Spencer Glacier / Placer River (Packraft)

There was a time in American history when outdoors people traveled by train: To the Adirondacks, or, more recently, to Talkeetna to begin Denali expeditions. The train to Spencer Glacier, like the glacier itself, is a relic, and well worth the trip.

Spencer Glacier is in a remarkable location. It is on the edge of the snow-hammered Isthmus Icefield, and discharges great icebergs into a valley that was an old overland travel route from Seward north. The mountains are high, the icefield snowpack is deep, and the vegetation is lush.

Few packraft trips begin with a scenic train ride instead of a heinous bushwhack. While it is possible to catch the train in Anchorage, it is cheaper and more convenient to drive to the station just north of Portage Creek, near the large sign with a puffin on it. The Glacier Discovery Train departs from Portage at 11:30 and arrives at the Spencer Glacier whistle stop around 1:45pm, typically after dropping off commercial raft groups along the way. To reserve a seat on the train, call 265-2494 (the website reservation system doesn’t work very well) and ask for the one way trip from Portage to Spencer whistle stop.

The train ride itself is a novelty because it travels up the roadless Placer River valley, a place most people don’t travel. During the summer months, the valley is deep green, and small waterfalls cascade off the steep mountainsides on either side of the river. Train passengers can see a few hanging glaciers, in addition to the larger Skookum Glacier, on the ride toward Spencer Whistlestop.

The commercial raft groups are missing out when they disembark partway. The wildest part of the trip is a short hike from Spencer whistlestop. A wide gravel path leads to the lake at the terminus of Spencer Glacier, which is one of the larger glaciers pouring forth from the Portage or Isthmus Icefield. The shrinking glacier has left an ever-lengthening lake in its wake, which is the put in for packrafters.

Packrafting isn’t the only activity at the whistlestop. The Forest Service offers short guided hikes, and there is a campground for people who want to stay and explore. But there’s romance in getting back under your own--or the water’s--volition.

Packrafters can paddle out amongst the large icebergs that calve from the face of Spencer Glacier. The glacier has retreated enough that its face seems distant from shore, and it is worth paddling closer to get a more intimate view. Be aware that the glacier’s face and icebergs can calve and break, producing waves of remarkable size, so explore them but don’t get too close.

After paddling around the lake, it is a three to four hour paddle back to the Seward Highway. There are a couple of Class II wave trains shortly below the outlet of the lake, though the river is wide enough to avoid the largest waves. Otherwise, it is a flat and leisurely float, with more expansive views of the Placer valley, waterfalls, and glaciers.

If you didn’t leave a bike or car at the Placer River bridge, it will take a half hour or so to walk north along Seward Highway back to the train station. It is better to do a 5-10 minute bike shuttle since the road isn’t great for a walk.

The Spencer Glacier/Placer River trip is ideal for beginner packrafters. It has some of the easiest semi-wilderness paddling in Southcentral, and the scenery is exceptional enough to justify a trip regardless of one’s fondness for whitewater.