Snow machine season officially open

  • Published
  • By Staff Reports
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Snow machine season is officially open as of 6 a.m. Nov. 8, within the area on Eielson to the east of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.

The area on the far side of the Richardson Highway, base housing, dorms and cantonment areas on Eielson remain closed at this time. Snow machines will be transported to a location where they may be off-loaded and operated. They will are not authorized to be driven from the dorms or base housing, etc., to the open area and/or the base service station until the remaining areas of the base are opened.

An additional announcement will be made at the appropriate time regarding opening the other areas. The quarry pit area along Transmitter Road and Iceman Falls are recommended locations for parking to off-load snow machines. As a reminder, ice thickness may vary from one pond to another and may not be thick enough yet for many snow machines. Always use caution when considering crossing ice. Please review the list of additional "reminders" below.

Last year Eielson had too many incidents with individuals operating snow machines unsafely, in unauthorized areas and/or at unauthorized times. If Eielson continues to have similar problems this year, the remainder of snow machine season may be completely cancelled. Being able to use snow machines on base is a privilege, not a right. Please follow the rules and encourage others to do so as well. For any additional questions or comments, please contact the Natural Resources office at 377-5182.
Snowmobile use is prohibited in the following areas: 

a. The airfield.
b. Firing range and impact area.
c. Asbestos landfill, soil remediation area, and fire training area.
d. Engineer Hill Munitions Storage Area.
e. Quarry Road Munitions Storage Area.
f. Explosive Ordnance Disposal controlled area.
g. Ski slope and sledding hill next to Ski Lodge.
h. POL tank farms.
i. Sewage lagoon and treatment area.
j. Parcours and Self-guided Nature Trail.
k. Arctic Survival Training Area and Command Post.
l. Det. 460, AFTAC, Remote Operating Facility (ROF). Beaver Creek Road which goes through the Det 460, ROF can be used for access to open areas on either side of the ROF. Anyone using Beaver Creek Road as an access route is restricted to the road.
m. School grounds to include the high school football field and track.
n. Area bounded by Central Avenue, Transmittal Road, Garrison Slough, north base boundary, and Old Richardson Highway. This area includes the main gate and Alaska railroad tracks north of Transmitter Road.
o. The cross-country ski area near the Ski Lodge bounded by the ski slope, Quarry Road, east and south boundaries of Eielson and including the 160 acres in the Yukon Maneuver Area permitted to Eielson by the Army for ski trails.
p. The cross-country ski area between French Creek, the Youth Center, and cooling ponds.
q. Archery practice and field ranges.
r. Trap/skeet ranges.
s. The forested buffer zone around Manchu Ponds.

Complete operating rules are available in 354th Fighter Instruction 32-7002. All snow machine operators must pass the 354th Safety Snow Machine Class to operate on Eielson. Personnel operating on the TAPS right of way must acquire a land use permit from the pipeline authority.

Failure to follow these policies may result in loss of snow machine operating privileges and possibly overall base driving privileges.