Frosty Bottom Course
Race Start
The race starts at the top of the Chalet hill, just past the Mile 9 marker that marks the end of the Coastal Trail. This is next to the Kincaid Chalet in Kincaid Park at the the end of Raspberry Rd. The course will be marked with orange flags in the snow. Keep the orange flags on your right at all times except on the return trip of the Frosty 50.
To insure the safety of the athletes, a neutral start is declared while descending the Chalet Hill. This means you take it mellow, don't pass anybody going down the hill, and maintain complete control of your bike and skies (and running shoes). People who sprint off the front in a neutral start are generally despised, reviled, and called unflattering names. Don't worry; the pace will pick up soon enough....
Once you reach the bottom of the hill, it's game on. Usually the pace skyrockets, and there is an initial and immediate sorting-out of the race. The leaders maintain a torrid pace as they race down the Coastal Trail towards Point Woronzof (or so I've been told). You can not get lost on this section. If you somehow get lost on the Coastal Trail on the way to Point Woronzof, there is really nothing that can be done for you. Seriously.
Kincaid to Westchester Lagoon
As you ponder your plummeting core temperature, and as you near Point Woronzof, you will begin to notice a distinct odor lingering in the air. You have arrived at the Waste Treatment Facility (aka "Poo Factory"), and you may want to pick up the pace to move past this area. Stay on the Coastal Trail as it climbs a small and short grade at the north-end of the airport runway. If you are still with the leaders at the top of the hill, good for you. Grit you teeth and enjoy a brief respite on your way down towards Earthquake Park, a park commemorating a large earthquake. If you're not amongst the leaders, enjoy the fantastic views over the inlet.
After traveling downhill to the shore, you begin to pass swanky houses on your right. You soon come to the Fish Creek Estuary and pass over a wooden bridge. This section of the trail is narrow and the line-of-sight short due to a wooden fence on your right. Stay to the right side of the trail. If you must pass here, pass quickly. This is a dangerous area, and the likelihood of colliding with an on-coming trail-user is highest right here. Continue through a tunnel beneath the railroad and continue around to a fork in the Coastal Trail. Bear right, lest you take in a tour of Downtown. There will be course markings (orange flagging) pointing the way, but this is your first opportunity to take a wrong turn. Don't do it.
Westchester
You will pass the 0 Mile marker, and at this point you are on the Chester Creek Trail. Continue along the Lagoon and don't feel guilty about cutting the course right next to the parking lot. This is an established trail, but it's just not on the paved path. Plus, taking this short cut saves you well over 94 feet.
As you follow the trail, you come to a series of intersections. Don't worry, the course will be marked; however, vandalism of the course markings is always a possibility. Follow the trail through a tunnel leading under Minnesota Dr. This part can be slightly confusing if you haven't ridden it before, but stay on the trail and wind your way through sequential tunnels. It's really pretty easy.
Westchester to Goose Lake
As you traverse the Chester Creek Trail keep a sharp eye out. If you're into watching inebriated homeless people, this is a great opportunity to take in the sights, as many of them hang out under the bridges here and set up camps in the woods bordering the trail. A true wilderness experience this race is not.
As you continue down the trail, you come to a small park and one of the most recognizable landmarks in all of Anchorage, a small cluster of gorilla statues on your right side. Okay, so opinions are subjective and they may not be a landmark, but if you see the gorillas, you're headed in the right direction.
You will continue to pass under a number of roads on your way to Goose Lake, and the trail is easy to follow. Don't expect to see any course markings here, simply keep going down the trail. You will eventually come to a fork, and it it important to bear right here. The path leads you up and over a bridge. Cross the bridge and bear left. Do NOT proceed straight to Goose Lake.
These intersections will be marked to assist you, but not all people share your enthusiasm for racing, and they think it's funny to remove the little orange flags. It happens all the time. They think this gives elitist racers a lesson in humility, but the elite racers have already memorized the course forwards and backwards months in advance, and it does nothing to slow them down. If you're at the back of the pack and taking a leisurely approach to the race, simply enjoying the opportunity to exercise and have fun, and maybe didn't pre ride the course, and maybe don't know it very well, or don't know it at all, or didn't read this description, and someone removes the course markings, you will not appreciate the irony.
Goose Lake through APU
Beware: This is a tricky section of the course if course markings are not present. We will mark this section thoroughly, but as all race directors will say, "It is the responsibility of the participant to know the course." Saying this apparently absolves the race director of any guilt he experiences after learning about people who somehow get lost on his course, despite his best efforts.
