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Well, the in-between season is here. Some call it "finter" (my friends in Whitehorse, who have no concept of any season between summer and frigid). Others call it "wautumn" (with extra emphasis on the "waa").

But whatever you call it, everybody knows that this is the season when it's too early to ski, too rainy to run, and too cold to do anything else. How do you go outside during a season like that?

If you are like most outdoor enthusiasts in Juneau, you are doing everything in your power - both intellectual and metaphysical - to bring about a timely snow season. I can't really help with the metaphysical efforts - although I hear prayer works for some people. But the creative will tell you that snow season is already here; and if you're willing to venture just a little bit higher, it's likely here to stay.

Not everyone has the mountaineering savvy to tackle the ridges during winter, but there is one high place in town that's easily accessible, and not always considered as a specific outdoor destination - the new Eaglecrest Road.

This steep gravel route leads from the base of Eaglecrest Ski Area to both the Eagle's Nest and the top of the new Black Bear ski lift. The city began work on this road in 2008 as a service route for the $900,000 chairlift, which is slated to open this winter.

To be honest, I never had much interest in that new chairlift. I'm actually a dismal snowboarder, who makes a genuine effort three or four times every winter but generally feels more comfortable on wheels and snowshoes. But, I was enamored with that service road. Several times during summer 2008, I would pedal my mountain bike up the Fish Creek Road pavement and connect with the fresh gravel, working my way up the slope until the road dead-ended. Every time, the gravel surface went just a little bit farther, and I was able to ride just a little bit higher. Pretty soon, the construction workers recognized me; they'd let me ride past even if they were blasting, and I wouldn't be surprised if I was one of the first non-workers to pedal that road all the way to the top - 2,600 feet, the highest bikeable terrain in Juneau. It was a great feeling.

That road is still a great destination, and as of early Thursday, snow had already crept two-thirds of the way down it. Wednesday morning was the first day snow came down that low, and I saw several hikers walking toward the ridge. The road makes for an excellent walk at a time when the lower trails are ankle-deep in mud and the ridges are covered in snow. It's also still good for cycling, although accumulating snow and ice can add a treacherous edge to what is already a strenuously steep climb. The Eaglecrest road can even be skied - depending how far you're willing to carry those skis on your back to reach the deeper powder.

And if you are a skier, you have the added advantage of checking out the snow levels, to gauge when the ski resort might open and see whether those prayers are working out.

The Eaglecrest road begins just beyond the lodge. It winds around the Ptarmigan chairlift and switchbacks up the slope, climbing about 1,200 feet in two miles. It's fairly steep by biking standards but it's a mellow walk compared to other climbs in town. The road forks about a quarter mile below the Eagle's Nest. To the left is the top of the Black Bear lift, which offers much easier ridge access than the Eagle's Nest. To reach the ridge, drop down to the small depression just beyond the lift and climb the drainage another 300 feet or so to a saddle. The scrub spruce in this area are already accumulating thick layers of rime ice. They huddle in delicate menageries amid the snow-swept tundra, which give them a arty feel, almost like glass sculptures in a spacious gallery.

Continue climbing the knob on the left; this is lower ridge, where just a few extra hundred feet of climbing will afford you great views of Admiralty Island and Stephens Passage - that is, if it's not snowing. You can continue along the ridge using the traditional boot-pack routes, although minimal snow might mean you still have to be wary of rocks and open water.

Ski area workers are still using the road to work on the new lift, so it should remain well-packed through the beginning of the ski season. Until then, the Eaglecrest road is the perfect place to get out and dream about snow - while playing in the snow.

• Jill Homer is an outdoor enthusiast and deputy managing editor at the Juneau Empire.