Portage Glacier

Just west of Whittier was another spot Sharon and Dave pulled over to show me...Portage.  Portage is sort of a place that was but is no more.  The town of Portage was basically destroyed and abandoned after the 9.2 earthquake in 1964.  People around here still refer to the area as Portage, but there is no town...just a park area.  From this site in 1958 you could walk to the base of the Portage Glacier.  The park where I stand in the photo below was set up by the parks service in 1968 to view the glacier.  But you can no longer see the glacier from here.  Today the glacier has receded so far that it can't be seen from the park designed to access it.  In the summer, you can take a boat trip to see it.  I think I will do that this summer while the opportunity still exists.

 

Less than 50 years ago, the Portage glacier would have filled much of this view

From the parking area, this area actually looked like solid but cracked ice.  Up close it was mostly ice...but the blocks were not continuous and had obviously moving against each other, over and under other ice blocks, with moving water in between.  I found it really pretty.  It was also a reminder of how strong nature is as well, as the pavement at the level of the ice had also been heaved around by freeze and thaw cycles and was cracked torn away from the plane it was originally built on.  It also felt very cold...the wind coming off the icy water was chilling.  I took a few quick snapshots and bolted back to the car.

yup...big ice cubes

Spring here is called breakup...referring to the ice.

After looking out at all the ice towards where a glacier hides, it was neat to turn 180 degrees and see a forest waiting for spring just a few feet away.  Yup.  I think I am going to like this place.

Our next stop was back to Girdwood.  Girdwood is where the local ski resort is and it's a town with a neat feel.  We went for a yummy lunch at Chair 5 (where I learned you can buy a beer called Moose Drool), a very cozy, log cabin ski chalet cross that I would definitely like to visit again.  Sharon and Dave made a few quips that have me thinking the town is full of happy hippies and ski bums, so it may well be one of America's happiest places.  After Chair 5, we headed over to Grinds coffee shop, where I saw this guy...

And after that we stopped by the local radio station where Sharon volunteers as a DJ, 88.9 KEUL.  I joked that I could head up their heavy metal hour, and she said I most certainly could.  I always wanted my own radio show...I might have a new hobby! 

It was an afternoon well spent!  I am very thankful to have some old friends in my new hometown.  Even though it has been several years since our paths crossed, Stan, Sharon, and Dave laid out the welcome mat when I arrived...and one thing I am learning about Alaskans, is they like to be first...so that welcome mat is HUGE!  Thank you guys for helping me feel at home!