{"id":8142,"date":"2017-04-23T08:10:45","date_gmt":"2017-04-23T14:10:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=8142"},"modified":"2019-04-23T23:18:49","modified_gmt":"2019-04-24T05:18:49","slug":"portage-pass-the-portage-glacier-chugach-national-forest-alaska-8-28-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=8142","title":{"rendered":"Portage Pass & the Portage Glacier, Chugach National Forest, Alaska (8-28-16)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Day 30, Part 2 of Lupe’s Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska<\/em><\/p>\n

Flashing lights.\u00a0 SPHP slowed down, pulling over toward the shoulder to let the cop go past.\u00a0 Instead, the patrol car came right up behind the G6.\u00a0 Uh-oh.\u00a0 SPHP had been driving 10 mph under the limit.\u00a0 Now what?\u00a0 Lupe started to growl as the policeman approached SPHP’s window.\u00a0 Not a good time for that, Looper!\u00a0 Shush!<\/em><\/p>\n

Burnt out headlight.\u00a0 Which one?\u00a0 The right one.\u00a0 Good grief.\u00a0 That same headlight had burnt out a few weeks before Lupe left home on this Dingo vacation.\u00a0 SPHP had personally bought and installed a new bulb.\u00a0 Most aggravating.<\/p>\n

The officer politely gave SPHP a $50 fix-it ticket.\u00a0 Fix it within 30 days and have the headlight\u00a0inspected by an Alaskan state trooper, or pay the fine.\u00a0 Sigh.\u00a0 Well, onward.\u00a0 Nothing could be done about it on a Sunday evening.\u00a0 Loopster, that was an adventure we could have done without.<\/em><\/p>\n

The adventure Lupe was on her way toward was the trail to Portage Pass to see the Portage Glacier.\u00a0\u00a0Only a\u00a0few days ago, Lupe had seen Portage Lake and taken a nearby trail to see the Byron Glacier.\u00a0 However, Portage Glacier\u00a0long ago receded from view from the NW end of Portage Lake where Lupe had been.\u00a0 To see it, Lupe would have to go through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel (also known as the Whittier Tunnel), and take the trail to Portage Pass.<\/p>\n

At 13,300 feet long (2.5 miles), the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel<\/strong><\/a><\/span> is the longest highway tunnel in North America.\u00a0 The tunnel is only a single lane wide, and\u00a0highway vehicles share it with the Alaskan Railroad.\u00a0 Railroad tracks\u00a0are embedded right in the highway lane.<\/p>\n

Logistically, the tunnel functions on a set schedule, with highway vehicles getting to use the tunnel for 15 minutes in each direction each hour.\u00a0 The 15 minute intervals alternate directions every 30 minutes.\u00a0 The tunnel is not open to highway vehicles at night.\u00a0 During 2016’s summer schedule, the first time slot in the morning was 7:00 – 7:15 AM.\u00a0 The last time slot in the evening was 11:00 – 11:15 PM.<\/p>\n

Lupe timed her arrival at the Whittier Tunnel\u00a0perfectly!\u00a0 SPHP paid the $13.00 round trip fee for the G6 at the toll booth.\u00a0 Only a minute or\u00a0two later, Lupe had\u00a0a green light to enter the tunnel.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The 2.5 mile long Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel to Whittier was more fun and spooky than Lupe expected!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The maximum speed limit was only 25 mph, so it took a while to get through the tunnel.\u00a0 It was spookier and more fun than Lupe expected!\u00a0 It was\u00a0a little like going\u00a0down a long dungeon passage in a video game, except there\u00a0were no side doors, passages,\u00a0turns or curves at all.\u00a0 (No wandering monsters, either!)\u00a0 The tunnel was completely straight.<\/p>\n

In a few places, water dripped from the ceiling.\u00a0 At intervals, there were small pullouts for vehicles experiencing mechanical difficulties.\u00a0 Otherwise, no stops are permitted.\u00a0 If a train had been coming from the other direction, the Whittier Tunnel would be the stuff of nightmares.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The tunnel was a little like being in a long dungeon passage in a video game, except there were no side doors, passages, twists or turns at all. The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is completely straight.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Of course, the tunnel’s\u00a0carefully controlled schedule prevents head on collisions from happening.\u00a0 Still, it was an odd feeling when, upon emerging from the tunnel, Lupe saw a locomotive aimed directly at the passage she had just taken.<\/p>\n

Lupe was now on the Whittier side.\u00a0 Only a short distance (0.25 mile?) from the end of the tunnel, was a R\u00a0turn onto a gravel road that promptly went over the railroad tracks.\u00a0 This was the short road leading to the Portage Pass trailhead.\u00a0 Another R turn led to a lane\u00a0where\u00a0vehicles were\u00a0parked along both sides of the road.\u00a0 It was a strange trailhead with no formal parking lot.\u00a0 At first, SPHP wasn’t even certain Lupe was at the right place.<\/p>\n

