Day 44 & 45 - Portage Valley, AK

Today’s drive took us from Willow through Anchorage then along the Seward Highway to Mile 79 which is at the end of Turnagain Arm, this is the junction of the Portage/Whittier Hwy. It was not the nicest drive since the weather was terrible and the rain would not slow down. The clouds were so low you could almost reach out and touch them. There were several pull offs that we could have taken advantage of but there’s not much sense of stopping when you can’t see anything. I’m sure it’s beautiful.

We reached Portage Valley RV Park, got checked in, set up, and then decided to go to the Begich-Boggs Visitors Center which is part of the Chugach National Forest.  The building is built on the terminal(end) moraine left behind by Portage Glacier in 1914. Moraines are large piles of rock and debris deposited by glaciers as they flow down or retreat from valleys. The center was named in memory of Congressmen Begich and Boggs, both killed in a 1972 plane crash en route to Juneau.

Portage Valley is a 14 mile isthmus. An isthmus is narrow strip of land that connects two larger land masses and separates two bodies of water. Portage Valley connects the Kenai Peninsula to mainland Alaska. At one time Portage Glacier extended the entire length of this valley. Today the glacier remnants are small reminders of the immense ice sheets that covered the valley.

What a difference a day makes. Waking to the sun shining, the skies are blue, and the mountains have popped out from behind the clouds, is a good day. The scenery from our campsite is awesome and breathtaking.

We started our day with a hike to Byron Glacier which is a short distance from the visitor center. This trail is one of the busiest but we got there early enough. We only passed one couple on the way in. On the way out, that was another story. I chose an easy trail with very gentle ups and downs since Bev has a hard time walking on uneven ground. Did I remember bear spray…nope.  Anyway, the trail follows Byron Creek a cascading whitewater, glacial creek. With rugged mountains in all directions you can’t help but soak it all in. The trail is well maintained, hard packed, and clear of brush. Alders and cottonwood trees make such a lush green forest.  A viewing area at the end of the trail allows an up close experience with Byron Glacier. The hike was 1.8 miles round trip.

After a fantastic hike we headed into Whittier. The town of Whittier is at the end of the 12.4 mile Portage Valley Hwy. The town was originally built by the U.S. Army as a deep water port and railroad terminus for supplies and fuel during WWII. Today, it’s the gateway to Prince William Sound. This is the launching point for ferries, day cruises, sea kayaking, fishing, and many other wonderful activities. The current population of Whittier is 182.


At one time, Whittier was only land accessible by train. In 2000 the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel became a combination highway/railway tunnel allowing cars and trains to take turns travelling into Whittier. This single lane tunnel allows vehicles to travel directly over the railroad tracks. This 2.5 mile long highway tunnel is the longest in North America. The tunnel can withstand -40 degree F temperatures and 150 mph winds.  Vehicles travelling to Whittier go on the half hour while those leaving the town travel through on the hour. The toll is paid on the Whittier side and is $13 per car/pickup truck round trip.

Town of Whittier

Prince William Sound

...more on this later

Tunnels Open

Glacier View

The return trip wasn’t so bad for Susan now she knew what to expect. Upon exiting the tunnel the glaciers were stunning. Glacial ice is formed under the weight of countless snowfalls. Most of the air is squeezed out leaving dense, compact ice. Sunlight or white light is made up of all colours of the spectrum, each colour has a different amount of energy. When sunlight strikes glacier ice the lower energy colours are absorbed by the ice and only the blue colour, which has the most energy is reflected back to the eye.

More glaciers

Portage Lake and Portage Creek are a unique milky blue colour. Like Muncho Lake in BC it is due to the silt or rock flour that stays suspended in the water. As glaciers move over the landscape, the rocks they pick up along the way grind against the mountainsides creating the fine dust-like particles.

Now about that tsunami sign. On Good Friday, March 27, 1964 at 5:36 pm the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in North American history and the second most powerful earthquake ever recorded in world history destroyed several areas of Alaska. The earthquake lasted four minutes and thirty-eight seconds and had a magnitude of 9.2. The epicenter occurred in Prince William Sound at a depth of 25 km. The result was mass destruction and loss of life. Of the 139 people killed during the earthquake, 119 died due to the Tsunamis. The tallest tsunami wave occurred in Valdez Inlet had a height of 219 feet or 67 meters. The waters of Turnagain Arm rushed in and destroyed the town. Turnagain Arm rebuilt two miles inland. The town of Portage and Gildwood sank eight feet during the quake. Portage never rebuilt. A few ruined buildings and a bunch of dead spruce trees is all that remains of Portage today.