In our last post we reported on our hike on the Root Glacier. It was incredible to say the least. However, we seem to have topped it with a flightseeing excursion with Wrangell Mountain Air. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is a completely different world from the air.
Ready for take offUs and the little plane
We joined our pilot Oren in the little three seater plane for a fifty minute flight over the snow covered peaks surrounding McCarthy.
Nizina RiverSo many lakes around McCarthyBraided river
We flew over braided rivers like the Nizina and glaciers including the Regal, Kennicott, and Nizina. There are an estimated 150 glaciers throughout the Wrangells. One of them, Malaspina, is larger than Rhode Island.
Glacers, glaciers, glaciersWaterfallsIcebergs at the end of the Nizina glacierWe loved the massive icebergs at the end of this glacierPeaks
With the massive Root Glacier’s Stairway Icefall as our finale, we were blown away by the vastness, the ruggedness, and the absolute beauty all around us. The photos don’t even come close to describing the incredible Wrangell Mountains.
Stairway IcefallIce in many forms
The perspective you get from the air illustrates just how small we really are in a landscape like this. Just Wow!
Kennecott from the airMcCarthy from the airStairway Icefall
We were sad to leave the Wrangells, especially after a tour like this. However, there’s much more to Alaska and we plan to see as much as possible. Stay tuned for more adventures soon!
Hiking on a glacier is a once in a lifetime experience. The Root Glacier is as good as it gets. In all honesty, however, the Root was not our first. We ice trekked on Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina and have hiked up to the Mer de Glace in the French Alps. Still, we’d never experienced as much time and covered as much ground as we did on the incredible Root Glacier.
See the people in the distance? See the ice climber descending?Mountains of ice
We joined our guided hike with Kennecott Wilderness Guides in the historic mining town of Kennecott. After being fitted for crampons we hiked through the ruins of the mine and onto the two mile trail that led to the tongue of the glacier.
Kennecott Mine Post OfficeRuins of the Kennecott Concentration MillRainy start to the hikeGetting fitted for crampons
Along the way we crossed rushing streams and had expansive views across the moraines.
Crossing one of the streamsPlanks not very wide!Balancing actLook! No hands (or guard rails)Trail approaching the tongue of the glacier
Once we reached the glacier we put on our crampons and began our walk out onto the ice. I was a bit worried about the ice breaking apart but we were assured that the ice was solid, up to 600 feet deep.
Now how do you put these things on?First few stepsOn the ice
We spent several hours walking on solid ice and learning about glacier features like mulans, ice falls, and crevasses. We got pretty good at traversing the glacier with the help of crampons, those sharp spikes that strapped to the bottom of our boots.
Is that a crevasse?Glacier manIcefall behind me but obscured by the clouds
In all we covered about seven miles with about half of that using the crampons. We would have never seen or learned as much without the help of our guide, and the pictures don’t really capture the vastness or the incredible beauty found when standing in the middle of a glacier. While it was a cold and rainy day, we were prepared with warm clothes and rain gear. The cloudy conditions were actually welcomed as the blue hues of the ice were more vibrant without the glaring sun.
Blue holeTogether on the edge
People say this is a highlight of an Alaskan vacation. We still have a lot of territory to cover but it’s going to be tough to top this one.
Celebrating the finish with a view of the glacier valleyAdmiring the mining town after the hike
Most people don’t know much about North America’s largest national park. Wrangell St. Elias. Encompassing 20,000 square miles, it’s larger than some states and includes nine of the sixteen highest peaks in the United States. It has the largest concentration of mountains over 14,000 feet, and there are only two roads that allow access to the park. We did them both!
Mt. DrumWrangell-St. Elias EntranceKennecott Mines National Historic Landmark
After leaving our friends Russ and Susan, who headed north to Fairbanks, we headed south towards Wrangell St. Elias. Our first peek was via the Nebesna Road. The road leads to an abandoned mine, but the road was closed for flooding after about 20 miles. We opted to use one of the many roadside turnouts as a campsite and enjoyed the view of the Wrangell Mountains across the valley.
Sign at our campsiteView from our campsite on Nebesna Road
While on Nebesna Road we tackled the Caribou Crossing trail but found the creek crossing was still covered in ice. Still, our very remote three mile hike gave us a good look at the landscape.
Ice on the creek crossingSee the trail on the other side of the ice?It was a nice day for a hike
Even though we’ve encountered ice and snow so far, it is beginning to look like spring up here. And to prove it, Steve has been capturing the flowers as they unfold before us.
