Forest Happenings:
Kid’s Fishing Day is Around the Corner

Photo courtesy of US Forest Service Tim Charnon and son Dylan spend a day fishing during the Forest Service’s annual “Kid’s Fishing Day.”

By Sean Stash
Special to the Turnagain Times

Kids Fishing Day is an annual event hosted by the Glacier Ranger District, Chugach National Forest. This year the event will be held on Saturday, June 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. In addition to the Forest Service, activities will be sponsored by Alaska Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage Municipality–Watershed Management Division, and Bureau of Land Management.
As usual, the event will take place at the Moose Flats Day Use Area in Portage Valley. If turning off from the Seward Highway, look for the blue and gray Forest Service sign on the north side, and about one mile down, the Portage Road. This time of year, Portage Valley can provide some of the best scenery in Alaska—blinding white snow still clings to the surrounding mountains; brilliant blues are starting to peak out from the many hanging glaciers; cottonwoods, alders, and willows have recently leafed-out providing various vibrant shades of green; and Portage Creek displays the smooth milky-blue color common to streams in glacially-carved landscapes.
Additionally, resident wildlife species such as moose, eagles, wolves, bears, and hares benefit from the receding snowpack in the valley floor and anticipate the newly arriving community of plants, animals, and fish that make Portage Valley their summer home.
However, while this description may indeed stimulate beautiful images of wild Alaskan scenery in our minds, those of us familiar with Portage Valley also know that the weather here is unpredictable and can create an entirely different atmosphere. Rain and wind are no strangers to the Valley so visitors planning on attending Kid’s Fishing Day should come prepared for the best, and worst the Valley has to offer.
Regardless of the weather, unless visitor safety is a significant concern, Kid’s Fishing Day will proceed. Highlights for the event include a barbeque with hotdogs, chips, cookies, and lemonade, a fish painting station using rubber fish to make cool imprints on provided t-shirts, a casting competition, appearances by Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl, a natural resources interpretive game area, a bait and fishing rod table for those who didn’t bring their own, as well as the highly anticipated raffle for fishing rods, lures, hats, and various other fishing-related items contributed by many generous businesses from the Anchorage area.
Of course the day would not be complete without the efforts of Alaska Department of Fish and Game providing approximately 400 catchable rainbow trout. As with last year’s event, the fish will be placed in large portable above-ground water reservoirs allowing children of all abilities the opportunity to participate and see the fish take their bait.
Also occurring on June 7 in Portage Valley, the Glacier Ranger District will be celebrating National Trails Day. The annual event is sponsored by the American Hiking Society, aiming to inspire the public and trail enthusiasts to get out and enjoy our nation’s trails. Two guided interpretive walks on the half-mile boardwalk trail at Moose Flats will be led by Forest Service naturalists at 11:00 a.m. and again at 1:00 p.m. The interpretive walk, titled “Muck in a Bucket”, is an educational program focusing on wetland ecology and is open to all ages. So, bring the family and come on down for a fun-filled day in Portage Valley on your national forest!
Visit us at the Glacier Ranger District Headquarters in Girdwood, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. We’re located just north of the railroad tracks. Begich, Boggs Visitor Center on Portage Lake is open Memorial Day through September and is available for special functions year round. Call 783-3242 for more information.

Stephanie Israel also
contributed to this article.