Paid Trail Crews
In addition to Alaska Trail Stewards volunteer events each summer, Alaska Trails hires paid trail crews to decrease the backlog of necessary trail construction and maintenance projects in Southcentral Alaska. Trail crews work in coordination with the US Forest Service, Chugach State Park, the BLM, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, and Hatcher Pass State Park to complete projects that improve our trail systems.
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In 2024, two trail crews will spend the summer out on our trails, working hard to ensure that we can enjoy the trails that make Alaska so special.
Mat-Su Trail Crew
This crew will work on multiple technical trail projects this season. The Mat-Su Crew will begin their season in Chugach State Park and will work their way north to Pioneer Peak in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and Hatcher Pass. They will construct puncheons, running plank, retaining walls, and stone steps to address highly eroded sections of trails. This crew will also decommission old trail structures and harden mucky sections of trail in addition to a variety of park priority projects.
Meet the Crew
Elias Beck, Crew Leader
Elias Beck joined the Alaska Trails team in 2023 to lead the South Fork Eagle River Trail Crew. He is a born and raised Alaskan, and spent his youth exploring and recreating in Palmer and surrounding areas. He graduated from the University of Redlands in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Political Science. Before Alaska Trails, Elias worked as a Trails Technician for Matanuska-Susitna Borough Parks and Recreation. Elias is enthusiastic about trail stewardship and enjoys mountain biking in his free time.
Becca LaCroix, Crew Member
This is Becca’s second season with Alaska Trails and is grateful to have this opportunity to work outside and to be a part of the trails community. Becca hails from hiking the trails of the North Cascades and now also works as an RN at ANMC. Becca enjoys taking her dog, Finn, out on adventures whenever she can!
Hannah Gokaslan, Crew Member
Derek Bowling, Crew Member
Derek Bowling will be joining the Alaska Trails team for the 2024 season. He has two seasons of experience with trail crews as a crew member for Conservation Corps New Mexico and a crew leader with Montana Conservation Corps working in the Frank Church Wilderness. In his off time, he likes to constantly explore new wilderness areas and hike long trails. He has completed numerous long trails and has been creating and expanding upon rugged backpacking routes across the southwest. It’s been his life long dream to go to Alaska and explore its ever expansive wilderness areas and recreation opportunities. He looks forward to beginning a new stage of adventure in the last frontier as well as making the Alaskan backcountry more accessible via trails.
Del Horner, Crew Member
This is Becca’s second season with Alaska Trails and is grateful to have this opportunity to work outside and to be a part of the trails community. Becca hails from hiking the trails of the North Cascades and now also works as an RN at ANMC. Becca enjoys taking her dog, Finn, out on adventures whenever she can!
Chugach National Forest Trail Crew
The Chugach National Forest Crew will be working on a handful of projects this season ranging from Anchorage to Seward. The crew will begin the season with a new trail construction in Campbell Tract here in Anchorage and work their way south with projects in Whittier, Girdwood, and Seward. This crew will work on new trail construction, existing trail maintenance, and wooden structure work.
Meet the Crew
Maya Bingham, Crew Leader
Hailing from what some call the 'Paris of Appalachia', Maya was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Maya attended school in Southern California and has since been living and working her way up the west coast. Maya joined the Alaska Trails team during the 2023 trail season on the South Fork Eagle River Trail Crew. Maya has experience working with the land on americorps crews, private organizations and federal agencies across California, Oregon, Washington and now Alaska. When not treading lightly around in the woods, Maya stays creative and has been known to roller skate.
Elias Johnson, Crew Member
Brooks Christian, Crew Member
Brooks Christian, currently living in Eagle River, was born and raised throughout Alaska and is passionate about the abounding beauty and adventure our great state has to offer. He graduated this Spring from Montana State University with a Bachelors of Arts in Environmental Studies and is looking forward to applying his education to the betterment of Alaska. Having spent the last two summers building trails in Denali National Park and Preserve, this will be his third season of trail work. Brooks loves to spend his free time enjoying the outdoors, dancing to live music, and devouring breakfast burritos.
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Sage Romey, Crew Member
Sage is starting her third season as an Alaska Trail crew member. After a few years of doing other things elsewhere, another summer of moving rocks and making trails in the Chugach has beckoned her back home. (That and the draw to spend more time adventuring with her family).
Sage moved to Alaska as a youngster and went to Service High School. She attended Western Washington University in Bellingham, for the proximity to mountains and ocean, and to pursue an Interdisciplinary degree in Ethnomusicology. After graduating in a tumultuous 2020, she came back home and started working with Alaska Trails on the Middle Fork re-route, and Little O’Malley switchbacks. When the world returned, Sage traded pulaski for a pitchfork and moved to Pennsylvania to work on a biodynamic farm, living and working with young adults with disabilities. Most recently, Sage moved to Bogota, Colombia to work with adults with disabilities. In the months leading up to the current season, she has been driving as far south as the roads go with her partner, exploring the Patagonian Andes and looking at birds.
