George And Audrey DeLange
Portage, Glacier
August 1998
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We are on our way from Anchorage with a 45 mile drive on the Seward Highway to Portage Glacier. The Portage Glacier Highway intersects the Seward Highway in Portage. After traveling 5 miles from the Seward Highway, you will see the turn off to the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center on the right. This road will also take you to Portage Glacier Lodge, Portage Lake dock, and Byron Glacier. Before the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel we would normally continue ahead on the Portage Glacier Highway to reach Whittier.
The Portage Glacier Highway ended at the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center when we went there in 1998 but, the road now extends through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel to Whittier.
At the turn of the century Portage Glacier extended all the way to the area that is now the road. It has since retreated about 5 miles and created Portage Lake. This lake is over 650 feet deep.
Portage Lake was created behind the terminal moraine of Portage Glacier. Portage Glacier is still considered a valley glacier. Nearby are several "hanging glaciers," that is glaciers that come part way down a mountainside. Glaciers that reach the sea are called tidewater glaciers and glaciers that end in lakes are also called freshwater glaciers.
The Begich, Boggs Visitor Center is one of the most visited attractions in Alaska, and it contains a number of exhibits as well as a highly recommended film about glaciers. The center offers spectacular views of Portage Lake and the icebergs that calf from Portage Glacier at the far end of the lake. The center offers film and interactive exhibits on the Portage Glacier and the Arctic environment. A parking lot about halfway between the Visitors Center and the boat dock is at the head of a trail leading to another glacier, Byron Glacier. A healthy hike takes visitors to a glacier they can climb on. A walk along the shore of the lake to see icebergs up close should not be missed. To see the glacier, it's necessary to drive further along the lake to a sightseeing boat dock and buy a ticket for a cruise through the lake that takes visitors close to the glacier face. In the last few years the glacier face has begun retreating from the lake it created. A small section in the center has exposed bedrock but much of the glacier face is still in the water and extends down more than 100 feet into Portage Lake. We are now really getting into the spirit of Alaska! |
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| Scenery Along The Seward Highway | Scenery Along The Seward Highway |
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| Scenery Along The Seward Highway | Scenery Along The Seward Highway |
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| Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel Under Construction | Burns Glacier, A Hanging Glacier, In Background, Portage Glacier Hidden Behind Outcrop To The Right |
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| Tour Boat | View From The Dock |
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| First Views From Boat Portage Glacier | First Views From Boat Portage Glacier |
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| Audrey At Portage Glacier | George At Portage Glacier |
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| Audrey At Portage Glacier Note Median Moraine | George At Portage Glacier Note Median Moraine |
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| Ranger Explaining Glaciers | A Glacier Waterfall |
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| Twin Waterfalls | Up Close |
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| Floating Ice | Floating Ice |
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| Blue Ice | Blue Ice |
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