July 21, 2024 Travel to Portage Alaska

Another great travel day!

So we are now heading east - a little cloudy start to our day:

Past the Swan Lake Fire Scar - so sad:

The 2019 fire burned over 167,000 acres and it lasted for four months.

https://www.fws.gov/story/swan-lake-fire-burn-severity-story

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_Lake_Fire

We went past the Russian and Kenai Rivers where the fishermen are starting to gather.  Within the next few weeks, there will be many more fisherman and bears trying to catch the salmon:

Rafting on the Kenai:

It is so green and lush:

Beautiful lakes:

Cute house - I don't know if someone lives there or it is a vacation home:

The access path to get to the house:

View from the access path:

Flowers along the path:

Here we are:

Up and over Turnagain Pass:

Near the end of Turnagain Arm:

Turnagain Arm is a is a long, narrow fjord south of Anchorage, Alaska.  

"Turnagain Arm was named by William Bligh of HMS Bounty fame. Bligh served as Cook's Sailing Master on his third and final voyage, the aim of which was discovery of the Northwest Passage. Upon reaching the head of Cook Inlet in 1778, Bligh was of the opinion that both Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm were the mouths of rivers and not the opening to the Northwest Passage. Under Cook's orders Bligh organized a party to travel up Knik Arm, which quickly returned to report Knik Arm indeed led only to a river.

Afterwards a second party was dispatched up Turnagain Arm and it too returned to report only a river lay ahead. As a result of this frustration the second body of water was given the disingenuous name "Turn Again". Early maps label Turnagain Arm as the "Turnagain River"."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnagain_Arm

https://kmtacorridor.org/turnagain_arm_dangers/

We made our way to Williwaw Campground in the Chugach National Forest and set up.  One of the reasons we are here is to see the Bore Tide.  So once we set up, we went to check out the best places to watch the tide roll in.

The tide was going out.  The tide goes out fast and it comes in fast.  One of the viewpoints:

The mud flats:

In the center of the above picture is Portage Glacier.

Across the Turnagain Arm:

There are a few places to watch the tide, so tomorrow we have some options.

Back home, Gray wanted out again so I put the harness and leash on him (which he does not like) and took him out.

Bella watching him - she has no desire to go out:

Rolling around to get the harness off - he is a smart cat!  

His harness was custom made by a woman from England.  I tried so many different harnesses for him that just did not work out.  He is a large cat (not just heavy) and I could not find a cat harness to fit him.  None of the dog harnesses worked either.  So one day on one of the cat sites I found this person who designs these for different size cats or cats who get out of the regular harnesses and it does work.  He doesn't like it but it works.

We ended the evening with another great campfire.

We will be here for a few more days so stay tuned and enjoy today.

Stats for today:

Miles Traveled: 104 Miles

Routes Traveled:

Alaska: Suthard Blvd.; Delta Avenue; Kenai Spur Highway; Sterling Highway AK-3; Seward Highway AK-3; Portage Glacier Road