Anchorage is fortunate enough to have a wide variety of paved paths for “human” powered activities. Like the paved roads, they require extensive maintenance. The popular Chester Creek green belt and the Coastal Tour of Anchorage; a unique urban setting. Many paved roads have wide shoulders, but the gravel from the driveway entrances can ruin your whole day. I enjoy hitting the paths in the mornings, by afternoon they begin to fill up. Don’t be surprised if you see bald eagles, porcupines, lots of waterfowl, and a moose or two.   – Matthew Pauli    V.P. Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage

Bird Point to Girwood: [In the fall of 1999}, the Anchorage area got a great new roller skiing route. There is now a paved bike trail from Bird Point to Girdwood that follows the old route of the Seward Highway. You can park on either side and do out back workouts. The hills are descendable, but the inexperienced should take extra care on them. The nice feature about this trail is that it is away from the highway, so it’s quiet. The pavement is brand new, no roads or driveways are crossed, there are toilet facilities along the route and the views are great. There is some unique artwork, such as beluga whales breaching the ground, at some of the trail turnoffs. Not many people have discovered this trail yet, so get out there and ski before the rest of Anchorage figures out how nice this trail is. Con about the trail, keep an eye out for bears, I encountered one last fall.   –Tim Kelley, Anchorage