Day 30 Exploring Portage Valley and Fiddlehead Concert

Day 30

Dear Diary,

Awake to over cast and cool.  We eat breakfast and head out for Portage Valley just 15 or so miles from here.  We are in rain, with wind and cold.  We drive back to the visitor’s center and there are a few large icebergs in the lake. This is another beautiful valley with glaciers, occupied by the national park.  Each valley along the Arm offers its own shape, micro-climate, mountains and glacier views.  The valley greening has extended up the sides of the mountains.  We have not seen calving at Portage Glacier/Lake for some time.  It’s free day at the center and we are invited to visit all the exhibits and the movie.  This center has very well done exhibits and movie and at the end of the movie the screen lifts and there is a full view of the lake and a glacier in the distance.  Portage Glacier is receded and out of view at this time but the calving is still happening.  We were able to see the face from land while we lived here and then it had a period of quick retreat, 20 years in one summer.  The mountains are distinctive in shape and are recognizable in brochures etc.  We see the tunnel for vehicles leading to the big tunnel that goes through the mountain to Whittier.  The mountains that ring this cul de sac valley are steep with waterfalls everywhere.  We take the trail back to Byron Glacier.  It’s an easy well maintained trail and there is fresh bear sign.  There are so many people on the trail that it becomes clear we don’t have to worry much about animals.  We follow the glacial creek back to the toe of the glacier.  It still fills the valley higher up.  People are walking onto the glacier and sliding, snowboarding down.  The creek flows under the deep snow in a couple places.  It’s very overcast with a few rain spits.  We decide to drive over to the Ptarmigan ferry dock, the boat tour that takes visitors around the lake and to the face of the glacier.  It’s a nice center with a small gift shop and café.  Can get a different angle on the valley and lake from back here.  Good view of the south facing ridge wall with long strand of high waterfalls. We don’t take the boat tour; we’ll save it for another day.  We stop off at the various campgrounds on our drive out of the valley.  Williwaw is very nice, flat and all paved, with good pull through areas.  Perfect for RV’s.  The other campground is more primitive and can only hold tents.  That’s an irony because a salmon spawning stream runs right by it.  There is the paved, flat Trail of Blue Ice that runs the length of the valley.  It would make a very nice walk and bike ride.  There are many people on bikes in the campgrounds.  The path takes them to the lodge and the Visitor Center too.   The sun has come out and it is warming.  Weather changes in Alaska happen very quickly and we have not been disappointed. There are two large hanging glaciers along the road.  Middle is very beautiful but the Explorer Glacier is particularly nice with its large glacial lake in the forefront. We see two loons on the lake.  By now we are in sun in the Arm which bodes well for the Girdwood Valley.  We start dinner of steaks on the grill and Zach arrives.  After dinner we walk up to the day lodge lawn for the Fiddlehead Concert.  We sit outdoors in the sun surrounded by the Valley Mountains and listen to bluegrass music.  Lots of people are here and it’s fun to watch kids playing.  The music is enjoyable and the setting is incredible with the setting sun casting light in different angles and shades.  Pat sees June, an acquaintance from long ago but doesn’t approach because not totally sure.  And Pat and Brenna recognize Brenna’s first grade teacher Alison Vail, but don’t approach because not completely sure.  Near the end of the evening the temperature drops suddenly and the cold is penetrating.  We walk back to the house in full light about 11PM.  By now the sun has dipped behind the mountains and the ¾ moon is rising off the edge of a mountain in the opposite direction, a striking view.  It’s late, time for a short visit and then time for bed.  There is so much quiet.  Night.