Portage to Placer: May 29

Ever since returning from my sussing mission to the Mid-Atlantic region, the weather has been top notch. Rest beckons but the call of the bluebird is too enticing: Tweet! Boot this! Skin that!Tweet, tweet! Get up, sucker, tweet!

"Damn that bird to hell!"

Alright, alright, I'm getting out of bed. I hit the road early for quick schuss in Portage prior to Benderfest '010 down in the Homers. I skied "Portage 1" about 5 years ago and it involved a deep slow water creek. I was pleasently surprised that there is now a bridge over the water. The gully is mostly avi debris, so booting was a breeze. On top of the chute, you are at a triple point: Portage, Placer, and Turnagain. Nice.

Looking up "Portage 1" from that Confounded Bridge

Still Plenty of Snow on Skookum / Carpathian


From the Top of the Chute Looking SE

On previous trips to this spot conditions denied me from ascending the SE. Today was no different. Large glide cracks were overdue for their trip South. Down towards the Placer looks good. Ain't too proud for some low angle love. The snow wsa sublime: 2" of corn on supportable. The snow was fast and white, quite the contrast from Falls Creek the previous day. Nice rollers, some good tree skiing, and then back up to do it again.

Take another lap. Tweet, tweet! Again, again!

But then I heard another friend call out: the greybird

Tweet! Tweet! St. Elias Brew Pub!

"Well, hello, friend, that's a great idea."

Looking Back Towards the Placer Terrain from the Seward Highway

- George Freeth

Directions:
- Drive South on the Seward from Anchorage
- Turn left on the road towards Whittier
- Look for the 1st Chute on the right
- Turn right down the gravel road just past the chute
- I parked at the gate to the RV camp
- The RV owner likes you to check in before you cross their land
- Stay along the right hand perimeter of the RV area and look for the road leading to the gully
- The road crosses the creek and puts you at the snow