83-year-old Paula Krebs refuses to let life’s setbacks keep her out of the wilderness, which she now explores from a boat.
By Steven Merritt Just like checking the hiking box for Flattop Mountain in Anchorage is a must for visitors or newcomers alike to southcentral Alaska, no trip to Whittier would be complete without a side trip on the Portage Pass Trail, which offers access to Portage Lake and unmatched views of Portage Glacier. While the Begich, Boggs Visitors Center in Portage Valley is a great jumping off point to catch a ride on the M/V Ptarmigan for a lake tour to the glacier, earning the view with your feet is a rewarding option. Once through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel into Whittier, an access road to the small U.S. Forest Service trailhead is just to the right. The trail ascends some 800 feet in less than a mile before cresting at Portage Pass, where the glacier and lake emerge in a broad panorama. Looking back gives hikers a great view…
7 tips for sea kayaking like a pro
[by Deborah Kearns]
I ’VE NEVER CONSIDERED MYSELF TO BE MUCH OF AN ADVENTURE JUNKIE. I’m also not terribly athletic so when I travel, I tend to play it safe on excursions. But our first trip to Alaska last September was a time for self-discovery—and for testing my limits. Sea kayaking on pristine blue-green glacial water surrounded by Alaska’s raw beauty instantly appealed to me.
A return journey to Portage Pass.
[by Lisa Maloney]
