Spencer Whistle Stop Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Visit the first of five planned ‘whistle stops’ along the Alaska
Railroad’s passage through the mountains south of Portage Valley on
the Chugach National Forest. Access is only by rail in the summer –
and the snow’s too deep to find this cache in the winter when
snowmobiles are the only access to the area!
The Spencer Whistle Stop features a pair of shelters (to help keep
visitors dry while waiting for the train) and an exquisitely clean
Forest Service outhouse. Interpretive exhibits contribute to
visitor understanding of the history of the railroad’s construction
and operations, and the natural history of Spencer Glacier. From
the ‘whistle stop’ area a trail accesses the prepared campground
site and the glacier viewing platforms at Spencer Lake, and another
trail extends beyond the camping site to an overlook of the
glacier’s surface. Most visitors only have enough time to hike to
the viewing platform during the several hours between drop-off and
same-day pickup (don’t miss the train’s return visit – it waits for
no one!). Camping gives the opportunity to stroll to the glacier
itself (on the newly-finished overlook trail), as well as enjoying
an overnight stay in the Alaska wilderness. There is no water
provided at the campsite – all water must be imported (local
streams are glacial in origin – loaded with silt). An outfitter
provides paddling opportunities on the lake and a rafting trip down
the river by advance reservation.
Exercise ‘bear aware’ behavior during your visit, and give all
wildlife a wide berth when encountered. Use the bear-proof food
containers provided if you’re staying overnight, and make enough
noise while hiking to warn bears of your presence.
The cache is a decon container hung five feet off the ground, 130
paces south of the Spencer Whistle Stop sign (shown above), and ten
paces west of the centerline of the road (close the lid with a
‘snap’ to ensure it stays dry during the area’s frequent rainfall).
Please practice ‘Leave No Trace’ / ‘Lift-Look-Replace’ caching to
maintain the area’s pristine appearance. The cache will
definitively be non-accessible during the winter – total snowfall
during the winter season of 2007-2008 measured just over 120 feet
at the nearby railroad remote weather station.
For information on accessing this area visit the Alaska Railroad
website in the Traveler section’s segment on the Glacier
Discovery Train (shown loading above at the Portage Parking
Lot). The least-expensive ticket to reach this site currently
costs $59, but it’s the only way to access this fabulous portion of
the Chugach National Forest!
Placed by a member of GeocacheAlaska!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
svir srrg nobir tebhaq
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