Alaska Day 10: Riding the Alaska Railroad
The final day of my trip was a special one. I spent the day riding the Alaska Railroad, something my Dad would have treasured. He loved trains and spent a lot of time photographing them all over the country since he designed the annual calendars for many of the major railroads in the United States. It was an emotional but amazing way to close out my Alaska Adventure.
I arrived at the Anchorage Train Station at 9:15am. The Glacier Discovery Train would be pulling out of the station around 9:45a but I needed to get there early to pick up my tickets. The Alaska Railroad was celebrating its 100th Anniversary and I had booked a full day excursion with them called Bears, Trains and Icebergs that they run in conjunction with a local tour company called Chugach Adventures.
The day involved a few activities and stops like a visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and de-boarding again at the Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop for a float on the Spencer Glacier Lake.
Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop is a remote wilderness area that was developed in partnership with the Chugach National Forest Service and it’s only accessible by train! I really liked the idea of doing something exclusive to the railroad.
The train took off on time and we headed south from Anchorage along Turnagain Arm. The train tracks run along the coastline sandwiched between the Cook Inlet and Seward Highway so I got to see a lot of the same scenery as on my drives between Anchorage and Seward the first day of my trip. It was nice to be able to take it all in this time since I didn’t have to keep my eyes on the road. The train conductor served as our tour guide, educating riders about the history of the railroad and what we were seeing out the windows. Somewhere between Beluga Point and Girdwood we caught this very cool phenomenon happening called a “bore tide.”
BORE TIDE
A bore tide is a rush of sea water that returns to a shallow and narrowing inlet from a broader bay. It looks just like a breaking wave and the Turnagain Arm has one of the most famous bore tides in the world.
The bore tide happens there everyday but the size depends on the range of the tide. When there are extreme minus tides, the wave can reach 10 feet high and over 20mph. Some people even surf the Turnagain Arm bore tide! The one I saw wasn’t very large, but it was still cool to witness.
After the bore tide, we passed by a ghost forest. When the land sunk in the 1964 earthquake in Valdez, AK (which is still the largest ever recorded earthquake in US history at 9.2 on the Richter scale), the saltwater penetrated the soil there.
THE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION CENTER
A few minutes later we were hopping out at our first stop in Girdwood to meet up with the Chugach Adventures guide for a tour of the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. We got in a car with a guide and drove across the highway. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is a sanctuary dedicated to preserving Alaska’s wildlife through conservation, education, research, and care. They only take in injured and orphaned animals and many of the animals become permanent residents. It’s over 200 acres! They have moose, bison, karibou, bears, wolves, muskox, porcupines, bald eagles and more.
Many animals have a story as to why they are there or how they were found. For example. Adonis the Eagle has been living there since 1995. They found him near a remote village with a gunshot wound which required his left-wing to be amputated. He can’t fly so he has a permanent home there.
Twix the Porcupine (below) had been found orphaned in Juneau when she was only a day old. Her umbilical cord was still attached. Raising her has helped the conservation center learn a lot about the needs and natural behaviors of porcupettes.
The bears were lounging and the animals all seemed quite relaxed with plenty of room to move around.
After we toured the Wildlife Center, we went back to the Portage Depot, where we ate a basic boxed lunch. Around 1:15p we got back on the train to head to Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop. It had been raining on and off all day and I was starting to feel run down after 10 days of being on the go. At the whistle stop, we would be getting on a raft for a tour of Spencer Glacier Lake to see some icebergs. Being that it was raining when we pulled in, I opted out. I didn’t want to be cold and wet for the rest of the day so I chose instead to stay on the train and take a ride to the Grandview Whistle Stop. The stretch of track past Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop is considered one of the most scenic on the Alaska Railroad. The track winds along the Placer River Valley and offers views of the Bartlett Glacier and Trail Glacier. Plus the sun started to come out again so I was happy!
Placer River Valley
Bartlett Glacier
Bartlett Glacier
The Placer River
Spencer Glacier in the distance
They aren’t kidding when they say this is the prettiest stretch of track. It was absolutely breathtaking. We arrived at Grandview and got out to explore.
GRANDVIEW WHISTLE STOP
Grandview Whistle Stop has a rich history. The sign at the stop reads, “This area sits at an elevation of more than 1000 feet and was named in 1908 for the spectacular views it afforded visitors. Once the home of the Grandview Station and Roadhouse, it provided respite for rail workers, passengers and mail mushers.
During the winter season southbound trains could only travel to Portage before heavy snows and weather made the route impassable. From there passengers and supplies relied on packers and dog teams to transport them to Grandview. Travelers were able to rest and relax at the Roadhouse until a train inbound from Seward could take them south to continue the journey.
The route the railroad follows today was established originally by Alaska Natives and later became part of the Iditarod Trail. In the early 1900s more than 900 railroad workers built this section of rail. Historic camps and roadhouses like Grandview provided housing and meals for workers and travelers. Artifacts discovered in this area continue to shed light on the remarkable history and construction of this route. Grandview Station located at Mile 45 of the Alaska Railroad.”
I walked up a hill to the view point through what looked like an enchanted forest. We spent about 20 minutes there and then headed back to Anchorage for the night. It was a really nice day and I loved that you could only experience it on the railroad!
