Category Archive

Looking down on Spencer Glacier, Chugach National Forest, Alaska.

Can you find Janine?  Looking down on Spencer Glacier earlier this week.

Sea otters in Prince William Sound, Alaska.

Sea otters from last month in Prince William Sound.

Last nights sunset. This view of Mt. Alice from our house never gets old!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Portage Lake and Glacier, Chugach National Forest, Alaska.

From a backpacking trip this past July – so lucky to be surrounded by the Chugach National Forest!

Shoreside truck on the Seward Highway last night, near Seward, Alaska.

I have had a lot of fun this past week traveling between Ketchikan and Seward as part of an assignment for Petro Marine Services / Shoreside Petroleum.  I wrapped it up last night with my favorite kind of photography – working from a helicopter with the doors off!

Portage Glacier and Lake, Chugach National Forest, Alaska.

Hard to beat this camping site!  From a recent backpacking trip.

Janine with her backpack at the top of the Portage Pass Trail, Whittier, Alaska.

Last Sunday night we hiked the Portage Pass Trail to Portage Glacier and Portage Lake, where we spent a wonderful night listening to the calving glacier while watching the changing light illuminate fields of fireweed.  It had been 9 years since I last hiked this trail.  Back then, getting to the lake required a lot of route finding and difficult bushwhacking in thick alders well over head high.  Today, the Chugach National Forest has improved the trail all the way to the lake – it now has to been one of the best hikes in South-central Alaska!  Maybe second only to the Harding Icefield Trail.

The trail begins just to the right (South) after you emerge from the tunnel into the town of Whittier.  Follow the signs to the limited parking area.  The entire distance from the trail head to the lake is about 2 miles, maybe a little more.  You do climb up and down about 800 vertical feet as you cross over the pass, but all and all, it is a easy trail with spectacular views of not only the lake and glacier, but also looking back at Prince William Sound.

Nine years ago when I hiked to the lake, not only was I the only person there, but it appeared I was the first person in weeks to visit this beautiful location.  Today?  Well the trail improvements have also brought a lot more visitors – Sunday evening I think there were a couple dozen hikers, often with kids visiting the same place.  So if you are looking for an easy trail with big benefits, look not further then Portage Pass Trail!

Stand up paddlers at Spencer Glacier, Chugach National Forest, Alaska.

We debated about bringing our stand up paddle boards on the train to Spencer Glacier when we camped there earlier this week – in hindsight, I wish we had as it looked like a blast!  These nice folks did say we could borrow theirs, although I didn’t take them up on it. Those shorts would have made for a cold swim in case of a fall!