Nordic skating season kickoff at Reed Lakes

October 4, 2023

A mini trip report from an early-season skating adventure to Reed Lakes

Last week, the Ermine crew found our first wild ice of the season at Reed Lakes, in the Talkeetna Mountains of Alaska. Several longtime Alaska skaters told us later that this was the earliest start to the season they’d heard of in the last 10-15 years!

Dana Kerr Nordic skating on Upper Reed Lake

We started our trip at the Reed Lakes parking lot, unsure of what we’d find. There was almost no snow on the ground and all of the ponds were open. As we climbed up the Reed Lakes trail, however, we started seeing light snow, and found thin ice in the lagoons above the notorious “boulder field.”

We were thrilled to crest a low ridge above the lagoons to find Lower Reed Lake covered wall-to-wall in ice. This was looking promising! After testing with an ice pole to make sure it was thick enough, we all quickly changed into our skate boots, clipped on our skates, and began skating for the first time since last spring.

The ice on Lower Reed Lake had a finely textured “orange peel” surface. While it wasn’t exactly a mirror, it sparkled in the sun and made for fast, beautiful skating.

Lower Reed Lake

After we were done at Lower Reed Lake, we packed up and hiked to Upper Reed. The ice on Upper Reed Lake was thinner and less consistent, but still skateable.

We found that the ice on the southern side of the lake, which was better shaded by the surrounding mountains, was thicker. The new ice was very “talkative,” and made near-constant “bwing!” “bwap!” sounds as we skated over it.

Tim Treuer testing the ice on Upper Reed Lake

After Upper Reed, we tromped back down the trail (which was now muddy from the October sun) and treated ourselves to a giant Thai meal in Wasilla. All-in-all, this micro-adventure was an amazing kickoff for the 2023/24 Nordic skating season, and a vivid reminder why all of us choose to live, work, and play in Alaska.

Here’s to a great ice year full of adventures!”

- Paxson Woelber has been a dedicated Nordic skater and advocate for wild ice skating since 2016. In 2021, he founded Ermine Skate, North America's first Nordic skate company. Today, Ermine offers a range of premium Nordic skates and Nordic skating products designed for wild ice.

PS. For an awesome Instagram Reel by Allie Heaslet showing highlights from the day, click here!