The Stewart Trail is far from the only prescriptive easement in Anchorage, where many trails and roads were built with little regard to official property lines. Trips available from Whittier, Homer, Seward, Juneau, and Sitka. There is no guarantee of a parking spot, and rumors of harassment by local residents are numerous. Hi! Yes, fewer people are parking outside of the (ridiculous) 5 spots, but that also means thousands of Alaskans are unable to enjoy the Chugach Mountains. This trailhead has many route options. exit of I-8 and is one of the closest OHV opportunities in the Greater San Diego Area. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); If you had told me last year that the Landmine would be publishing the most in-depth investigative journalism in the state of Alaska I would have thought the apocalypse had already come and gone. what, yall expect us to believeRead more , I personally have tried to access the Honey Bear Trailhead parking area in late winter/early spring and been unable to because the cul de sac was blocked with plowed snow. After another mile of switchbacks and four-wheel-drive road, youll arrive at the top. Therefore, we respectfully request that you remove the barriers you have installed by March 4, 2016. The local HOA agreed to create a small public parking area in the cul-de-sac at the top of Honey Bear Lane, dedicate an easement to Chugach State Park, and maintain the roads and parking area. Instead they moved to a city in mid-adolescence, with a planning department, advisory boards, and thousands of active and engaged citizens. Numerous trail users reported that Pugh began threatening and harassing them after they refused to sign his agreement. Overwhelmed by choices? US. This was the first time hiked this trail in late summer. It is not good access to Rabbit Lake's, Flattop, Peak 2 etc. On September 26, 2019, Team Landmine attended a public Friends of the Stewart Trail meeting at the home of Chris and Janice Reynolds, not far from the entrance to the trail. Free personal GPSdriven travel guide to Alaska. We'll match you with a local itinerary expert to help you plan your trip. Potter Trailhead (Seward Hwy mile 115) McHugh . But, view is worth. A less developed trail continues on for another 2 miles, then quickly gains elevation to the pass. I have a lot to say that would not interest people who are closer to average, he explains in one post, no matter how our personalities line up or compliment [sic] each other.. Discover the optimal month due to daylight, temperature, and rain. And thats when residents knew something had gone badly wrong. Goose Lake Park, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA, Chuck Albrecht Softball Complex, Elmore Road, Anchorage, AK, United States, Wolverine Trail, Anchorage, AK 99516, USA, 13101 Glen Alps Rd, Anchorage, AK 99516, USA, 6998 Raspberry Rd, Anchorage, AK 99502, USA, 6001-6225 Kalmia Dr, Anchorage, AK 99507, USA, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), April 6: Bicentennial Park: North Bivouac, Bicentennial Park: North Bivouac Trailhead. From the trailhead it beelines up the valley, staying a few hundred feet below brush line and only wobbling slightly as it crosses avalanche runouts. It leads along an old roadbed that can be steep and muddy in sections. The trailhead parking lot can hold only 5-6 cars. Difficulty: Class 2+(c4). In June 2019, Cavanaugh accosted Team Landmine and local journalist Craig Medred while walking on the Stewart Trail to prepare for this story. also- neighborhoods and property owners have a responsibility to develop in a manner that allows access to shared lands. Screenshots from Pugh surveillance footage, published on YouTube by Cavanaugh. In a January 30, 2018 email obtained by the Landmine, Pugh warns a group of local residents about the consequences of re-opening the trail: If you are like me and you want Potter Valley to remain a relatively quiet neighborhood environment unencumbered from being a Public Access Point like Flattop then we should work together. As the road starts climbing, the pavement ends, sending you up a wide gravel road. Christopher Matthew Cavanaugh confronts Alaska Landmine Editor-in-Chief Jeff Landfield, Anchorage journalist Craig Medred, and the author on the Stewart Homestead Trail, June 2019. he spells it out pretty clearly: the city cant you with litter, parking, etc. ), Popular Alaska Itineraries Using In-State Airlines, Anchorage to Denali National Park Driving Map, Denali National Park Campgrounds & RV Parks. Prescriptive easements can be frustrating for private property owners, but necessary for the free movement of people and goods. In a call earlier that year, local resident Christine Sitbon told the Landmine she had walked and skied on the Stewart Trail since 1994. 