This was it, though!\u00a0 SPHP parked the G6 (7:02 PM, 57\u00b0F).\u00a0 Tall bushes dominated the area, and out of them flooded a horde of tiny black flies.\u00a0 Standing around meant getting chewed on by these little menaces.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP looked around for the trail to Portage Pass, finding it near a sign.\u00a0 Lupe set off up the trail at once.<\/p>\n

The Portage Pass trail was relatively busy, with people and dogs coming and going.\u00a0 Most were leaving at this time of day.\u00a0 Tall bushes grew everywhere off the trail.\u00a0 Biting black flies were everywhere, too.\u00a0 They weren’t too bad, as long as Lupe didn’t stop to look around.\u00a0 Going up the trail to Portage Pass, there really wasn’t much to stop and look at anyway, although the view back toward Whittier and Passage Canal was steadily improving as Lupe gained elevation.<\/p>\n

The trail to Portage Pass is only a mile or so long.\u00a0 The trail is popular, so it was well-worn and in good condition.\u00a0 It starts close to sea level, and gains\u00a0nearly 800 feet of elevation.\u00a0 Most of the way, it climbed steadily at a moderate pace.\u00a0 As Lupe neared the pass, the climb became steeper.\u00a0 The\u00a0annoying black\u00a0flies did an excellent\u00a0job of discouraging any needless dawdling along the way.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, a breeze was blowing up at the pass, largely solving the black fly problem.\u00a0 Ahead were magnificent sights!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe arrives at Portage Pass. Ahead were magnificent sights! Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Coming up, Lupe had been in the shadow of Maynard Mountain<\/a><\/span> (4,137 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>, but beyond the pass, snow-covered mountains gleamed in the evening sunlight.\u00a0 Beautiful Portage Glacier was directly ahead a mile or more away.\u00a0 Big waterfalls cascaded down nearby mountains from snow fields and smaller glaciers.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
From Portage Pass, Lupe saw snowy mountains in the evening sunlight. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A maze of small trails climbed a variety of hilly rock formations and small ridges in Portage Pass.\u00a0 Lupe climbed up for a better look.\u00a0 A small pond known as Divide Lake was ahead to the SW.\u00a0\u00a0Divide Lake\u00a0sat lower down on a broad, brushy flat area, beyond which Lupe saw Portage Glacier extending all the way down to the far shore of Portage Lake.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe on a rocky high point in Portage Pass. She had a fabulous view of the Portage Glacier from here! Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Beyond the lower small pond known as Divide Lake, Portage Glacier could be seen flowing all the way down to the far shore of Portage Lake. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Portage Glacier. Photo looks SW using the telephoto lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The Portage Glacier still reaches Portage Lake, and still calves icebergs into it. The glacier will not have to retreat much farther, though, before icebergs in Portage Lake will be a thing of the past. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Lupe was fortunate to see the Portage Glacier on such a clear day. Nearby Whittier has 196 inches of average annual precipitation, including 241 inches of snowfall. Yeah, might want to bring the raingear, just in case.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The Portage Glacier was far from the only beautiful sight from Portage Pass. Here, Bard Peak<\/a><\/span> (3,800 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> and part of the much smaller Shakespeare Glacier are in view on the L. Photo looks SSW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A trail continues beyond Portage Pass all the way down to Portage Lake, which is another mile away.\u00a0 Unfortunately, Lupe had arrived too late in the day to go that far.\u00a0 However, while she was up at Portage Pass, Lupe met Matt and Elisa from Nome.\u00a0 They decided they wanted to go\u00a0at least to Divide Lake, so Lupe and SPHP\u00a0tagged along, too.<\/p>\n

