked on a very ambitious trail safety makeover effort on the Goose Lake / UAA Connector Trail focused on opening the trail corridor from Goose Lake parking lot to UAA Alumni Drive. A summary of success follows.

• Twenty (20) volunteers contributed 96 hours of service stacking and thinning spruce and alders along some 900 ft of the Goose Lake / UAA Connector trail.
• Volunteers created a visual / safety corridor averaging 40 ft wide reaching a length of nearly 1800 ft when aligning the work on both sides of the trail, end for end.
• Volunteers from Community Work Service (CWS), UAA faculty, and Trail Watch began work at 9:00a and finished with the gear loaded onto the 4 wheeler at 12:30p.
• Three corporate sponsors supported the volunteer efforts - United Rentals for the chain saw support, Costco for needed water and nourishment and to ConocoPhillips for work trail signage.
• Park Maintenance supported the volunteer efforts by chipping of the brush and limbs and re-distributing / recycling the chipped debris back into the ecosystem.

Campbell Airstrip Trail Head - Mile 1.1 Safety Makeover
Twenty two (22) volunteers tackled the Campbell Airstrip Trail head and parking lot island. A summary of success follows.

• A team team of 22 volunteers from Community Work Service, BLM and Trail Watch brushed out and opened the visibility from the road of the Campbell Airstrip mile 1.1 Trail Head.
• Volunteers contributed over 100 hours during this half day effort.
• Volunteers created an open parking area that include the very brushy island measuring nearly 2 acres.
• Park Maintenance supported the volunteer efforts by chipping of the brush and limbs and re-distributing / recycling the chipped debris back into the ecosystem.

North Bivouac Off Leash Trail Head Safety Makeover
Four (4) volunteers tackled the North Bivouac parking lot and specifically the entrance of the Off Leash Dog exercise trail. A summary of success follows.

• A small team of 4 volunteers from Anchorage Unleashed and Far north Bicentennial trail users brushed out and opened the visibility at the trail head of the Off Leash trail.
• Volunteers contributed nearly 20 hours during this half day effort.
• Park Maintenance also supported the volunteer efforts by chipping of the brush and limbs and re-distributing / recycling the chipped debris back into the ecosystem.

Phase II Goose Lake / UAA Trail Safety Makeover - July 23
On July 23, twenty two (22) volunteers continued efforts on the Goose Lake UAA Trail opening the trail corridor to the Utility / Power Line easement completing work on nearly 65% of the trail.  A summary of success follows.

• Twenty two (22) volunteers contributed 132 hours of service stacking and thinning spruce and alders along some 1100 ft of the Goose Lake / UAA trail.
• Volunteers created a visual / safety corridor averaging 40 ft wide reaching a length of nearly 2100 ft when aligning the work on both sides of the trail, end for end.
• Volunteers from Community Work Service (CWS), UAA faculty, Elmendorf 3rd Air Wing and Trail Watch began work at 9:00a and finished with the gear loaded onto the 4 wheeler at 4:50p.
• Three corporate sponsors supported the volunteer efforts - United Rentals for the chain saw support, Costco for needed water and nourishment and to ConocoPhillips for work trail signage.
• Park Maintenance supported the volunteer efforts by chipping of the brush and limbs and re-distributing / recycling the chipped debris back into the ecosystem.

The Final Day on the Goose Lake / UAA Trail - Aug 17
On August 17, the safety makeover efforts were for all practical purposes completed on the Goose Lake UAA trail corridor from the Utility / Power Line to Alumni Drive. The final small segment was completed on August 22. A summary of success follows.

• Seventy five (78) volunteers contributed 398 hours stacking and thinning spruce, alders and dead trees along some 1600 ft of trail.
• Volunteers also touched up specific sections of the trail from past work days adding another 200 ft of trail work.
• The 1,800 ft of improved trail nearly equaled the efforts (2,100 ft) of June 4 and July 23.
• In a different perspective, a visual / safety corridor averaging 40 ft wide reaching a length of nearly 3,600 ft when aligning the work on both sides of the trail, end for end was created.
• Volunteers from Trail Watch (12), Community Work Service (12), nearly 50 airmen and support staff of the 3rd Air Wing and three unknown trail users began the day at 9:00a and finished with the gear loaded onto the wheeler and SUV at 3:15p despite the mid day rain!!
• Four corporate sponsors supported the volunteer efforts - United Rentals for the chain saw support, Costco for needed water and snacks, ConocoPhillips for work trail signage and REI that contributed $10,000 towards a revised bike trail map that will help residents, military families and visitors enjoy the great bike trail system.
• On August 22, eight (8) volunteers contributed 29 hours of volunteer effort completing the final 350 ft trail just before and along Alumni Drive.
• Park Maintenance again supported the volunteer efforts the following week by chipping and re-distributing / recycling the chipped debris back into the ecosystem.

^{We slammed this trail project out of the ball park!!!}

Public Lands Day 2005 - trail safety - September 24, 2005 
On Saturday, September 24th over 200 volunteers joined Parks and Recreation, BLM and the Campbell Creek Science Center staff on numerous projects as part of the efforts to celebrate National Public Lands Day, a Take Pride in America event.

Abbott Road and S. Gas Line Multi Use Trails
The Trail Watch Advisory Committee selected a popular South Anchorage trail in Far North Bicentennial Park as the Trail Watch project for National Public Lands Day, joining projects by BLM, SingleTrack Advocates and the Nordic Ski Association of Anchorage. The Abbott Road and S. Gas Line Multi Use Trails connecting Hilltop / Hillside Trail Heads to Birch Road / Service H.S were in need of brushing back and thinning of alders and trees that were encroaching into the trail corridors. There were also line of sight issues on curves found on the hills.

• Over 70 volunteers assembled at the Hillside Trail Head parking lot.
• Volunteers contributed over 200 hours of effort reclaiming the trail from alder and opening up the blind corners by brushing, limbing, thinning and then stacking the brush and dead trees for chipping during this half day project.
• Trail Watch was joined by a variety of organizations to include volunteers from Elmendorf AFB 3rd Air Wing (26 airmen, family members and support staff), Community Work Service (11), UAA students and HPER staff (14), NASSPA (3), F Bar J Ranch (4), two (2) APU students, TW (5) and three (3) unknown Friends of Far North.
• When it was all said and done, over one and one half (1 ½) miles of trail was improved.
• Three corporate sponsors supported the volunteer efforts - United Rentals for the chain saw support, Costco for needed water and snacks and ConocoPhillips for work trail signage.
• Park Maintenance again supported the volunteer efforts during the following weeks by chipping and re-distributing / recycling the chipped debris back into the ecosystem.