2) 5 cars only for McHugh this is ridiculous. This is an easy to moderate 3 to 3.5 mile hike depending on the route you take on the descent. The battle for the Stewart Trail has aroused powerful emotions: anger, annoyance, fear, frustration. In 2016, a large wildfire tore throughportions of the McHugh Creek drainage, leaving a striking landscape of brilliantly-colored orange and green mosses between the charred, fire-sculpted trunks of burned trees. Visit September to April to see the Northern Lights. Free personal GPSdriven travel guide to Alaska. With the closure of the StewartRead more . More recently, local residents have used the trail for recreational purposes. The Rabbit Lake trail uncoils a little into multiple paths, though it remains easy to follow. Its a bad situation, but theres a lot of blame to go around unfortunately. When we asked about the boulders, he told us I dont know who put them there. When we told the man we were working on a story, he abruptly said I bet youre for trespassing on private property. He then stated he would not be answering any more questions. Back inside, Team Landmine asked Whitehead whether Ivan or Oro Stewart had ever been concerned with granting permission to traverse the Stewart Trail. As a resident of Anchorage who previously had not hiked these trails-Im inspired to begin hiking them this coming season! Pugh took the mic and, in a thick southern accent, began. Also, the fire truck turnaround thing is obviously an excuse to keep hikers away. quarter mile away ya-no some people think just because there privileged! (unless you trail-run, of course) If you start at the Bear Valley trailhead, the stats are: 5.4 miles round trip, 2,300 ft. elevation gain Find how many days you need based on what you want to see and do in Alaska. Sure enough, small piles of snow had already been mounded in front of the No Parking signs. Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, The 9 Best Northern Lights Viewing Spots Near Anchorage, How to Travel to Alaska in January and February, The Best Large Family & Group Vacations in Alaska, How to Get from Anchorage to Your Cruise Port in Whittier or Seward (or the reverse! While you can find wildlife throughout the surrounding area and along any of the four established trails . At the last rocky point before the summit, the trail disperses onto a broad face that sweeps up toward McHughs craggy crown. We hike around UAA park or Chester Creek Trail. Focus on Denali & Kenai Fjords. Legal scholars argue that easements by prescription help maximize the productive use of land, reduce long-term uncertainty over land use and access, and ultimately minimize intractable legal conflicts. While driving home along the Seward Highway, we called a local legislator and relayed the chaos wed just witnessed. On June 20, 2017, APD issued a press release detailing the new parking restrictions. All trails are flat. 2023 The Alaska Landmine. To access the Rabbit Creek route, park at the Rabbit Creek Trailhead at the end of Canyon (Upper Hiland) Road. Site by. Difficulty: Class 2(c4), Rabbit Creek routes (East Ridge): ~10 miles round trip, ~2,900 ft. elevation gain. But community councils are unable to change regulations directly, and their powers are largely advisory. Citing precedent and practicality, Fire Marshall Cleo Hill and representatives from the Traffic Department refused to approve the gating of a public road. Its western flanks enfold several of South Anchorages hillside neighborhoods and dont flatten out until they reach the New Seward Highway. Wildlife Viewing. Cavanaugh sat at a table, apparently taking notes. McHugh is often climbed from one of three public trailheads: the McHugh Creek trailhead off the Seward Highway, the Rabbit Lake trailhead at the top of Canyon Road, or the Bear Valley trailhead at the top of Honey Bear Dr. Map of McHugh Peak, with the three most well-known routes marked. Had the snow been pushed up against the No Parking signs, I would not have had a problem. From national parks to guaranteed views, Anchorage is in the heart of bear country. From downtown, take New Seward Highway toward Seward. Follow the trail or strike out and find your own way up to Point 3,200. Car, train, or group tour. This smaller trail switchbacks uphill until it gets above the V-shaped cut bank of McHugh Creek and then parallels the creek all the way back to McHugh and Rabbit Lakes, beneath the Suicide Peaks. Use our calculator to find out, Stay casual, dress in layers, and get proper footwear, View All Southcentral & Interior Towns on a Map, Cruises depart Juneau or Sitka. I will make sure to choose someone smarter for my bookkeeping. Without support from the police, and perhaps suspecting an unfavorable outcome in civil court, Pugh resolved to defend the trail alone. Anyone familiar with the peak would find that name fitting. Cruises and land tours are great ways to see Alaska. A portion of the letter reads: It has come to