THIS HIKE WAS SUBMITTED BY PARKE CANNON

Photo by Parke Cannon

Difficulty

Connects 
With

Miles One 
Way

Miles from
Anchorage

General Vicinity

Season

Description

Pulling into Whittier I looked out the window at the trail wandering up Portage Pass and slowly watched it recede. The train stops at least a mile and a half from the trailhead. 

The first part of the trail is mostly nondescript and steep. The trail is wide but lined by alder and some pine making the scenery not much to look at. I really did not like this part of the trail and wondered if what I heard was true. This goes on for about a mile and a half, I believe. If you were to look back you could see the Princess Cruise Line docked at the Whittier port and loading passengers arriving from destinations all over Alaska. It was beautiful but not what I came here for.

My first route took me to the top of the obvious lookout where Portage Glacier and Portage Lake came into view. Of course, it really was an awe inspiring sight. Just this one view was well worth the effort of climbing the mile and a half. I experimented with many different camera settings and got satisfactory results. Nothing spectacular loaded my camera though. 

On the East side of the main trail I saw heads bobbing from time to time and could make out many trails, some distinct, some faint. I could also see a massive display of waterfalls coming off the valley walls and the smaller glacier off from the Portage Glacier. Out of water and not wanting to drink from the small lakes, finished with the main view, and wanting to explore the many minute glacial valleys running perpendicular to each other I went in that direction.

This was very cool and gives one a real sense of exploration. There are a million different directions to make your way and walking off the trail is just as easy as walking the trail.  Two main waterfalls came off the mountain. One was glacial and the other was entirely snow melt. I went toward the snowmelt From my vantage point approaching the two waterfalls I was only looking at a very small part of it. Most of the rest of it was cascading down the mountain on a very steep incline. My side dropped straight down maybe 900 feet or so. As far as I could tell there was absolutely no way down for a Mountain Goat so it was out of the question for me. I looked off to the south in the direction of Portage Glacier. A small lake lay in the middle of a flat bluff that hung over the Portage Lake. It was fed by a snowmelt waterfall and was about a half mile away. 

I started to take the trail down to the beach. At one point it split off. One fork led to the lake’s drain and cascaded down a rocky but passable valley to Portage lake and the beach. It looked farther than I anticipated so I went back up to the split in the trail. Someone had laid out rock markers, obviously trying to tell people this was the easiest way to go. I went in and quickly turned back. The brush was so thick on the trail I may as well have been bushwhacking a new trail. Forget that. I made my way halfway down the lake drain to the beach and decided to turn back. It was a long way down and I only had 45 minutes to be back at the top of the pass for my descent back to Whittier to catch the train.

My judgment of trails being twofold, the trail itself, and the destination, this one was difficult to easily judge it that way. The first part of the trail was not enjoyable at all but the final destination at the top of the pass was outstanding. The problem was that the trails at the top wandering around the glacial rifts were very, very fun. So… I have to give credit to those fun trails and give that part a 4. If I were to judge just the first part of the trail it would be a 1. I give the destination a solid 5 out of five with no hesitation at all.

I am not sure why but there is very little information online about this hike which is strange since it is obviously well traveled. I saw at least 30 people on the trail. I even saw a seventy five year old woman three quarters of the way up as I went back down. If she can do it so can you.

Important Information

If you take the train be prepared to add 3 miles total on the hike to and from Whittier. Spend the night if you can and leave for the trail later in the day to get the best photographic material.

Take water with you if you do not know how to find safe water. There is not water available near the main viewing area. You will have to hike down into bear country to get to some or go back to Whittier. 

Bug dope is not necessary if you do not go farther down into the valley. If you do you will be sorry if you left it at home. 

Watch the well hidden potholes on top of the pass off the beaten path. They will swallow your foot whole and mess you up bad.

Etc.