Emil Stancec Trail System Historical Overview
by Bob Chlupach
The Emil Stancec Trail System, with its various corridors traversing
through large lowlands of open swamp, is interspersed with lined
portages of black spruce, white birch and poplar. Close proximity to
the Susitna River with an elevation of about 200′ above sea level,
the trail system has a variety of corridors that lead to higher
elevations of 600′ to 1500′ in the foothills of the Talkeetna
Mountains. The higher elevations, offer numerous panoramic vistas,
while those from open unobstructed lowlands regularly offer 360
degree views that include the Chugach, Talkeetna and Alaska Mountain
Ranges. A highlight is the changing angles of Denali and its
attendant peaks as one travels along.
An appreciation of these trails, and for that matter the trails
throughout the entire Willow area, cannot be realized without an
understanding of the forces through time that have caused these
trails to evolve.
Northerly away from the maritime region of Cook Inlet, is the Susitna
River, a tributary some 260 miles in length. Native inhabitants
along the Susitna River are known as Athabascan, a far reaching
culture which extended from Alaska into Canada and has known dialect
patterns similar to native populations of Southwestern United States.
In the upper Cook Inlet region along the tributaries of the Susitna
River, the Athabascan are known as Tanaina. For survival the Tanaina
followed their sole food sources of game and fish, with the changing
of seasons. Areas once inhabited by this culture are evident by
the slight depressions in the ground for their semi-subterranean
homes, which can still be found or seen along the tributaries to the
Susitna River. Typically the areas between these tributaries are
extensive lands quite spongy or swampy in nature, making normal foot
travel extremely laborious and time consuming. Higher ground along
streams likely provided travel corridors used both by game and the
Tanaina people. In spring with lakes shed of ice, freshwater fishes
were a primary food source, and when salmon began returning to natal
streams for spawning in the summer months, Tanaina moved to
logistically established semi-subterranean homes along the numerous
Susitna River tributaries. With the coming of fall and the much
colder winter temperatures characteristic of the lower elevations
along watersheds, the Tanaina people traveled to winter homes to be
closer to their source of food such as caribou but also to take
advantage of the temperature inversion associated with the slightly
higher elevations in the foothills of the Talkeetna Mountains. The
move to higher ground also yielded a bountiful supply of berries
present in the late summer to early fall months.
Through the many years, it seems easy to assume that travel corridors
moving an entire household would not be that of the swamps which
would make transport difficult but rather the higher ground adjacent
to rivers and streams. Numerous springs of the Talkeetna Mountain
foothills are ice-free through the winter months and it is likely
Tanaina villages were in close proximity.
In time, unforeseen pressures upon the Tanaina culture would
dramatically affect their lifestyle. Other areas of the world were
expanding both in physical power and presence. To support this
upward spiral, new lands with potential wealth were sought. The Cook
Inlet region has documented white exploration at various times during
the 1700s. With each exploratory mission came a more intensive and
comprehensive survey of the new lands. At first the wealth was in
furs but in time, with the mineral discovery of gold, the end of
traditional Tanaina culture was but a heartbeat away.
The late 1800s was perhaps the greatest turning point in what would
happen in the Willow area. Captain Glenn of the 25th U.S. Infantry
was assigned to locate a feasible way of getting to the Yukon River
from Cook Inlet. His exploration located and identified many
tributaries along the Susitna River. Willow Creek, early on was noted
as Andrew River taken from Andrews mine on the upper Willow. Mining
activity in the Willow district seemed to never catch up to itself,
a limiting factor always available supplies. With that, two
significant transportation routes evolved; one primarily used in
summer and one in winter. The more westerly route, known as the
“Double Ender Sled Trail”, due to a unique sled design allowing
sledges to be pulled from either direction, was primarily used in
winter. Originating in Knik, the trail passed near 3-mile and Beaver
Lakes before crossing the Little Susitna River near Houston. From
there, it went up and over Bald Mountain. Another take-off from this
trail was the Talkeetna Trail. At various locations along the Parks
Highway and Alaska Railroad, remnants of this trail are seen as it
cris-crosses both, its location becoming more vague after Montana
Creek. Grown over in many areas but still visible in others, in the
wee years of the early 1900s it had facilities at various locations
to take care of freighters and mail carriers. Most notable in the
Willow area was a cabin located near the mouth of Nancy Creek, known
as Mike’s Landing. This cabin served as Mike Ardaw’s home until it
burned down but previously was used as a weigh station on the trail
to Talkeetna and when the railroad came along it served those work
crews as well. Gene Mengus having a mink farm located near Nancy
Creek, utilized returning salmon as mink feed, began the weigh
station and years later the site became known as Mike’s Landing.
Mike trapped the Nancy Creek drainage past Windy Lake and evidence
of his line still existed in the mid-1970s. He also trapped various
locations around Nancy Lake to what is now known as the Nancy Lake
Recreation Area. Many of the current day hiking corridors and
portages between lakes were as a result of Mike’s lifestyle.
