Need Information for Talkeetna (Fairbanks, Lakes: income, property taxes, living)

[LeadDogSpock]

My husband and I are in North Pole (next to Fairbanks) and really want to get out of here. Hes gotten early retirement so we have a base income and I am a working artist who does pretty well supplying the businesses around here with my work. In all actuality I only need to go into town about once a month so living far out is more towards our current lifestyle.

The one question I have is that I am a musher with a small kennel of dogs (15) and even though I don't want to offer rides on a regular basis I really do need a place that has access to trails and is dog friendly.

Since my kennel is recreational my dogs are very quiet and very well mannered but we have had some issues with trapping in this area and other areas around Fairbanks that have resulted in dead pet dogs while they were on walks with their owners. I don't want to be in that situation if possible...

I am very willing to share trapping trails but some trappers around here don't seem to care for others safety and have put traps directly in the trails or fail to mark their trap lines. Is this an issue in Talkeetna?

[MeganAK]

Talkeetna has TONS of trails for dogs. There is a huge network of mushers and trails off Montana Creek Road. If you drive down this Spring to scope it out, check out the Montana Creek area.

[LeadDogSpock]

Thank you for that info! I will definitely be putting the Montana Creek area in our search of the area!

Here in North Pole I have been breaking out new trails to get away from the trappers, especially this new one who's moved in and doesn't seem to know what hes doing. Having mushers in the area will give a great base to start training from. I don't mind bush whacking but its nice to be on an existing system...

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by LeadDogSpock

My husband and I are in North Pole (next to Fairbanks) and really want to get out of here. Hes gotten early retirement so we have a base income and I am a working artist who does pretty well supplying the businesses around here with my work. In all actuality I only need to go into town about once a month so living far out is more towards our current lifestyle.

The one question I have is that I am a musher with a small kennel of dogs (15) and even though I don't want to offer rides on a regular basis I really do need a place that has access to trails and is dog friendly.

Since my kennel is recreational my dogs are very quiet and very well mannered but we have had some issues with trapping in this area and other areas around Fairbanks that have resulted in dead pet dogs while they were on walks with their owners. I don't want to be in that situation if possible...

I am very willing to share trapping trails but some trappers around here don't seem to care for others safety and have put traps directly in the trails or fail to mark their trap lines. Is this an issue in Talkeetna?

Nenana is pretty dog friendly and a lot of the racers come there to train dogs for the Yukon Quest and Iditarod, it has a lot of access to the winter trail systems.

There is a good market for artwork too, either there or in the Denali Park where the main rush of the interior tourist come to.

[warptman]

http://www.city-data.com/forum/alask...talkeetna.html

[BH206L3]

I'm about ready to retire, and I am thinking about making Talkeetna home. The question I have is simple, what are the property taxes if any like? I like to fish, and well I also fly some, and you have a pretty good airport there.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by LeadDogSpock

My husband and I are in North Pole (next to Fairbanks) and really want to get out of here. Hes gotten early retirement so we have a base income and I am a working artist who does pretty well supplying the businesses around here with my work. In all actuality I only need to go into town about once a month so living far out is more towards our current lifestyle.

The one question I have is that I am a musher with a small kennel of dogs (15) and even though I don't want to offer rides on a regular basis I really do need a place that has access to trails and is dog friendly.

Since my kennel is recreational my dogs are very quiet and very well mannered but we have had some issues with trapping in this area and other areas around Fairbanks that have resulted in dead pet dogs while they were on walks with their owners. I don't want to be in that situation if possible...

I am very willing to share trapping trails but some trappers around here don't seem to care for others safety and have put traps directly in the trails or fail to mark their trap lines. Is this an issue in Talkeetna?

Pet dogs dying because of traps happen all over Alaska, usually dogs that aren't on a leash and stray off the trails. You say that you live in North Pole. Well, there are all sorts of trails by the Chena Recreation area, and these aren't used by trappers. In fact, the Yukon Quest trail ran through this area at least two years ago, and each winter other dog races take place in the same areas of North Pole. The only problems i can see is that these trails are used by mushers, skiers, and snowmobilers.

[LeadDogSpock]

There was at least one instance where my dogs didn't stray off the trail and still got into traps.

I do mush around the Chena Lakes area and the Flood Control area on the other side of the dyke. That is where I'm running into the most trapping activity, mostly closer to Eielson.

Trapping is allowed everywhere in the state, even in the Chena Lakes area. There is trapping on the ADMA trails and in Creamers Refuge where many folks take their dogs to skijor.

I realize I can never get away from trapping but I am hoping to find a few safe zones, or at least some places where there is responsible trapping. Ive mushed down a particular set of traplines for years without incident but its always the one bad apple that sticks out in memory.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by LeadDogSpock

There was at least one instance where my dogs didn't stray off the trail and still got into traps.

I do mush around the Chena Lakes area and the Flood Control area on the other side of the dyke. That is where I'm running into the most trapping activity, mostly closer to Eielson.

Trapping is allowed everywhere in the state, even in the Chena Lakes area. There is trapping on the ADMA trails and in Creamers Refuge where many folks take their dogs to skijor.

I realize I can never get away from trapping but I am hoping to find a few safe zones, or at least some places where there is responsible trapping. Ive mushed down a particular set of traplines for years without incident but its always the one bad apple that sticks out in memory.

Trapping is not allowed in the Chena Recreation area, including the trails along the road leading to the flood dam, the slough across and around the boat landing, and so forth. Father down (across the boat landing, and past the Recreation Area), trapping is allowed, but only off the trail. Shooting and trapping is allowed on the flood canal, and out toward Eielson. Also, look at the Yukon Quest trail, which goes through North Pole and out to Two Rivers.

The best thing you can do, regardless of where you move to, is to stop by F&G and get a printout of the multi-use trails and the traplines. One of my neighbors is a musher, and he does that each year. So far he hasn't had any problems with traps in North Pole nor Fairbanks.

I don't know how long you have lived in North Pole, but quite a lot of dog races take place each winter from Chena Lakes, past the Chena Recreation Area. I take hundreds of photos in these areas:

[LeadDogSpock]

Your friend has been lucky not to get into traps and to get good info from F&G. My worst trapping experience happened just beyond (less than one mile) from the parking area on the other side of the dyke. Not sure if this is the area you are talking about there not being traps in but I was positive that huge set was certainly illegal.

I called F&G, they checked it out and said everything was legit and that the trapper went out of his way to label it (if you call a 3x5 card on a tiny willow bush labeling) since marking trap lines is not within our state's regulations. It is on Eielson though and ironicly I almost feel safer mushing over there since I can turn back if a trail has been labeled for traps.

The Quest trail is nice, Ive been there many times but its limited for the dogs. My guys, and I, crave a bit more variety which is why we dont frequent the Lakes trails that often. Trail conditions are also a concern since I run freighters and the well groomed areas often get my dogs injured in the first few miles or leave me on the drag or break which is not what other mushers want from me since it damages the groomed surface.

What Im hoping to find in Talkeetna is more distance type mushers who have no need for grooming and who will respect any trails I put in and/or maintain. I hope that trappers will respect that as well though I am more than open to sharing any trails I am on as long as others arent putting my dogs at risk.

Ive lived and mushed in North Pole for about 15 years... nice shot of the team by the way!