Return to Wrangell- St. Elias National Park

Recorded July Thursday July 2, 2009

We made our assent out of the Port of Valdez on Tuesday June the 30th to a whole new perspective on this wonderful landscape. It was morning so the lighting was different. The weather had remained cool with big puffy cloud formations. The entire drive appeared different and allowed us to appreciate it all over again!

Within a couple of hours we arrived at the Kenny Lake Mercantile & RV Park, though we never saw a lake. We had discussed this giant Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and how we may never have another opportunity to visit it so Linda, the research artist that she is designed our attach. It went this way:

On day one we drove to some 20+ miles ahead to investigate the subsistence Salmon fishing that takes place along the wide expanse of the Copper River. Alaska law states that any fulltime resident can ‘net’ fish up to 500 salmon per year. They can also get a permit to operate a fish wheel. It is a water driven gizmo that has a duel paddle style pair of baskets that turn with the current catching loads of fish. We talked to couple of the fishermen while we were out there who told us they pay nothing and it works like a co-op where they get a 3 day turn that they sign up for. This area of the Copper River was strum with these home made contraptions. These “subsistence fishermen” are not allowed to sell their catch. A discussion with another local resident revealed that she “gets sick of eating salmon” and “who could eat 500 a year anyway!” The fishermen told us they prefer the top dollar Copper River Salmon but also catch Kings which they are not allowed to through back. Now why would they consider doing that if it really is subsistence?

A tiny visitor’s center is adjacent to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in the 100+ year old town of Chetna population 20. We had already gathered data on the town of McCarthy 60+ miles deep in the park and the Kennecott Glacier & huge Kennecott Copper Mining operation of the early 1900’s. Logistics were the issue. We wanted to do the trip (60+ miles ON GRAVEL ROADS) but time/tours/dog were in question. We walked the near ghost town, that was once home to over 700 and were on our way back to camp with a plan for the next day.

I might add here that we have had few camp services recently. This time we have only 30amp electric. In Valdez we had 20amp & water & Wi-Fi that Linda could use but I could not. A few parks may have full hook-ups but not a lot. This has been very typical.

Wednesday was day two in Kenny Lake and we are off to the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. We are 4 humans plus 1 dog in 1 car. Not knowing how long the day would be we had to take Lindsey. It is nearly an hour to the gravel, then another 3 hours to the parking area. There are shuttles but we do not see one so now we walk. It’s about ¾ mile to the town of McCarthy which is said to be the place where from 1911 to 1938 the Kennecott Copper Miners, 2 miles away, would come for liquor, gambling & women. Our walk through the maybe a dozen buildings was very rustic but yielded the usual concessions. There were a couple of buildings that were obviously the original s & uninhabited.

We caught the shuttle to the Kennecott Mill where in 1980’s a Lodge was built/rebuilt in the style of the heyday of the mine. It is decorated with the lots of documents & advertisements of the day. We ate lunch and waited for our tour.

The tour of the mill itself was more of an event then we had imagined. The mill is 14 stories tall standing proudly against the mountain side. From the outside it looks like it could be blown away as its barn red painted wood exterior is in deep decay. We were surprised to even be able to enter but after seeing all the out buildings we hiked to the top nearly skeletal 14th floor. Didn’t I mention that this mill is half way up the side of a mountain? The mine itself is another 5 mile hike up the mountain. WHAT A VIEW. We are looking out through all this giant sized wood debris over the valley below and the Kennecott Glacier and 16,000 foot Mount Blackburn to our right. Oh My God! Breath taking is a real understatement. Proceeding down through the mill was interesting but repetitive after 14 floors. I was awestruck by the beauty contrasted with the nasty working conditions described to us. The men were well paid but the intense noise & cold would make this a job most would not keep for longer then the 6 month contract they signed on for.

As we retraced our way to the car we crossed 2 foot bridges, one of which offered a very good view of the Kennecott Glacier. I took pictures on the way up not knowing that the huge moraine (Moraine is the ground up earth a glacier leaves in its wake when it moves.) area in front of the glacier is unlike another glacier we have seen yet. It is several miles long and as we learned covers the toe of the glacier. Under it is several hundred feet of glacial ice.

We returned to camp having ventured more then half way through the largest national park in America at about 9:00 PM.