Anchorage, Alaska | A Brightly Lit City In A Subarctic Zone
- Apr 12
- 20 min read
Updated: Apr 16
Anchorage is the most populous city in the 49th state of America. It is also the gateway to the Chugach Mountains, which lend a beautiful and majestic backdrop to the city. Its humble beginnings started with the First Nation settlements of the Dena’ina Athabascans in the area followed by Russian fur trappers and the discovery of gold in the Klondike regions. The city of Anchorage served as the main logistic and trade hub. In 1915, the federal goverment built it's headquarters here to oversee the construction of the Alaska Railroad. It grew from a tent city into a permanent settlement from which the nickname for Anchorage, "Baghdad Of The Tundra" was coined by a pilot who flew over it at night from Tokyo.
Day 1 - Arrival At Ted Stevens Anchorage International and Flattop Mountain
Our flight from HNL to Anchorage took less than 6 hours with 1 meal served. The First Class seat on Alaska's 737-9 Max was comfortable but they could do much better with the meal. The Tillamook Cheeseburger certainly needed more love...
The flight itself was smooth and uneventful. As we arrived at the Ted Stevens International Airport, we made our way through its long yet clean hallways. This airport certainly puts our Honolulu Airport to shame as it has these very interesting displays of cultures and sights around Alaska.
After getting our rental car, we headed straight to our vacation home. It is located in Chugiak, about 20 miles north of Anchorage. The drive up north was very pretty. We even caught a nice sunrise against the backdrop of the Chugach Mountains.
The house is nestled in a wooded creek, still covered in snow/ice even at this time of the month. It is very comfortable, and it can accommodate up to 8 people! I wasn't quite prepared for walking on the frozen driveway as I almost slipped while carrying my bags indoors. Mental note to self: Watch out for black ice.
Once settled, we made our way back to Anchorage in search of lunch. We found a Vietnamese restaurant at the top of Government Hill just outside the Port of Alaska on the north side of Anchorage. It was an interesting restaurant, as we noticed that although it was called Pho Vietnam 4, it actually had Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese food. Goes to show that there aren't enough people in the area to allow for pure specialization as yet and that a variety is needed to bring folks in. We tried their Beef Pho and Thai Ladna. It was pretty good, though the pho was just ok.
After lunch, we made our way to the water's edge at Ship Creek's Small Boat Harbor. Here we could see the Cook Inlet. It was littered with floating ice! Ship Creek itself was mostly frozen though you can see where it cracks apart to join the inlet. Across the water we could see Mount Susitna standing out against the skyline.
In this place, we found Granma Olga as she stared out to sea with her salmon drying on a rack next to her. I bet she didn't expect to see large container ships at the Port of Alaska in her time!
We then drove down the coast line and back towards the mountains as Chugach was calling. We made our way into a nearby suburb called Hillside. Here the homes were large and nestled on the hillside overlooking Anchorage. At the back of this subdivision was a hiking area called Flattop Mountain. We decided to do a short hike - which turned out to be not so short as the conditions were quite challenging to begin with. The snow line was thick and icy conditions prevailed. We had difficulty with some parts as the trail was not very clear and there were many confusing pathways made by hikers, skiers and snow machines. We got a little off trail and picked a path less traveled. This resulted in spots where the trail looked firm but it was not. The snow beneath had melted, causing us to knee-deep post hole several times along the way. Climbing out of these was a bit challenging; but the views made it all worthwhile!
While on the trail we met Park Ranger Timothy Gurnett. He was sliding down the mountain taking a much lesser traveled path. I guess being the ranger, he is allowed(!) It made for a nice shot against the neighboring mountains.
The last section to the top was really steep. It would have been safer with an ice pick. So we were short off the peak by about 250 feet. Close enough. It was, in all, a great hike especially as a first adventure in Anchorage.
Here is the video of the hike.
It is also really nice that the day is long. The sun did not set till about 9pm. So on the way back we stopped for some Korean food at TopBop. The food was healthy, though not as tasty as the BiBimbap in Hawaii.
We will sleep well tonight as we are looking forward to the next day on the glacier!