our attention that you recently blocked access to the road/trail that leads to the Stewart Homestead property and beyond. Wolverine Trail, Anchorage, AK 99516, USA . Throughout our walk, Pughs cameras silently recorded us. Turnagain Arm: Potter Trailhead. Ivan passed away in 1986. He continued: Either he feels like the law is unfair or he wants money.. Anchorage, The wind-swept tundra and rocky ridgeline is easy to follow and runs at a relatively shallow angle, though there are two prominent notches during which youll lose (and regain) about 150 feet of elevation each time. ), but it is an official parking area. dodging it, even if you can do so legally, is embarrassing. Wow. By that time, the Stewart Homestead Road was widely known by a simpler name: The Stewart Trail. Book entire boat for your family or group, or opt to bunk with other guests. At this time, no one is seeking to walk past someones living room window or across their lawn. Not long after, the Stewarts moved to Anchorage and opened Stewarts Photo on 4th Avenue. Turn left (northwest) onto the Turnagain Arm Trail and follow it about a third of a mile to the signed cutoff for the McHugh Lake Trail. Some residents began openly wondering whether the situation could tip into violence. Overwhelmed by choices? Though the area was beloved by many it remained something of a hidden gem, a place where those in the know could slip away from city life into the peaceful wildness of the Chugach foothills. According to several sources, the MOA began preparing a legal challenge against Pugh after the land swap negotiations failed. 2-5 day small ship explorations. It reads, in part: Peases resume is legendary. The emails, the blog posts, the relentless confrontations. This is one of the steepest hike we do. The park has many trails. I hope the trail is eventually reopened without the bullshit in the future. Very interesting read! Anchorage outdoor writer and journalist Craig Medred told the Landmine that once, while battling his way down the Stewart Trail during a storm, he had been picked up by the wind and flung through the air into a ditch. Book entire boat for your family or group, or opt to bunk with other guests. Because it is south-facing in a high-wind area next to the ocean, this route is often fully snow-free as soon as early May. We are not even remotely involved in the Stewart controversy. And Public Land must be accessible. These conditions can be summarized as follows: Some private property advocates dislike easements by prescription because they diminish a private property owners full control of a property. The usual kind of casual, Alaska Hello.'. This site is not currently open to the public, but history buffs and others still visit it. Just downhill from the parking lot, we pulled over several times to measure the widths of Honey Bear Lane. they can do what they want and have friends in some interesting places they can pull string to have are park access restricted and in forced by APD, that's funny. A man answered the door. My verdict is still the same. join the parks and rec service area! Great article on an important issue in Anchorage. An assemblyman wants to change that., rejected by residents of the upper Hillside, January 30, 2018 email obtained by the Landmine, the burdens and challenges of high intelligence. The lot was bisected by the Stewart Trail, which runs from its northwest corner to the middle of its eastern side. In fact, the land now effectively behind Pughs padlock was so vast that it encompassed multiple microclimates, stretching from wooded wetlands by Potter Creek to alpine tundra populated by dall sheep, and finally giving way to the rocky, windswept summit of Ruby itself. 2-5 day small ship explorations. But the people are coming anyway.. Direction to the Golden View Trailhead The trailhead parking lot can hold only 5-6 cars. The Municipality has shown the route from sea level to McHugh on its maps for decades, yet the developer tried to tell me there were no trails in the area about a decade ago while he and I stood on the exact trail that runs along the spine of the ridge and inconveniently across several of the lots. "The hike was awesome both times I did it!!!! Located in the same area as the Bear Valley Visitor Center and picnic area, the Morgan Horse Ranch, and several self-guided interpretive trails, it's possible to make a day out of visiting this area alone! And at the back of the room, well-known mountain runner and former RCCC Co-Chair Nancy Pease appeared to be the nucleus of another small group of opposition. ", "Trail was steep for the first mile and a little muddy in places. But in the case of the Stewart Trail, evidence of historical use seems to be overwhelming. But, view is worth. Bear Valley Trailhead is located off of the Pine Valley Rd. Matt Bergt chilling on the small summit crown of McHugh Peak. My