Tough Tushes: Fat Tire Biking

Photo by judyo.photos

If biking on ice sounds like fun, then fat tire biking may be your new favorite winter sport. Picture a mountain bike, but outfitted with oversized, studded tires that allow for better gripping across frozen lakes and tundra. The four to five-inch tires also help keep the bike from sinking in the snow. Several companies in Anchorage provide guided tours, including Alaska Trail Guides and Alaska Bike Adventures. Fifty miles from Anchorage is the Knik Glacier in the Mat-Su Valley. This has become a very popular place to fat tire bike as you are able to explore ice caves and get up close to the beauty and majesty of a glacier. There are bike rentals in the city of Palmer, which is on the Glenn Highway in the Matanuska Valley. The most popular access point to the glacier is Hunter Creek. The best time to get to the glacier is January through about February when the river freezes over. While the bike trail to the glacier has some awe-inspiring scenery, it is 22 miles round trip. If you are not prepared for that level of exercise through the cold and the snow, well, let’s just say that it can be a real pain in the tush.