Day 2 - Knik Glacier Hiking and Ice Climbing
We awoke this morning to yet another beautiful morning with full sun. Our car was covered with frost that we had to scrape off. But that did not slow us down as we made our way up to Palmer for our adventure with Outbound Helicopters. We were taking a helicopter ride 40 miles into the Knik Valley to the toe of the glacier.
Outbound has helicopters, ATV/UTV, and hunting excursions. In the customer check in building there were reindeer and moose heads on the walls, and they were big! We completed our check in having been weighed and were fitted with proper alpine boots. Then after a bit of a false start with one of the R44s (could not cold start due to recent part upgrades), we swapped helicopters and were soon on our way.
The flight through the valley was amazing. The glacier itself was about 5 miles wide. We could see many animal tracks though no animals in sight.
The glacier was still covered with a layer of snow, which makes landing on the glacier itself not advisable. So we flew past to the far side and into the toe of the glacier. Here the water was frozen solid with icebergs sticking out from the frozen ice now covered with snow.
Once landed we explored the area while Lance our climbing expert setup the ropes. It was amazing! We couldn't ask for better weather. The formation of thousands of year old ice was just incredible.
The photos give you a taste, but they do not give justice to the experience of being there. We spent about 3 hours on the ice, and it was more time on ice than we had ever experienced any where else in our lifetime.
We also learned to ice climb up one of the ice bergs. It was technical and thrilling. Would definite take the opportunity to do this again!
Here is the video to this great adventure!
On our way back we finally got to see some wild life - Dall sheep on the hillside of the valley.
On our way back we drove to Matanuska Lake. It too was frozen over, and therefore, there were folks doing some ice fishing in the distance.
We visited a Hmong restaurant called May Asian Cuisine located by the water's edge in part of an RV park called Fox Run. There were a surprising number of visitors as we left the restaurant. The food was freshly made and tasty. I think we will be coming back again.
Day 3 - Hatcher Pass & Matanuska Glacier
We decided to take it a bit easier today heading north towards Hatcher Pass. We stopped for lunch off Highway 3 just outside of Wasilla. This was a Lao restaurant called Cafe Khao Neow. We tried their ice coffee, crispy rice salad and the chicken noodle soup or Khao Plek Sen. The food was again fresh and tasty. So far Alaska has not disappointed at all in the Asian food available all over the place.
Oddly outside in the parking lot there was a guy feeding a whole bunch of Mallard ducks. There are several lakes in Wasilla and these must know that there is feeding here. We could see them all fly here in pairs!
Having had our fill, we then made our way pass Fish Hook and up to Hatcher Pass. The road to Hatcher Pass was closed as it was filled with snow. We reached the the Hatcher Pass Lodge with its bright red buildings, but Independence Bowl was socked in and completely white out.
Regardless, we parked at the end of the road and started to walk up and into the back of the bowl towards Independence Mine which is a State Historical Park. The park was closed for the winter, but one can still walk around in the snow to visit the historical buildings. The bowl itself is a favorite local spot for skiing.
It was painful staring at the so white snow. Now we understood why sunglasses are a must when enjoying winter sports.
Here is a video of our hike.
Having had our fill of the ultra white snow, we then decided to take a drive further north east to Matanuska Glacier. We were hoping that a place called Glacier View Cafe would be open. But alas, it was not to be. Instead, we had great views of the drive along Matanuska River and its valley.
When we arrived at Matanuska, the Glacier Road was already closed (5pm). Too bad as the sun does not set till 9pm! So we took in the sights from the many scenic turnouts along Highway 1.
Both Matanuska and Knik Glaciers are formed by the Chugach Mountains. Both have a wide river flow and flat valley. The glacier itself is covered with snow and therefore, its toe is not as prominent. In looking at the glacier, you can see the smooth snow covered portions closest to the mountains that then give way to the cracked blue ice and then for Matanuska, the very dirty colored ice mixed in with sand and stones. This makes for a pretty dirty looking glacier section before its frozen toe and river.
