Tried to hike the Portage Pass trail in April thinking it would be fine

I figured with the warmer weather we had in Anchorage, the trail up near Whittier would be mostly clear. I was so wrong. Got about a mile in and hit a solid wall of snow, like waist deep in places. My boots and jeans were soaked through in ten minutes. Had to turn back, which was a bummer because the view of the glacier from the top is supposed to be amazing. I learned that 'spring' on the coast is a totally different beast than in town. Should have checked the trail reports from the forest service or packed some snowshoes. Anyone know some good lower-elevation hikes that are actually passable this time of year around the Kenai?

2 comments

2 Comments

blair_allen9d ago

My buddy did the same thing last week and ended up post-holing for an hour before giving up, it's brutal out there lol.

claire_hayes359d ago

Yeah that coastal snowpack is no joke, it just sits there forever. Honestly even snowshoes might not have helped much if it was that deep and soft, you'd just sink in slower. That trail holds snow like crazy because it's all in a shaded bowl. For lower stuff right now, the Johnson Pass trailhead area near the highway is usually pretty walkable, or the Tonsina Creek trail out of Seward if you don't mind a drive.