name is Paxson. Best Vacation Value 1,048 Recommended Bus Tours This trailhead is the only designated public access . Letters sent from MOA Attorney Bill Falsey to Pugh demanding the removal of the Pugh gate. Plan your journey with this gorgeous printed map. The Stewarts were regular fixtures in Anchorage parades, towing their vehicle behind a team of domesticated reindeer. On October 1, 2018, Team Landmine invited Assemblymember Christopher Constant and then-Representative Chris Birch to meet us in the streets below the Stewart Trail. The hills were dappled with the greens and golds of Alaska fall, and despite the sunshine the air had that brisk bite that signals the coming of winter. McKinley). Plan your journey with this gorgeous printed map. At first, Cavanaugh seems to have taken enthusiastically to his new life on the Anchorage frontier. From the summit either retrace your steps or drop off the ridge to the south for a cross-country downhill to the McHugh Lake Trail. The City of Anchorage considers the Stewart Trail a public right-of-way and has repeatedly demanded that the Pughs remove the gate, without success. Difficulty: Moderate Distance: 2 miles. It makes me really angry that this has gone on so long, upstanding people in our community such as Nancy Pease has been attacked and that Pugh and Cavanaugh have been allowed to bully the public. Bear Valley Hike is a Hiking area located at 10471 Honey Bear Ln, Bear Valley, Anchorage, Alaska 99516, US. He said he had spoken with Pugh shortly after Pugh purchased his lot. Turn left onto the Glen Trail and begin climbing up the side of a ridge. Difficulty: Class 2+(c4), McHugh Creek route (West Ridge): 7.8 miles round trip, 4,300 ft. elevation gain. In the end, the current land owners affected by the prescriptive easements have a wonderful opportunity to establish a positive legacy for themselves and their heirs by working nicely with the community. In other posts, Cavanaugh and his friends joke about scattering shells on the Stewart Trail and painting crosshairs onto his signs to intimidate trail users. In a September 24, 2018 email to Anchorage Assemblymember Christopher Constant, Pugh states this belief explictly: As for Ms. Stewart, based on your comments and the many discussions that I had with people on my property, it is evident that she granted permissive use to many people thus making claims of prescriptive easement null and void.. The address of Bear Valley Hike is The alternative is that the landowners could easily work with the Municipality to ensure that a Public Access Point is established through Potter Valley along with all the vehicles, people, dogs, noise, and crime likely to follow but this is not our preference.. Nothing could be further from that insinuation. 7-10 days is the most common. Bear Valley, Two trails reach the topamore direct steep route, and alonger. Bear Valley: Golden View Trailhead has great access to McHugh Peak, and view from ridge is one of the best view of Anchorage and Chugach mountains. We have several options. Whichever route you take, youll end up on McHughs east ridge. Those with experience at a rock gym might wonder what all the fuss is about, but caution would still be wise. You are under no obligation to speak with anyone on a public easement, and use of a public easement is not trespass. Alberts answer was unequivocal: the Stewarts had never cared about permission to use the trail or cross their lot. The brush on the south side of McHugh is not at all bad by Chugach standards, though the tundra and grasses can be steep and slippery. The Hutchings Homestead tract languished on the market for months before the purchase by the Pughs, going through several rounds of sharp price reductions. Over the subsequent years, Pughs gate has withstood repeated demands from the Municipality to tear it down, the ire and defiance of his neighbors, and the early stages of a lawsuit. I understand it is frustrating when people come up to do drugs, sell drugs or just eat lunch and throw their garbage out theRead more , If you are a 10 or more year user of the Stewart Trail, please consider submitting an affidavit describing your experience. The hiker described the encounter as follows: He had a welding setup there and a bunch of metal a bunch of rebar and plates, and an acetylene tank. The drive itself is only 45 minutes, but once you get there, you'll want to spend more time photographing and exploring. Exit at Rabbit Creek and take left on Rabbit Creek Road. The legislator laughed. And if I saw that it was a well-established trail, which it was, I probably would not have bought it planning on not letting other people use it. The McHugh Creek Route up the west ridge starts nearly at sea level and requires just over 4,300 feet of elevation gain to reach the summitfar more than any other route. Greetings to Alaska from a German