Wednesday, September 13, 2017 Spencer Glacier trip


Wednesday, September 13, 2017 Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop
South of Portage, Alaska

A couple friends and I drove to Portage on this rainy day to catch the Alaska Railroad at 11:30 am for a little autumn adventure. First stop, Whittier, for a 40-minute stopover. As expected, it was raining there with a light wind.

The colorful Begich Towers and a trailer loaded with orange and red kayaks popped in the overall grayness. Tour boats were still going out and a few businesses near the harbor were still open, but the end of the season was drawing near. Gray clouds blotted out most views of the surrounding mountaintops and glaciers, though one glacier near the tunnel seems to have retreated quite a long way up its valley since last year.

We boarded after our short walk and headed back through the two tunnels to Portage. After a very short stop there, the train rumbled along the wide Placer River valley away from the highway. Along the way, we crossed into the northeast corner of the Kenai Peninsula Borough.

About 70 SANDHILL CRANES flushed from the wetlands upon our noisy approach, my first sighting of the fall. A NORTHERN HARRIER hunted nearby, flashing its white rump. Dozens of ducks paddled in the numerous ponds, but were difficult to identify through the rain-streaked windows. An adult BALD EAGLE and a juvenile perched near their nest in a large cottonwood. A falcon, possibly a PEREGRINE, flashed down the valley.

Red and gold carpeted the mountains on both sides of the valley; numerous streams cascaded down their sides. Valley glaciers, shrinking every year, clung with icy-blue stubbornness.

The train stopped briefly so Chugach Adventures could load two large green rafts for the Placer River trip. The rafts are stashed at the take-out after every trip. A battery-powered electric fence protects them from curious bear maulings.

A few minutes later, the train arrived at the Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop. We piled out with a group of lucky homeschoolers from Mat-Su and a smattering of tourists. Miraculously, it was calm and not raining. It actually felt warm! We peeled off our rain pants, gloves, and fleece layers and headed down the well-maintained gravel path to the lake while the others took in the USFS ranger-led interpretive walk, headed up the trail to the beautiful Spencer Glacier public use cabin, or took the bus to the rafting trip launch. The few folks left on the train went on to Grandview for the rest of the afternoon.

Spencer Glacier, a broad, blue-tinged, impressive mass of ice, seemed to flow from the clouds to the lake. Calved icebergs had drifted from the face to the end of the lake where the spectacular blue-tinged sculptures lay grounded in the shallows. Tiny red kayaks paddled through them, heading for the glacier face.

We walked along path along the lake, enjoying the scenery and fall colors. It was surprising to see several large beaver lodges along the shore not far from smaller icebergs. That water is cold! Tough, Alaskan beavers to live here!

All too soon, it was time to turn around and walk back to meet the train. We met hikers who had just spent the night at the beautiful Spencer Glacier public use cabin and the next couple heading up for their adventure perched at the top of the switchback trail on the mountainside.

Once again, the train stopped briefly to pick up the happy rafters and stash the rafts behind the electric fence. Once again, we saw the Bald Eagles perching by the nest tree, the ducks dabbled in the ponds, the Northern Harrier floated along the train, and the Sandhill Cranes rose up from their feeding only to settle back down after we left.

We arrived at Portage at 5:15 pm, loaded in the car and drove back home into the rain. What a fine fall trip with good company and a wonderful break from the rain!

Happy Travels!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

























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