After crossing the aforementioned bridge and turning left, you travel on a trail running parallel to Northern Lights Blvd. You will travel a short distance until you reach the intersection of Northern Lights and Bragaw at East High School. At this point a small trail bears right off of the main trail and away from the road. You will turn right onto this trail and travel through an opening in the trees until it opens into a marshy (in the summer, at least), open area.
At a crossroads under the power lines, turn left and follow the narrow trail through the snow. Ride over a small hill that bypasses a ski trail and negotiate your way east until you reach a fence bordering a neighborhood. The trail "T's" at this point, and you should bear right at this intersection. You are now heading south and bordering the APU campus. This is a long straightaway that ends at a small bridge. Cross the bridge and take an immediate right onto a narrow trail that wends through the woods. You may think you took a wrong turn here, but the course markings will suggest otherwise. If you are skiing, you may find yourself polling a lot and cursing the bikers. You will pass through a few small openings in the trees and finally come to a "Y" in the trail. Bear left and pass through a small tunnel and continue to the bridge over Tudor Rd.
The Tour Trail
After passing over the Tudor Bridge and inhaling lots of carbon monoxide, you will make your way along Tudor Rd. for short distance. Course markings (orange flags stuck in the snow) will lead you into a right turn that takes you into the woods. Suddenly, what appears to be an eight-lane interstate under construction will reveal itself. Cross over this construction zone and continue your way into the woods. At this point it is very difficult to follow the map, and directions become increasingly pointless. Suffice it to say, the course will be well marked through this section, and when in doubt, it is wise to follow the "main" trail.
After an enjoyable ride through the woods, it opens up slightly as your reach the Campbell Science Center. If you made a mistake and forgot to plan adequately for the cold, this is where you will soon realize the error of your ways. As your hydration pack turns to a solid block of ice, and the cold bites through your thin Lycra clothing, you may say to yourself, "Hmmm, I think it just got colder. I should have brought more clothing." And you will be right on both accounts. This section of the course is a known cold spot in Anchorage, with temperatures often plunging much lower here than in other parts of the city. If it's pretty cold at the start of the race, it will surely be frigid here.
Continue on the main trail and after awhile you will find yourself climbing. You pass what looks like an antenna, but it's really a refrigeration unit that cools the surrounding area to a temperature slightly above absolute zero. This is where the race really breaks up, and you may find yourself alone for the rest of the day. After climbing for a good while, you begin a fun descent. Be kind and stay to the right of the trail as you descend. An even better idea is to stay under control. This shows respect to the other trail users. This is a high traffic area, so really try to control your speed here. Pay no heed to the nasty looks other trail users may give you as you approach warp speeds while passing them. Attempting to return nasty looks only takes your eyes off the trail and makes you more prone to crashing. Crashing would bring a lot of smug satisfaction to them and be very embarrassing to you. Be cool...
Continue climbing a short ways and eventually you will cross over a well-groomed ski trail. Yes, they have the right-of-way, so look both ways before crossing. Keep going straight, cross over another ski trail, and continue on a much smaller trail that bends around and skirts Service H.S. The trail opens up near a soccer field, and you may see some kids sledding at a popular sledding hill here. Keep on the path and head up to a pedestrian bridge over Abbott Rd. Do NOT go over the bridge. On your left is a small multi-use trail. Take the trail and negotiate rolling hills until you pop out near the parking lot next to the entrance to Hilltop. Skirt the edge of the parking lot and watch for Nordic skiers coming and going. Smile and be cool. Continue on the multi-use trail that runs parallel to the road that leads to Hilltop. If you signed up for the Frosty 25, congratulations! You made it. Enjoy some hot beverages and some well-deserved snacks.
The Lollipop
If you were silly enough to sign up for the long race, grab a quick drink and maybe a bite to eat. You will now execute the "Lollipop" leading you back to the Tour Trail and back towards the finish at Kincaid. Continue down a long straight-away known as the Gasline Trail. Head right and negotiate a short, steep descent that winds around to the Rover's Run Trail
Begin a long and twisting descent down Rover's. If you are going to crash due to high speed, this is where it's going to happen. While the trail is not necessarily narrow, it is narrower than the rest of the course. Exercise caution and restraint while plunging down the trail, and try to remember the words to the release waiver you agreed to when you signed up for the race. You will come to a "Y". Turn left onto the Moose Meadows Trail and work your way back to the Tour Trail. Once you have gained the Tour Trail, it's all downhill from here. Sort of. Retrace your steps back to Kincaid Park, avoid the temptation to quit at Westchester Lagoon (nine miles to go), and finally suffer your way up the Kincaid hill to the finish line. Great job!!