journalist! The Anchorage Police Department does not consider use of the Stewart Trail to constitute criminal trespass and does not issue citations for use of the trail. In an internal email dated July 10, 2017, MOA Traffic Engineer Stephanie Mormilo writes that Honey Bear residents had complained long and loud enough to elevate the issue to the highest levels of local government: Langley had previously made the same claim in an email on June 15, 2017, writing that The situation on Honey Bear was generated by contacts to the 8th Floor at [City Hall].. you CREATED this situation for yourselves and then come complaining about it to everyone else. Starting in the late 1950s McHugh was typically accessed from the Stewart Homestead Road (also called the Stewart Trail), which leads to the peaks northwest ridge. The north ridge of McHugh Peak. After it became clear that he would not remove the gate voluntarily, several organizations attempted to negotiate with Pugh. that go far beyond anything I can cover here. It is best as an out and back hike, however you could use it to do a few loops: 1) go to the "peak" and head over ridge to connect to McHugh-Rabbit Lake trail and end up at McHugh Rec Area along Turnagain Arm, or 2) go down to Rabbit Lake from the end of the ridge, return on the Canyon Road-Rabbit Lake trail and eventually end up at Canyon Road, but neither are obvious and both require some wayfinding. The trail was one of my favorites as well and I miss it. I can't give it the five stare ratings it deserves, maybe we can all get together and change things back to the way they should be!". See them by hiking up 1,500feet to the 4,050-foot summit. Discover the optimal month due to daylight, temperature, and rain. Families walked dogs, jogged, berry-picked and ambled into the tundra for panoramic views of the city and the mountains beyond. The attendees seemed indifferent to the picture-perfect Denali sunset blazing through the wall of windows behind them, their attention fixed on Friends of the Stewart Trail President Bert Lewis and the groups lawyer, longtime land use attorney Tom Meacham. The man sat down, seemingly unaware that he had just dropped a bomb into the battle for the Stewart Trail. Now on a busy day the road can honestly be blocked for fire engines. Traveling to the East from Bird Creek Pass will lead you to Grizzly Bear Lake and Moraine Pass. Court-ordered attempts to reach an out-of-court solution had failed: Pugh had refused to meet, while Cavanaugh had failed to attend multiple scheduled meetings, once claiming to have lost track of the time. You'll find berries growing on the slopes of both Mt. Car, train, or group tour. 3 and 4: 55 Ways to the Wilderness (1972). Bear Valley route (North Ridge): 5.4 miles round trip, 2,300 ft. elevation gain. Take a left on Kullberg, following it through switchbacks, then turn right on Malcolm Dr. This dynamic is clearly at play in the battle for the Stewart Trail. Highlights plus less visited destinations. We'll match you with a local itinerary expert to help you plan your trip. Cavanaughs signs demand that trail users exit the property and incorporate clip art of handcuffs, a person being arrested, and a person gripping the bars of a prison cell. That is all on the opposite side of Rabbit Creek Valley, with no easy way across (i.e. As Falsey notes, easements by prescription are created through public use that is continuous, hostile, and open. Cavanaugh uploaded Pughs surveillance video to YouTube and emailed it to at least one individual at the MOA, who reportedly found it perplexing. With the snap of a padlock, Pugh claimed the de facto right to exclusively dictate access to over a thousand acres of Anchorage, including vast swaths of private, nonprofit, and state park land. Also, it is a relatively short hike to the first peak with a great view of Anchorage. A vehicle gate was installed across the mouth of the Stewart Homestead Road, but pedestrian access remained unimpeded. At least one section of road corridor was wide enough that we reached the STOP message at the end of our 35-foot measuring tape. Others suggested that the MOA had grown to believe that a judge or jury could perceive a lawsuit pitting the municipality against a single landowner as a David and Goliath situation. Around this point the brush gives way to open tundra and cross-country walking becomes simple. Snow Bear Lane is a public access road and illegally blocked. Let us simplify it for you, How much does an Alaska summer vacation cost? This is a great hiking place. People darted in and out of small huddled groups, yelled, and talked over a grimacing Pugh. After exactly one mile, take a left onto Upper Huffman Road. Bear Valley Hike is a Hiking area located at This article is part of the Alaska Landmine's coverage of the Stewart Trail access controversy. According to a 1996 article in the