Williwaw 1
ROF= Ring of fire Odyssey MEF-H = Marine Expeditionary Force- Hargus
AK= Alaska Journey
Have Bear,
Will Travel
Williwaw 1.
After spending a day in Anchorage I'd had enough of big Urban City and said let's get out of here. Heading south on Highway 1, Seward Hwy, and go down through Big Arm. I thought the views of the Bay along the road or just absolutely fantastic.
This is what I like about Alaska. You go through some really fantastic places of Scenic views, absolute Alaska Beauty. And I think it will be hard to top this, and then you go 20 miles down the road and it's even better.
We come to a left/ east road, Portage Glacier rd. Portage, Alaska looks like a town on the map, but Portage is a tiny wide spot in the road. I think there is a train switching station there but the road goes out to Whittier, Alaska.
About six miles, past moose Flats, and we are looking for a National Forest camp, Williwaw. Get there and it's right under a glacier. Right at the base of the mountain here's this National Forest Service campsite with some 50 slots, campsites. It's late in the day, afternoon, and we find a good campsite.
Williwaw is perfect! it's a Glacier Mountain, Arctic snowcap, Glacier 1,500’ right above it, Glacier Alpine Forest, beautiful Douglas fir trees.
from wikipedia:
In meteorology, a williwaw is a sudden blast of wind descending from a mountainous coast to the sea. The word is of unknown origin, but was earliest used by British seamen in the 19th century. The usage appears for winds found in the Strait of Magellan, the Aleutian Islands and the coastal fjords of the Alaskan Panhandle, where the terms outflow wind and squamish wind are also used for the same phenomenon.
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It's late in the afternoon, maybe five, and it's cool, 48 to 50 degrees. This was the height of the day temperature.
Get settled in set up camp, and as always like to do in the afternoon let's walk some. let's check this place out let's see what's here.
The campground is maybe 10 to 12 Acres, 50 campsites plenty of room, not crowded. quiet peaceful, serene woodland forest, exactly what I like. At the road going in there's a gap in the tree line and you look up at this mountain 1200 feet high and the valley between it, It's the Portage West Glacier.
Absolutely stunning beautiful coming down the mountain valley crevice. You look close to the top and you actually see blue ice, a blue tint to the glacier white snowpack and ice. Sun is going down now so it's not a bright white snow.
There is a gravel walking trail that follows along a stream at the base of this mountain that follows along the valley. And find a little tiny cubby hole Trail a foot wide through the bushes, this is where I'm going this goes to the base of the glacier. This is exactly what I like to do. Let's go check this out.
Tiny little trail had to brush aside bushes step over rocks this was not a manicured trail, this was an explorer's wallered out little short cut to the glacier trail, let's just keep following this. I'm pretty sure this is going to the base.
I can hear the rushing water and stream coming down the mountain. Trail is maybe half to three-quarters of a mile, but it takes 30 minutes through the little tiny rough trail.
Come to the base of it and sure enough here all the Rocks eroded from down this valley for the last 10,000 years. The glacier comes right down to the base, snowpack with water stream pouring out from under it from the melting glacier to make a creek.
All glaciers look real pretty when you're driving on the road or from 5, 10, or 20+ miles away, On a Mountain Vista that white cap, snow-capped peak is just so beautiful. you get up to a glacier right there where you're at it they are so ugly and horrible. you got dirt dust and pine cones and straw and leaves and crap all over the top of the ice pack where it’s all blown over it.
Temperature now is probably at the base of this probably about 33- 34 degrees, it's cool enough there's frost on my breath. And this is the kind of stuff we like to do, of course have to take shoes off and wade in the stream for a minute. Stream water has got to be 32.001 degrees, it is liquid ice. My feet are still cold.
Spend a little while at the base of this and just take in the grandeur, the spectacle, the uniqueness. Rare get to see a glacier and stand right at the base of it, wade in the ice cold stream of glacier melt runoff. Take a few pictures it's getting later in the day it's maybe 6:30 now. It doesn’t get dark this far up in Alaska this time of the year. And the 2.5 hours that are called “night”, is really twilight; it never gets dark- real dark. Time to head back and let's see about getting something to eat.
I love to hear the Roar of this mountain stream. from the campsite. That night I could hear the Rushing Water at a distance of a couple hundred yards maybe a quarter mile, half mile but I could hear it. Sleep listening to peaceful, soothing stream rushing; this is what you live for.
Williwaw is a really unique camp. National Park Senior pass,? $9. a bargain. Glacier hike, Glacier stream wading, priceless.
You never drink twice from the same stream.
Just because you wander doesn't mean you're lost.
Just because you wander doesn't mean you're lost.
Uncle Hargus: Last of the Independents
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