Turnagain Arm (I know, a strange name) and Cook Inlet are the bodies of water that border Anchorage. We drove along these on our way south from Anchorage heading to Portage Valley. There is so much to see there, birds of all kinds, beluga whales and other sea mammals and just the beauty of the area. The land rises up to high cliffs where Dall Sheep can be seen, if you are lucky; we were not. I was in awe all the way. South of Anchorage lies the Chugach National Forest and Portage Valley. We headed to the forest where we would spend two days. This area is perhaps the most beautiful to date. The forest itself is lush and every shade of green possible. It is spotted with creeks, fishing streams and Portage Lake. It is also home to many glaciers. It seemed as if everywhere we looked, the beautiful blue ice flowed down the face of a mountain. Our RV site sat at the base of one of these. We spent two days in wonder at the power of Mother Nature. Take a look.
The highway out of Anchorage winds south. On the right is the Turnagain Arm and on the left are shear rock faces. Some of the locals come out and climb these but mostly only Dall Sheep climb these rocky faces. There are many places to stop and look at the surroundings. Beluga Point is a favorite spot. You can see the whales from there if you are lucky, again, we were not. All sorts of birds fly overhead. We saw Bald Eagles and all sorts of water fowl. So much to see.
As we drove into the Portage Valley, this is one of the sights that greeted us. This is actually two glaciers flowing side-by-side. The day was overcast and showers came and went, but even under those conditions the blue of the glacier ice was a wonder to behold. Over thousands of years, these glaciers have retreated and flowed carving out the valleys and mountains as they moved. They melt and the water forms lovely, blue lakes and creeks. The runoff into the rivers turn them milky with the "glacier dust".
This is the entrance to our camp ground. It sits at the base of a mountain with a glacier. The camp itself was pretty spartan but the views made up for any lacking. We walked a great deal with the girls. Savannah especially loves to explore and let her nose lead her around. Several small ponds dotted the area. The second evening, we saw a Moose cow and her calf walking near on of them. No, did not get a picture except in my mind's eye.
Here we are standing on the shores of one of the lakes. The air was very cool and damp. It seems so odd to be wearing jackets and fleece vests in July!
A great deal of the area is bog-like. It reminds me of the low country in the South. It is a great area for birds. Perhaps we will get a canoe so we can go out and enjoy being on the water and get a closer look at the birds.
This is Portage Glacier the name sake for the valley. We could get pretty close to the face of the flow but not close enough to get a picture. The mist hung over the ice swirling in the breeze.
No, this is not a live bear. This is a Grizzly Bear typical of the area. We were in the visitor center and this was on display. I thought it was interesting as you can really see the blond color of the fur on most of the body and the darker brown on the legs and around the face. As a Grizzly goes, this guy was pretty small. In any, I certainly would not want to meet him on the trail. We are instructed not to run but to stand our ground and make yourself look big. If they attack, roll into a ball and play dead. Yea, right!
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