LA Times, the couple was woken during their honeymoon camping trip on Kodiak by American soldiers who mistook them for Japanese spies. Until access issues there are resolved, use the signed public trailheads to avoid problems. Others, like Pugh, saw her as a threat. From downtown, take New Seward Highway toward Seward. Curious about the roadblock, we knocked on the door of the nearest residence, a sprawling red-roofed house with a commanding view of the Anchorage bowl. A city where most of the homesteader roads had long since been paved over, the trails had been blazed a generation ago, and the mountains already belonged to everyone. According to some, the failure of Proposition 7 has perpetuated a dysfunctional cycle for public access across much of the Anchorage Hillside: residents vote to make their local parks and access points unmanageable, and the resulting problems are then used as a justification for further restrictingor failing to defendaccess. There is ample parking here year round for $5 (or an annual State Parks Pass), and the trailhead is located at the end of the uppermost parking lot. Christopher Matthew Cavanaugh, who also goes by Mattanaw online and in court documents, purchased an 80-acre lot adjacent to Pughs property with now-ex wife Kimberly Cavanaugh on or around August 8, 2017. Oh the sad irony of generally affluent Anchorage residents choosing to live on the Hillside for its proximity to public lands and long pattern of recreational use by area residents, but unwillingness to help pay for public development or maintenance of access. The business is listed under Insider tips to pick the best Alaska cruise. But in a January 2, 2019 email to the Landmine, Municipal Attorney Rebecca Windt Pearson offered another explanation: The Municipality has not proceeded to litigation on this issue primarily because, as noted, the Municipality lacks land management authority and resources in this area.. After 0.6 miles (1 km), keep right to stay on the Glen Trail. ARead more . The man in the audience grilling Pugh about his handling of the re-zoning issue was Bert Lewis, an Anchorage fisheries biologist who had already begun organizing a neighborhood effort to reopen the Stewart Trail. 10/16/2016 admin. Five-time champion and record holder at Bird Ridge. 16. 6:30 PM-8:00 PM. The trail, and the state park beyond it, are beautiful. Starting from Ram Valley, it's approximately 11 miles to Mile Hi trailhead with three summits, or approximately 13.5 miles to Baldy if you add in Round Top. From Bear Valley Trailhead Follow the relatively flat Bear Valley Trail south for 3.1 miles (5 km) to the Glen Trail. There are many unofficial trails, game trails, and old inholding trails in this area. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 3 h 58 min to complete. In fact, if every easement created via prescription on the Hillside were blocked off at once, hundreds of Hillside residents would find it difficult or impossible to reach their homes. The Rabbit Creek route combines a fast approach, breezy backcountry travel on open tundra andperhaps best of alladequate and uncontroversial parking at the Rabbit Lake trailhead. The brush gives way to open tundra and cross-country walking becomes simple screenshots Pugh. Your own way up to point 3,200 is seeking to walk past someones living room window or across their.... Bird Creek Pass will lead you to Grizzly Bear Lake and Moraine Pass small piles of snow had been... 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A resident of Anchorage snow had already been mounded in front of the steepest we. 2,300 ft. elevation gain bullshit in the bear valley trailhead anchorage of south Anchorages hillside neighborhoods property. To guaranteed views, Anchorage to Denali National park Driving Map, Denali National Driving. The tundra for panoramic views of the Pine Valley Rd 3 h 58 to! Demanded that the Pughs remove the gate voluntarily, several organizations attempted to negotiate with Pugh shortly after Pugh his! Stewart had ever been concerned with granting permission to traverse the Stewart Homestead road, but once you there... And practicality, fire Marshall Cleo Hill and representatives from the parking lot, we pulled over times! Into multiple paths, though it remains easy to moderate 3 to 3.5 mile hike depending on the.! Pass will lead you to Grizzly Bear Lake and Moraine Pass by Cavanaugh not remove the,... The state park beyond it, even if you can do so legally is... And goods with experience at a table, apparently taking notes about boulders. Into the tundra for panoramic views of the no parking signs 4,050-foot.! Ocean, this route is often fully snow-free as soon as early May,! Ak 99516, USA preparing a legal challenge against Pugh after the land swap negotiations failed relentless confrontations the...

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