The surrounding mountains though are another story. They stand tall and prominent above the glacier with jagged edges. These are majestically covered in snow; some perfectly white. It is this very sight that calls to the mountaineer!
As it was getting late, we then drove back to Palmer just in time to catch the sunset. The sun lit up the mountains to a pinkish glow.
All this driving made us hungry, but it was late and already past 9pm. So we found a sushi Asian food place in Eagle River. When we arrived they were already cleaning up the restaurant. However, they immediately invited us to sit by one of the open tables. We ordered the Spicy Chicken Dinner Bento and a California Roll. Service was fast and efficient. The food was delicious and gone in 15 minutes(!) ahead of their 10pm closing hour.
We were pretty knackered by the time we reached our house. A day well spent in the snow.
Day 4 - Driving to Seward
The weather forecast for today was cloudy with 35% precipitation. Regardless, we wanted to see if we could do some hiking in the area south of Anchorage towards Seward; weather permitting. We started our day a bit late and therefore, we were looking for a place for lunch. We found a spot on the way in East Anchorage called Pho Lena East. Apparently, there are two stores in Anchorage - the original Pho Lena in Downtown and now this one on the east side. This area has many military personnel as it is close to JBER (Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson). This place is also the home of the 11th Airborne called the Arctic Angels. The food at this restaurant was not a good as the ones up north. It seems that the restaurants in town were not as good as the ones in the smaller towns.
The Khao Plek Sen was more gooey than the one at Cafe Khao Neow; though this one did have more chicken meat in it. Having had our fill we were then on our way to Seward.
The drive to Seward is beautiful. It started out somewhat sunny, but as the day progressed it became cloudier and windier too. The highway is flanked by tall peaks and the waterway to its right. In the summer, one can see otters, belugas, and even salmon.
It took us roughly 2 hours to get to Seward. The town was rainy and pretty empty. Its business mostly caters to summer visitors seeking to go hiking, fishing, or boating. As it started to rain, Resurrection Bay looked desolate.
The bay front was empty except for about 2 other cars. We drove down to Waterfall Beach, only to see a frozen fall!
Nearby, we visited the Founder's Monument that marked the founding of Seward in 1903. This is also Mile Marker 0 for the Iditarod.
Having worked up a bit of an appetite and since there were no places for us to hike in the rain, we opted to visit a nearby restaurant called The Alaska Seafood Grill. We had to try their Fish and Chips and the Black & Blue Burger. The portions were hefty as we shared the burger and kept the Fish and Chips for later!
On our way back, we stopped at a spot just outside Moose Pass called Kunjal's View. At this point one gets an incredible view of the surrounding mountains against the frozen Upper Trail Lake. One can see snow machine tracks along the edge of the lake; I guess folks didn't think it would be good to go across the lake...
Although we have seen several moose by now, we still haven't had the chance to photograph one properly. Instead, we managed to capture two eagles today(!) Sadly, the bald eagle was dumpster diving today.
We made it back to Anchorage by about 7:30pm. We still had time to kill as the sun was still very high and we wanted to capture the night skyline of downtown Anchorage. So we paid a visit to Lake Hood to see the seaplanes. Both lakes were frozen solid, so landing was with skis instead. Most of the planes were parked as many were float planes.
It was really cold as the sun began to set. To end our day, we visited the Ocean Front Trail where one can get a good view of the Anchorage skyline against the backdrop of the Chugach Mountains and fronted by Prince William Sound. In all, it was a good day.
Day 5 - A Drive North to Talkeetna
Anchorage and the areas south towards Seward is expecting rain/sleet today, so we decided to travel north towards Denali. We started our day driving into Wasilla to look for another Laotian restaurant called Pho Vatsana. Curiously enough there seems to be a lot of Asian restaurants in Wasilla. The food here was better than the one in east Anchorage, but still not as good as Cafe Khao Neow (which is unfortunately closed for vacation).
The Thai Iced Tea was HUGE and very sweet, and the food a bit on the salty side though still tasty. We had the Chicken Lahdna and the Khao Plek Sen.
