A fat-biking boom at Knik Glacier

Plus, Anchorage mayoral candidates ponder the reasons behind a lower vote turnout so far. Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( [Anchorage Daily News]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Thursday, April 1. In today's newsletter: - How Knik Glacier's rise as a fat-biking destination has prompted tension and concerns from some. - Mayoral campaigns speculate why Anchorage voter turnout has been low. - The greatest April Fools' Day prank in Alaska history. There was an unusual, one-time rule for publication in the ADN opinions section today: No prose. Today's letters to the editor are poetry-only, which proves that Alaskans can successfully meld both rhyme and reason. For a sampling, ADN opinion editor Tom Hewitt is [sharing his favorites]( on Twitter. Here's the [full collection](. For the weather forecast: Anchorage is mostly sunny on this first day of April, with a high around 27 expected. Tomorrow will be a little cloudy, and there's a 50% chance of snow on Saturday. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Ryan Cunningham, rcunningham@adn.com [Once hard to reach, Knik Glacier’s biking boom is drawing hundreds]( [Once hard to reach, Knik Glacier’s biking boom is drawing hundreds]( More and more fat-bikers are showing up to the winter playground that is the Knik Glacier. It's one of the largest glaciers in Southcentral Alaska, and it's a relatively short drive from Anchorage, making it also a magnet for off-road Jeeps, snowmachiners, four-wheelers, bush planes and helicopter tours. But the rise in fat-biking has caused tension with some neighbors and worries about the risks associated with glacier travel. [Read More]( [ Others in heli-ski group witnessed avalanche that buried Fairbanks skier near Matanuska Glacier]( [Others in heli-ski group witnessed avalanche that buried Fairbanks skier near Matanuska Glacier]( When Erin Lee, 40, began her ski run last Saturday, two skiers and a guide were waiting for her at the bottom of the mountain while another skier watched from the top. All four of them witnessed the avalanche that buried and killed Lee, who was fully equipped with avalanche safety gear at the time. It’s not clear what triggered the avalanche, and an Alaska State Troopers spokesperson says there is not currently a plan to investigate that. [Read More]( [Anchorage voter turnout low so far compared to last mayoral election]( [Anchorage voter turnout low so far compared to last mayoral election]( As of Wednesday, data from the municipal clerk’s office show 21.7% fewer ballots had been returned compared to the same time before the 2018 election. But the 2018 election had record-breaking turnout, and voters still have until April 6 to cast their ballots. And some mayoral campaigns think there are more undecided voters this time around. If you're one of those undecided voters, the ADN offers some help with our [2021 municipal election guide](. Give it a gander. [Read More]( [University of Alaska makes public pitch for help achieving $200 million fundraising goal ]( [University of Alaska makes public pitch for help achieving $200 million fundraising goal]( UA officials have already quietly raised approximately $135 million over the past five years, according to the UA Foundation President Tod Burnett. He says the public push is an effort to get over the top of that $200 million goal, and that it’s the first broad-based donation drive the system has undertaken — which brought a bit of a learning curve. [Read More]( [The story of ‘Porky’s rising’ - Alaska’s greatest ever April Fools’ Day prank]( [The story of ‘Porky’s rising’ - Alaska’s greatest ever April Fools’ Day prank]( Here's a classic tale from the vault of Alaska historian David Reamer: Mount Edgecumbe, a dormant volcano directly across the sound from Sitka, has been inactive for over 4,000 years. So it was alarming to Sitkans when, on one April morning in 1974, they saw smoke rising from the peak. The Coast Guard sent a helicopter out to investigate, and when the pilot arrived, what he found looked nothing like a smoldering caldera. [Read More]( More from the ADN [ With players from 2 villages and a coach so young he can’t drive the team van, the Upriver Hunters are ready for their state debut ]( [With players from 2 villages and a coach so young he can’t drive the team van, the Upriver Hunters are ready for their state debut]( [Read More]( [Anchorage high school hockey players face mandatory COVID-19 testing after spike in exposures ]( [Anchorage high school hockey players face mandatory COVID-19 testing after spike in exposures]( [Read More]( [Alaska Airlines joins global network, adds perks for elite flyers and promises more connectivity later]( [Alaska Airlines joins global network, adds perks for elite flyers and promises more connectivity later]( [Read More]( [ Sarah Palin confirms COVID-19 diagnosis, urges mask wearing]( [Sarah Palin confirms COVID-19 diagnosis, urges mask wearing]( [Read More]( [Bethel woman is first infantrywoman in Alaska National Guard ]( [Bethel woman is first infantrywoman in Alaska National Guard]( [Read More]( The ADN relies on readers like you. 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