Signs of spring: dipnetting for "hooligan"; Jacob's Ladder in bloom

In every season, Turnagain Arm serves up a visual feast

From the first breath of spring when Jacob's Ladder sprouts from sun warmed cliffs and Dall sheep lambs appear on the rocky slopes above, until ice climbers cling to winter's frozen waterfalls, there is always something to see along the way. Early spring brings "hooligan" dipnetters to 20 Mile River as flocks of migrating birds pass overhead and stop to rest and feed. Courting waterfowl display bright spring plumage as terns wheel and dive in the air above Potter Marsh. Fields of bright blue lupine carpet the flats at Portage, and wet suited windsurfers zip over the water like butterflies.

Salmon fishermen crowd Bird Creek as spawning salmon appear at Potter Marsh in July and at viewing platforms in Portage Valley in August. Rock climbers practice and test their skills on roadside rock faces, and hikers on Bird Ridge and other trails seek higher vantage points. A tramway at Mt. Alyeska ski resort at Girdwood offers an easier way up the mountain and access to one of the area's many excellent restaurants at the top.