Ididaroad at Portage and the road to Hope

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Ididaroad at Portage and the road to Hope

Postby Liz » Sat Jul 11, 2009 9:19 pm

This is our trip to Portage Glacier/Lake. We started at the Visitor’s Center at Portage Lake.
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Carol posed with Smoky Bear inside the building. We watched a great video about the area and read all the exhibits.
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Carol posed again…
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An iceberg floating in the lake, broken off from one of the many glaciers. You can’t actually see Portage Glacier from the visitor’s center, it’s hiding behind a hill. You have to take a boat ride to see it. It was too cold for that. You can see other glaciers.
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It was very cold and windy near the glaciers…Carol’s hair is proof of that. I had to change from shorts to jeans and a sweatshirt in a hurry.
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We saw a sign for Byron Glacier, so drove down that road. Here’s the view from the road, but there was a trail out to the glacier, so you know me…
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Yep, time for a little hike.
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There was a sign posted that a big black bear had been seen in the area. Hmmm. .. here’s another sign of that bear. Carol kept talking like you’re supposed to do around bear, and I kept hoping we’d see him.
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The trail follows this rushing river, and more snow is seen on the hillside.
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Getting closer…you begin to see the snowfield below the glacier.
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Can you see the ice cave about half way up?
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Here’s the cave zoomed in.
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There were deep crevasses in the snow below the glacier.
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Another ice cave where the river flows out beneath.
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But it was safe to walk out on the snow at the end of the trail.
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People were here with kids and sleds.
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It was NOT safe where these people were hiking with dogs just below the face of the glacier. I had to zoom my camera all the way to find out what those specks were. Nuts they were.
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After our hike we entered the Kenai Peninsula and headed down the road to Hope to meet up with Beth again.
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Beth was already camped at this beautiful turnout overlooking Turnagain Arm.
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Our view from our rigs.
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Armed with the tide table I got at Portage Visitor’s Center, and having seen pictures there, I knew it was almost time for the bore tide. Looking through the trees I saw it coming…woohoo!
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The waves were churning up those mud flats…coming in fast and building as they came.
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And covering the beach below us.
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After high tide, we spent the rest of the evening looking for Beluga whales, but alas, it was not to be.

Beth was ahead of us and had already toured the town of Hope, so she went on down the Kenai, and we went on to Hope in the morning. I’m posting from there. Next time I’ll post pictures of Hope.
Liz
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Re: Ididaroad at Portage and the road to Hope

Postby VickieP » Sat Jul 11, 2009 10:09 pm

Cool! Bear Poop! :lol:
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Re: Ididaroad at Portage and the road to Hope

Postby avalen » Sat Jul 11, 2009 10:14 pm

thank you so much for sharing your journey with us, I feel like I'm there too
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Re: Ididaroad at Portage and the road to Hope

Postby asirimarco » Sun Jul 12, 2009 9:06 am

Again - fantastic. Keep them coming.
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Re: Ididaroad at Portage and the road to Hope

Postby AlmostThere » Sun Jul 12, 2009 12:21 pm

Liz,
When we moved to Alaska (Kenai Peninsula) in 1980, the Portage Glacier had not receded to where it is now. The enormous icebergs completely filled the lake and came right up to the shoreline in front of where visitor's center now stands. We actually took pictures of ourselves on the ice burgs and held chunks of the ice. So sad that it's now gone for anyone else to enjoy. Do stop at Exit Glacier just outside of Seward. Use to be able to walk right to the bottom of it but not sure what it's like now, either.
Can't wait to see pics of the Kenai! Perhaps I'll spot someone I know!
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Re: Ididaroad at Portage and the road to Hope

Postby dpf » Sun Jul 12, 2009 1:08 pm

VickieP wrote:Cool! Bear Poop! :lol:


Bear SCAT! Makes me think of a seventh grade study hall I had when I was teaching...the kids were given a crossword for animal science and one question was "animal droppings". Well the kids were working together on it and started giggling...finally one boy came up to me with the crossword and the first letter was S and the last was T and it was a four letter word. :shock: He said "Mrs C....is this what we think it is?" The only thing I could reply was "that's what I would think...but I doubt it would be on a crossword puzzle for 7th graders!" That day I learned another four letter word for poop!

Love your pictures Liz! I'm enjoying my trip through Alaska with you and I haven't had to take one day of annual leave! :lol:
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Re: Ididaroad at Portage and the road to Hope

Postby WickedLady » Sun Jul 12, 2009 8:46 pm

Won't be long before all the glaciers have melted away. You are lucky to be there at this time to see them and we get to go along with you. Keep up the great work.
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Re: Ididaroad at Portage and the road to Hope

Postby bluepinecones » Mon Jul 13, 2009 9:49 am

I have finally caught up on all of Liz's wonderful posts of trip. THank you so very much for sharing.
Over the next few days, I hope to get up to date on Beth's blog as well.
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Re: Ididaroad at Portage and the road to Hope

Postby carold » Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:17 pm

Why do I remember that glacier so vividly. BECAUSE, I got a phone call (while on the path from the visitor center) from my son that we were about to become grandparents for the 5th time. :o :o carold
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Re: Ididaroad at Portage and the road to Hope

Postby AlmostThere » Mon Jul 13, 2009 9:33 pm

Oh, what a great memory!! :D
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