Having had our fill we drove up Highway 3 towards Denali National Park. After passing Houston (the next town from Wasilla), there literally was nothing. The landscape flattened out with no mountains in sight - just flat plains, river beds and slightly rolling hills for as far as the eyes can see.
When we reached Willow, it too was just a small town marked by an airport by the highway and a Coffee Espresso stand at the junction to Hatcher Pass. This paved road headed towards the mountains in the distance and became a dirt road approximately 11 miles in. The remaining 4.8 miles is on pretty good dirt except for the occasional melted slushy snow covered sections. We stopped at the Hatcher Pass Castle and ATV Tours stand. They didn't have a guide today so we will be back tomorrow for an ATV adventure. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating for a Northern Lights adventure. That is something we would need to return in December or January to do.
Having made our booking for tomorrow, we returned to Highway 3 and continued north to Talkeetna. This is a quicky town used as a tourism gateway to Denali. Unfortunately, the weather was very cloudy and the ground very soggy. So no views of Denali today. We drove through the historical town but didn't stop to walk as it was so muddy. I guess this is what they mean by the in between slushy month of April - neither Winter nor quite yet Spring.
Since the weather wasn't so great, we decided not to drive to the national park but instead called it a day for our adventure up north. The locals were right, in that, there really wasn't much to see. The return drive was uneventful and in fact very lonely. Even though it was a Wednesday, there were very few if any other cars on the highway. It was reminiscent of driving on the big island, though the views there were much better. That is until we reached Wasilla and the Chugach Mountains reappear. It is stunning!
Day 6 - ATV at Hatcher Pass
Today we started earlier in the morning as the sun was out in full force. What a difference from yesterday. We had a cup of coffee and made a few ham and cheese sandwiches to pack with us. We'd make our way back up north to Hatcher Pass from Willow. We were pretty excited to get onto the trail and therefore, arrived a full 30 minutes ahead of our scheduled time. The owners of Hatcher Pass ATV also owns the Hatcher Pass Castle; an overnight lodging for those who want to skip the night drive when going on the Northern Lights Adventure from 10pm to 2am - mostly during the winter months of December and January.
It apparently had a very storied past as it was previously a religious Christian treatment center for the abused. The owners acquired the building and the surrounding 40-50 acres of land that it sits on. Now four years later, it is a thriving tourism business with expansion to other locations in Alaska and Colorado.
After gearing up and signing our lives away, we packed into our buggy and headed up hill through the trees. The ground was a slushy snow with the occasional mud and grass sections. Part of the uphill actually drives on a frozen creek before coming out of the tree line to head up the mountain with no name. Along the way we made three stops. At the first stop we had expansive views of the valley out across the many lakes towards the Mount Susitna - also known as the Sleeping Lady.
It was also here that we caught the view of the Talkeetna Range, leading into the Denali Range - with Denali itself showing in the far distance. This unfortunately is the first and last view of Denali, as the higher we got, its peak became shrouded with clouds.
We then resumed our uphill climb until we reached our second stop. Here we had the opportunity to slide down the slope on plastic saucer sled. There is no controlling this thing... As they say, you will be at the will of the mountain!
The last section to the top of the mountain is straight up, with views of the Chugach on both sides. We hung out for the moment, captured some shots, and drank hot cocoa. The sun was still out brighter than ever with blue skies overhead. In all this was a fun adventure in a Polaris Xpedition. It took us about 3 hours or so up and back. Our guide was Mike Hendricks who also has a YouTube channel called Happy Hendricks. It all it was good fun.
Here is the video of our ride with Hatcher Pass ATV.
After our ride we were hungry for Korean Barbeque. So we made out way back to Anchorage to dine at KPub Korean BBQ. This was a pretty authentic Korean restaurant with the typical Korean BBQ setup. We ordered too much meat(!) with 2X the Rib Eye steak. It was huge and very filling.
After such a heavy meal it was certainly Kanak Attack!! So we had to walk some of it off. On our way back we made a detour towards the mountains at Peters Creek. The trail was very slushy but beautiful. A great spot for a short walk, and a great look out point of the Cook Inlet.
With all the excitement of the day we were knackered. It was good to get back to the nice warm and welcoming house.
