With a day to explore Anchorage and the surrounding area, glacier hunting was at the top of the list. Unfortunately, the weather called for rain the entire day. I decided to head south towards Portage and find a hike or two. I saw a magazine cover showing an amazing picture taken on the Portage Pass Trail so that was the first destination.

Rainy view of Portage lake and glacier

I didn’t realize until I got near Portage that there are glaciers visible in every direction. There is seriously a glacier on every peak. I have no idea how they exist so close to sea-level. I headed up to Portage Pass and it was a brisk but short hike up to a saddle where it is possible to see Portage lake and glacier. That is, on a nice day there is a good view. With whipping wind and constant rain, I got a quick look and had to retreat (no pun intended).

A deluge of water pouring out from under the glacier. This can’t last for long.
The face of Byron Glacier. Watch for falling debris.

I heard that Byron Glacier Trail was a very popular trail so I initially decided to skip it. Since it was raining and I couldn’t think of anything else to do, I decided to try it out. With the downpour I had the trail to myself. As I got closer to the glacier, the rain cleared for an hour and miraculously I got some views. Very unexpected!

Glacier north of Whittier