From the Nebesna Road we traveled south towards the other park entrance. Because we had some time to kill before our next reservation, we boondocked a few nights along the way in the Copper River Valley. Known for the famous Copper River salmon, the area is filled with fast running creeks, streams, and rivers, and the water levels have been high due to late snows and now warm days.
Copper River, famous for its salmonLiberty Falls
We stayed one night at the Tonzina River Wayside, a paved parking area along the Tonzina River. Unlike most other places we’ve travelled, in Alaska you can pull over and spend the night anywhere along the way, as long as there’s not a sign that says, “no overnight stays.” This spot gave us great access to our first look at the Alaska Pipeline. We’ll surely see more of this as the summer rolls along.
Alaska Pipeline WaysideSteve and the big pipeMore on this later!
The next night we headed to Squirrel Creek State Park and camped at a great site with a view of a lake and a great path to the confluence of the creek and the Tonsina River. Here’s where we spent my birthday, and it was glorious! I spent most of the day in the screen room, enjoying the views, reading a good book, and just relaxing.
Bob loves the Clam screen roomI like it too! Keeps us bug-free!My birthday view
Steve even got in some fishing with his new waders at this stop. He didn’t catch anything but at least he knows they don’t leak!
New wadersFinally in the waterBut didn’t catch anything today
That evening we headed to the nearby Tonsina River Lodge and enjoyed our first exposure to Russian food. It was fabulous!
Beautiful lodge along the riverA friend at Tonsina River LodgeIncredible Russian foodElena, the proprietor, wishing me a happy birthday
A few nights hanging out in the Kenny Lake area, we were able to get in a great hike near Liberty Falls that gave us awesome views of the Copper River and surrounding mountains.
Liberty Falls hikeWorth a little climbThe trail runs along this ridgeDowned trees on the trailThe trail overlooking the Copper River ValleyGorgeous views
Finally we began the epic journey down the McCarthy Road, the second road into Wrangell St. Elias National Park. The road was created on the old railroad bed that linked the Kennecott Copper mine to the coast at Cordova. It’s a 60 miles journey down a rough, unpaved, and remote road that was originally developed in the early 1900s. Signs along the way warned us to be careful!
The Cut marks the beginning of McCarthy RoadCopper RiverWarning!The narrow, bumpy roadGreat views of the river along the way
Along the way we stopped to check out the old trestle bridges and one lane creek crossings. We even had a bear cross in front of us. Just getting to McCarthy is an adventure!
Kuskulana BridgeKuskulana is a narrow one lane bridgeUp on the KuskulanaThe road is not very busyOld Gilahina BridgeGilhalina Bridge Long lakeJust a critter along the way
Once we arrived at Currant Ridge Cabins, our home for the next three nights, we ventured into “town.” McCarthy was the social center of the area in the early 1900s when hundreds of miners worked at the nearby Kennecott mine.
Cabins in McCarthyThe whole family made itTown garageMain street McCarthyAnd the surrounding views are incredible
If it sounds familiar, it might be because the town is featured in the Discover Channel series, “Edge of Alaska.” Ripe with intrigue, conflict, and a saucy history, this old town is filled with characters, rugged individualists, and now, some tourists.
To get to McCarthy you park on one side of a roaring river and take the footbridge to the other side. From there you can take a shuttle or walk the half mile into “town.” Only locals have vehicles on the town side of the river and they access town via a bridge they pay to use.
McCarthy footbridgeFootbridgeView from the footbridgeView of the glacier from the footbridge
Four and a half miles up the old road from McCarthy sits Kennecott, the old mining town and the site of the National Park Visitor Center. Both towns sit at the toe of the Kennecott and Root Glaciers, and doing a glacier hike is a must when visiting this area of the park. Because we have SO MANY PHOTOS, we’ll do a separate blog post on the glacier hike and on the other high-flying adventure we had while in this area. Here’s a preview:
Our time in McCarthy was complete after we spent an evening in town with the locals. We had a wonderful dinner at the Salmon and Bear featuring Copper River Salmon. From there we sat at the bar in the saloon and chatted with locals who have lived in this remote paradise for decades. Boy, do they have stories to tell!
Copper River SalmonCalendar in the Saloon marks the close of the minesYummy!McCarthy’s top hotelAt the bar meeting localsMain street McCarthy
And, yes, there’s way more to share about this part of our Alaska adventure. Stay tuned for more posts coming soon!
Marnie and Steve Travel 