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Description
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This is a highly recommended
side trip on your way to the Kenai Peninsula or a great way to end your
Sunday drive down Turnagain Arm.
Along the Portage Road, there are several glaciers with short easy hikes
to the base of the mountains from which they flow down. Middle
glacier can actually be climbed to, as long as you're careful.At the end of the road is Portage Lake and a wonderful
Museum of the Chugach National Forest. There is a great bookstore inside as well.
Unfortunately, the glacier has receded to the point where it is no
longer visible but there are cool icebergs floating in the lake.
If you have the time, take the interpretive hike along Moose Flats at
the beginning of the park.
Although I've never done it; it looks like a great place to ride your
bike with either road and/or trail riding.
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Blain Anderson sent
me the below article from Turnagain Times describing a new trail:
Forest Tales: The Trail of Blue Ice is like a bike path without being
close to a road
By Allison Rein
Special to the Turnagain Times
9/20/07
The Trail of Blue Ice, in Portage Valley,
is not your typical forest trail. This trail is wide enough to walk
side-by-side and its smooth surface of compacted gravel, wood decking or
pavement make family outings easy—even when some of your family
members are not walkers yet or anymore. Strollers, wheelchairs, and bike
wheels all spin easily on this trail. It’s like a bike path without
being close to a road. And the Views—you’ll just have to see for
yourself.
Planning for this six-mile long trail began over 10 years ago; partial
funding through the state’s transportation enhancements program came
in 2002 (many of the Chugach State Park sites along Turnagain Arm, such
as Beluga Point and McHugh Creek, were funded similarly). The last major
section should be under construction next summer, completing the
majority of this Portage Lake to Seward Highway trail system.
Right now the trail is completed in two sections, and under construction
in another. One ready to use section is a mile long, between Moose Flats
Day Use Area and Explorer Glacier Viewing Area. The other section
extends from Portage Lake to Williwaw Campground, and will extend to
Black Bear Campground soon. An experienced trail building company,
Oregon Woods, has been hard at work all summer constructing the trail
between Williwaw and Black Bear Campgrounds. The last bridge will be
installed by next summer. Their workmanship has been superb, using
Alaskan yellow cedar instead of the usual treated wood to minimize the
introduction of toxins found in treated wood.
Check out this trail. The following describes a loop that is just under
three miles total length. Starting at Portage Lake, the very first part
of the trail has a short section steeper than a person using a
wheelchair can manage without help; the roadway into the parking area
can be used if that fits your description, joining into the trail where
it crosses the Byron Glacier Road. From the road crossing to Williwaw
Campground (CG), the trail winds through dense, fat spruce trees, filled
with song birds every spring. The mountains on each side of the valley
have waterfalls and glaciers to add variety to your vista.
Soon you’ll see Freestone Ponds, the source of much of the gravel used
for Girdwood’s recent construction projects. Just past the ponds,
you’ll come to a junction with the Williwaw Nature Trail. You can go
right on the nature trail, or continue on the Trail of Blue Ice (they
join at the campground). The nature trail crosses Portage Highway and
leads you around Williwaw Ponds. You’ll cross over Williwaw spawning
channel, teeming with salmon near the end of their life’s journey.
Follow the channel downstream, eventually going back across (actually
under) Portage Hwy, and end up at the Salmon Viewing Area. Several new
interpretive signs were recently installed on the nature trail about the
fisheries habitat.
Walk straight back on the CG Road towards the mountains to rejoin the
Trail of Blue Ice, and head back up valley to return to Portage Lake.
Hope to see you on the trail!
For a detailed map, come visit us in
Girdwood at the Glacier Ranger District, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays or in
Portage at the Begich Boggs Visitor Center, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through
September. Due to a lack of funding, the Begich Boggs Visitor Center
will be closed for the winter again this year.
*****
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