Day 7 - Twin Peaks, Eklutna Lake
Today we woke up to light flurries and fog. Being that the weather wasn't too cooperative, we decided to roam around Anchorage. We started our day by having brunch at yet another Vietnamese restaurant called Pho Vietnam 8 (I guess there must be 7 others!). This store also served a mix of Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese food. We had Chicken Ladna, and Hu Tieu Kho. Lots of vegetables and meat in the Ladna. Very tasty.
We then visited the REI Coop store and picked up a few things. If only they would have one of these in Hawaii... We then proceeded to drive around the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). Its a nice big modern campus for just 9,000 students.
From here we then proceeded into the Far North Bicentennial Park. This place is huge at a whopping 4,000 acres; it has its own bears that tend to show up in the spring when the fish run up the creek. There are also many trails to choose from.
On one end of the park is the Botanical Gardens and Science Center, while on the another is the HillTop Ski Area. It was very interesting to see a ski slope right in town!
By this time we were really wanting to see if we could find a spot dry enough for a hike. So we proceed to Lake Eklutna. This was a glacial lake that has since fully melted leaving only the lake behind. To appreciate the full scale of the lake, we climbed up the Twin Peaks Trail. This was a meandering trail with long switchbacks. Since it was late in the day, we turned around at the bench above the lake with great views of the area.
As the sun set, the fog arrived blotting out the mountains. Here is the video of our hike.
This evening after our good workout uphill, we decided to have a late dinner at an authentic Korean Restaurant called Home Town. Here we had the grilled mackerel and bulgogi. We were stuffed!
Then we had an aurora alert! So off we were back to Lake Eklutna, to see if we could see the borealis. The drive was dark and very quiet. When we arrived, we were surprise to see that there were many folks camped out at the lake cabins. We stopped and had our eyes adjust to the darkness. We couldn't see anything even though we could see the stars. Here are some shots - not sure if we captured the aurora; but it was a bit of magenta and green...
We tried going up to Palmer - but it was so foggy that we couldn't even see the road at times! So we called it quits at about 4am and made our way back to our warm abode. We certainly knocked out for the day.
Day 8 - Portage Pass Trail, Chugach National Forest
We woke up late today after last night's Aurora hunt. Sleeping in was good as we managed to get a good night's rest. Today the sun was somewhat out though mostly cloudy. At least it wasn't raining/snowing any more.
So we made good on our late start and headed for lunch at a very highly scored Vietnamese Restaurant near the airport called Gia Dinh. The restaurant itself was located in a non-descript shopping mall with no other restaurants nearby. To our surprise, it was well furnished inside as a very friendly server invited us to sit at any table. We ordered the Hu Tieu - one in soup and the other dry with soup on the side. Both were very tasty! And they were very generous with the drink portion. I guess for $7 each they had better be large!
It was certainly very good; both in portion as well as in taste. We certainly would like to come back for more.
Having had our fill, we then proceeded down Highway 1 towards Turnagain Arm. The last time we were here it was a very wet and dreary day. What a difference it was with low fog and some sunshine. As we proceeded along the coastal road, the mountains were lit behind low fog across the still waters of the arm. This is what makes Alaska beautiful.
We just had to stop as every which way we looked nature was having a show!
When we finally managed to pull ourselves away, we headed on Portage Glacier Road towards Whittier. Everywhere we looked there were heaps of high peaks and snowy meadows. Since this was the off season, there were no visitors - just the few of us driving along the highway. Our next stop was just before the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel at a section of Portage Lake. Here several peaks stand tall against the lake. This included Explorer, Byron and Carpathian peaks. Opposite the snowy mountains were Roost and Begich peaks. These in contrast had less snow and were dotted with ever green trees and frozen waterfalls.
This area was a vital travel corridor between Prince William Sound and Turnagain. Indigenous people travelled through Portage Pass many thousands of years ago, followed by Russian fur traders, gold rush prospectors, and now it has become a modern recreational trail. Traders and travelers no longer used the pass as a tunnel was built in 1943.
