By Alison Rein
Special to the Turnagain Times
Portage Lake, the gem at the head of Portage Valley, now includes a section of the Iditarod National Historic Trail.
The Chugach National Forest's Supervisor signed a closure order in January that revises access management of the lake, opening a corridor to kayakers, canoeists and other craft powered by muscle alone. The lake had been off-limits to all boating except for a short section between the mouth of Portage Creek and Bear Valley, and to the tour operation, since at least the mid 1980s. The majority of the lake will remain closed to all boats except for the tour's boats (MV Ptarmigan and “Jaws”).
Paddlers can now follow the route early miners used when they were prospecting for gold in the late 1800s. When the Iditarod Trail was being used to support early mining efforts in Alaska, Portage Glacier was much larger—it came almost to where the Visitor Center sits today. Miners crossed over from the head of Passage Canal, traversed the glacier, and boated down Portage Creek as they started their journey to the gold fields.
Now, paddlers can access the Iditarod route along the lake's northeast shore from a parking area adjacent to the lake in Bear Valley. A short trail along the eastern edge of this parking area (the side closest to the tunnel), provides carry-in boat access.
This water corridor is approximately 2.8 miles long, between the Bear Valley access point to where Portage Pass Trail comes down to the lake. The trail from here up to the pass (approx. 1 mile) is a primitive, class 1 trail that is on our list for upgrades in the near future.
This route was in use far before the miners, by Alaskan Natives from both sides of Portage Pass, who used it for trade, hunting, fishing and gathering opportunities.
Boaters should be prepared for changing weather conditions, cold water, and realize there are very few places to get ashore between Bear Valley and Portage Pass Trail. Cliffs towering a thousand feet ascend directly up from the shoreline covered with cascading waterfalls in several locations.
We hope you'll have an opportunity to explore this segment of the Iditarod National Historic Trail.
Please contact Glacier Ranger District at 783-3242 for more information.
Alison Rein is the Recreation Planner for the Glacier Ranger District, Chugach National Forest.