From Divide Lake, it wasn’t possible to see the lower part of the Portage Glacier where it reaches Portage Lake.\u00a0 However, Lupe did have\u00a0beautiful double views of the upper portion of the glacier and surrounding peaks reflected in the lake<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe saw the upper portion of the Portage Glacier and surrounding peaks reflected in mirror smooth Divide Lake. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe at Divide Lake. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe, Matt, Elisa and SPHP\u00a0went a little beyond Divide Lake, eventually reaching a bench.\u00a0 Bushes had grown up so much, anyone sitting on the bench no longer had a view of the Portage Glacier.\u00a0 SPHP could see it, but only by standing on top of a big rock nearby.\u00a0 Lupe saw only bushes in the direction of Portage Glacier, but she could still see big waterfalls on the mountains to the S.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
From the bench beyond Divide Lake, Lupe could still see big waterfalls on the mountains to the S, although she had no view of the Portage Glacier. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
SPHP could see the Portage Glacier only by standing on a big rock next to the bench. However, this was a slightly better view than Lupe had had back up at Portage Pass. More of Portage Lake and some of the icebergs in it could be seen. Photos looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
In late August 2016, Portage Glacier barely reached Portage Lake.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The impressive waterfalls Lupe could see to the S made a distant, soothing roar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Through the telephoto lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Matt and Elisa talked about life in Nome.\u00a0 Elisa told of having to call in late for work sometimes due to herds of musk oxen blocking the road.\u00a0 Elisa was the first person Lupe or SPHP had ever met who had this problem.\u00a0 There can’t be too many places in the world where musk oxen in the way would be a well-received excuse for being late to work.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Byron Peak<\/a><\/span> (4,700 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> and the Portage Glacier near sunset. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
A final close look at the Portage Glacier ice viewed through the telephoto lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sunlight was rapidly disappearing.\u00a0 Soon it would be gone even from the mountaintops.\u00a0 Lupe, Matt, Elisa and SPHP all started back for Portage Pass.\u00a0 At the pass, Matt and Elisa went on, but Lupe tarried.\u00a0 From another rocky hill in the pass, Lupe had a beautiful view of Passage Canal back toward Whittier.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Looking across a small pond in Portage Pass in the opposite direction from the Portage Glacier. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Lupe near a cairn on one of the small rocky hills in Portage Pass. She had a tremendous view of Passage Canal back toward Whittier! The top of Lowell Peak(L) is still sunlit for a few more moments. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Lowell Peak<\/a><\/span> (4,728 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> from Portage Pass. Photo looks NE using the telephoto lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A few late stragglers were still heading up the Portage Pass trail as Lupe headed back down to the G6.\u00a0 Before long, it would be too dark for them to see much of anything at Portage Pass.\u00a0 Most of the time, the trail was deserted.\u00a0 Lupe arrived back at the G6 (9:17 PM).<\/p>\n

Even though it was getting dark, Lupe and SPHP drove into the town of Whittier, to see what it was like.\u00a0 Whittier was a strange place.\u00a0 There were few homes, and only a small run-down looking business district.\u00a0 Three high-rise buildings were perched up against the base of towering mountains, but only one of them was lit up.<\/p>\n

On a Sunday evening, there wasn’t much going on, but it was easy to see that Whittier must ordinarily\u00a0be a busy place.\u00a0 There were lots of commercial buildings around.\u00a0 Large parking lots were crammed full of vehicles and boats.\u00a0 Down by the shore,\u00a0a great many boats were moored along illuminated docks in a\u00a0cove of Passage Canal.\u00a0 Multiple railroad tracks ran through town.<\/p>\n

The whole place had an abandoned\u00a0industrial air to it, though what could be seen of the setting was spectacularly beautiful.\u00a0 Did Lupe want to spend the night stuck in Whittier?\u00a0 No, probably not.\u00a0 There was still time to make the 10:00 PM tunnel access back out of Whittier to the rest of the world.<\/p>\n

So Lupe left spectacular Portage Pass, and\u00a0the\u00a0odd, beautifully situated town of Whittier behind.\u00a0 She made one more spooky trip trip through Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel,\u00a0emerging from the far end beneath\u00a0a starlit Alaskan sky.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Passage Canal from Portage Pass near sunset. The strange little town of Whittier is out of sight along the cove to the R.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Links:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Next Adventure<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Prior Adventure<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Want more Lupe adventures?\u00a0\u00a0Choose\u00a0from Lupe’s 2016 Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska Adventure Index<\/strong><\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span><\/em>Dingo Vacations Adventure Index<\/strong><\/span><\/a> or Master Adventure Index<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0Or subscribe free to new Lupe adventures<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/a><\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Day 30, Part 2 of Lupe’s Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska Flashing lights.\u00a0 SPHP slowed down, pulling over toward the shoulder to let the cop go past.\u00a0 Instead, the patrol car came right up behind the G6.\u00a0 Uh-oh.\u00a0 SPHP had been driving 10 mph under the limit.\u00a0 Now … Continue reading Portage Pass & the Portage Glacier, Chugach National Forest, Alaska (8-28-16)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8126,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[726],"tags":[704,105,764,106,26,104,762,761,763],"class_list":["post-8142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2016-canadian-rockies-yukon-alaska","tag-alaska","tag-american-dingo","tag-anton-anderson-memorial-tunnel","tag-carolina-dog","tag-dingo-vacations","tag-lupe","tag-portage-glacier","tag-portage-pass","tag-whittier-tunnel"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/IMG_2513.jpg?fit=1651%2C1238&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8142"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8142\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22451,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8142\/revisions\/22451"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}