The tunnel is approximately 2.5 miles long and it was bored right through the base of Maynard mountain. When on the Whittier side looking above the tunnel entrance, you will see Learnard Glacier. There are glaciers everywhere!
We came to Whittier specifically to do the Portage Pass Trail. Its trailhead is to the immediate right after exiting the tunnel. We parked and headed up the trail and it was icy and slushy. This made for a good workout. Unbeknownst to us, the Alaska Avalanche Information System had just declared the pass as a moderate avalanche area. We could definitely see why. The snow was melting fast, yet it was still thick all around. There were still sections where the snowdrift was at least 3 feet and a slight misstep could land you in knee-deep snow. However, it was just perfect for us. Not another soul on the trail and at the lookout point the views were incredible. We could not go further than the lookout as the snow was still deep and slushy. But this was already very rewarding.
Here is the video of our hike. We've certainly got to come back and do this in the summer or fall. For a closer look at Portage Glacier, we could see heavy snow on its surface (which is why it is not very blue). It is already pretty spectacular from this distance.
There isn't very much in Whittier itself. It was improved solely for its transport location that shaved off an additional 53 miles to Fairbanks. This transport achievement is documented in the commemorative memorial in the middle of town.
This town will probably come alive in the summer. For right now it was pretty dead. In all the visit to Portage Pass was great. We are both just very tired now and are looking forward to a good rest before our flight tomorrow.
Day 9 - Flight Back To HNL
It had started to snow again and the entire city and surroundings was covered in a new blanket of snow. The trees were once again dressed in white and the black dirty ice given a new clean coat of white.
Perhaps this is how it always is in Anchorage, and thus the locals refer to April as the transition month, where it can snow one day, rain another and be sunny next.
It was bitter sweet leaving our Chugiak house as we packed up and headed for the airport. Before our flight we spent our time at the new Alaska Airlines Lounge. It was recently upgraded to accommodate 290 guests, with a new layout ideal for plane spotting. The food was pretty good with fresh salad, two kinds of soup, and three types of warm dishes with rice. We had a pretty substantial lunch meal at the lounge.
As we made our way through the airport, we marveled at the stuffed animal displays. Such a pity to only see these great animals in the taxidermy form... Regardless, the airport is well appointed with interesting aviation, wild life, and cultural displays.
After hanging out at the airport for about 2 hours, it was time for us to board our plane. Although it was still raining and overcast, we were going to miss the snow. Our departure was smooth with a great view of the Cook Inlet and Fire Island.
Our flight did hit a few bumpy spots along the way, but for the most part it was uneventful. Dinner was served and we had Shrimp Vermicelli Noodle Salad and Roasted Vegetable Risotto.
Service was prompt and friendly, but we noticed the difference from the higher quality of food and service with Hawaiian Airlines versus this at Alaska Airlines. We really can tell the difference.
In all our trip to Alaska was surprisingly better than what we had anticipated. Here are a few observations:
There aren't many people in Anchorage. Or as they say, its 2 people for every square mile.
Everyone has a big truck. And none of the drivers follow the speed limit. Even the cop was speeding without chasing anyone.
There is a lot of really good South East Asian food - especially from Vietnam, Laos, Hmong and Thailand. Oddly, the restaurant will be called Vietnamese, but their menus will have a mix of these nations' food. In a way it was good to have such a wide choice in a single restaurant.
Although gas was cheaper than in Hawaii, food on the other hand was just as expensive.
The snowy scenery and geography was fantastic - with its dramatic coastal roads set against snow capped peaks and glaciers galore.
Hiking in the snow was tiring but also a lot of fun. Post holing is not so much fun. Having the right equipment like snow shoes would certainly make the experience better.
Ice climbing is technically tough but also a lot of fun. The glaciers are amazing.
We got to at least see a bit of Denali - though for the most part it stayed covered in clouds.
The distances between places of interest can be pretty far by car. This is probably why many Alaskans take a bush plane or helicopter. Although we could see Denali in the distance, it would have been a pretty long and flat drive to the National Park boundary.
Its spring and everything is still covered in ice and snow.
We definitely need to come back in the Summer - as hiking would be best then.
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