The Alaska Road Commission basically completed work connecting both
the summer and winter trails to Hatcher Pass in 1913. Cabins housing
their employees were located at what was later Robert Merrill’s
(Mark’s Father) homestead, one near the old bridge crossing and
another known as Midway cabin, due to its location, near the Spain
homestead. From there, the road/trail paralleled Willow Creek and
later would be known as the Lucky Shot Trail which crossed the
Talkeetna Trail terminating at a landing near the mouth of Willow
Creek on the Susitna River.
By the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Tanaina culture dependent on
seasonal migration was on the cusp of succumbing to a culture of
material possession driven by wealth. The trails of life now
yielding to other utilitarian trails of life. As an increasing
amount of gold was found in and along the watersheds of the
Talkeetna Mountains, those locales saw a ballooning influx of
miners. Trail usage of the Tanaina culture soon succumbed to use as
resupply corridors to encampments primarily for the seeking out of
gold. The Susitna River proved a major factor in this period,
providing a transportation corridor for stern wheel shallow draft
steam and wood burning powered boats, whose purpose was to drop off
supplies at locations which were located near the stream mouths of
its many tributaries. Ultimately Tanaina summer homes for food
gathering were displaced, and as gold became more evident in higher
elevations of the Talkeetna Mountains, winter food supplies of
caribou were lost to feeding the burgeoning mining population.
Competition ensued between overland freighters and river boats. River
boats capable of hauling greater tonnage
enjoyed an advantage, however, development in Alaska was far to slow
for the Federal Government. Year 1912 saw President Taft’s Railroad
Commission investigating this situation and by 1914 through passage
of the Enabling Act a directive was given to establish an operational
railroad in Alaska. Shem Pete, very well known in the Willow area,
was stationed at Montana and carried mail by horseback for the
railroad in its pre-construction days along the Talkeetna Trail, 20
miles each direction.
The Alaska Railroad was completed during President Harding’s
administration in 1923 and with that came the ability to carry more
and larger mining equipment. The earlier placer operations turned to
hydraulic mining which in short order could expose copious amounts of
terrain. Later hard-rock mining became predominant and the now
heavier equipment required was off-loaded at Willow Station, also a
known location on the Talkeetna Trail.
Familiar locations and residences have lost the names of their
original owners. Too numerous to mention, these pioneers utilized
existing trails from the mountains to Willow but primarily settled
along railroad depending on it for news and transportation. When Emil
Stancec came to Willow in 1948 the U.S. Army had already blazed
numerous trails in the area, trails which roughly parallel the
railroad tracks but were approximately 3 to 4 miles to the east. The
main Tank Trail as it was known, ran roughly from the easterly
terminus of Mike Ardaw’s trap line trail, north paralleling Deception
Creek, down what is known as 4-Mile Road, taking a westerly dog leg,
and then again north crossing Willow Creek, on to Kashwitna River,
through the Caswell Lake area of Bend-a-Pole Road, then along Sheep
Creek crossing it just before where Goose Creek splits off Sheep
River, on past Emil Lake on the east side, crossing Montana Creek in
the Yoder Road area and finally towards Talkeetna on what is known as
the Talkeetna Spur Road
Stancec, a railroad employee also trapped for a living. Emil trapped
areas along and near; Willow Creek, Little Willow Creek, the Lucky
Shot , Shirley Creek and Almond Lake. Ironically his trapping likely
utilized many of the existing game and Tanaina trails of the past.
Emil laughs about all the miscellaneous finds of military
paraphernalia along the Tank Trail The Talkeetna Trail still
exists but is grown over with vegetation in lesser used areas. In
other areas, the Talkeetna Trail serves as an access corridor with
connecting tangents to the Tank Trail.
In summary, this has been a time line overview of how trails in the
Willow area originated. Decidedly, Emil Stancec’s trapline with
attendant trails provide the most concentrated and varied corridors
within the Willow area. The historical “Talkeetna Trail” serving the
earliest pioneers still visible in many areas has its most noted
continued use in the area around Emil’s trapline route.
Willow trail history really owes its roots to the; Tanaina Culture,
Talkeetna Trail, Willow Creek (Andrews River) Mining District, Tank
Trail, Mike Ardaw and Emil Stancec. Of course many others could be
mentioned and certainly the hundreds of pioneers who left a foot
print but under the circumstances these were most responsible for
what we know of as the Emil Stancec Trail System, the Haessler-Norris
Trails, and the West Gateway trails.
Today the trails serve as multiple-use corridors with many varied
vistas. Hikers, hunters, snow-mobilers, horse back riders, skiers,
dog mushers, sport fishers, birders, may unknowingly walk a step
behind someone 20, 40, 100, 150 plus years ago. For those who do
know, an appreciative reverence is felt and realized.
© Bob Chlupach, used with permission.
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Willow Trails Committee
Steve Charles, Chair
Phone: 6368 Email: trails@waco-ak.org
Meets: 3rd Wednesday/Month, WCC, 7PM
