Alaska, The Final Chapter

The final chapter in Alaska is the wilderness in Wrangell St. Elias National Park.  When I say wilderness, I mean off the grid!  Wrangell St. Elias is definitely one of the least visited national parks for good reason.  It is off the beaten path.  The dirt road into the park comes with a warning sign, warding off weaker cars.  It is a former railroad bed,  somewhat narrow and you are warned that there may be railroad spikes along the way.  Who wouldn't want to visit? When driving 60 miles...one way...on a dirt road...is advertised to take 3 hours, one has to plan accordingly.  The limited lodging at the end of the road was already booked when we began planning.  We stayed in a lodge in Lake Louise, not THAT Lake Louise, which is about an hour and a half drive to the McCarthy Road.  The plan was to stay there one night, drive into the park, explore, spend one night at mile 30 in the park and then stay again at Lake Louise on our 3rd night.  Hours of driving were involved in this exploration!  120 miles of it on the dirt road in the park. 

We had high hopes on our drive!  
Had we only known then what we know now, we would have driven the extra 40 miles that day!

I must share our "most memorable" lodging experience of the trip.  Not the best, or the nicest or even the most interesting, but definitely memorable.  Our two nights in Lake Louise were spent at the Lake Louise Lodge.  To get there we had to drive 17 miles down possibly the worst road ever made...and it was paved.  We drove down many dirt roads on this trip and I would choose any one of them over this road.  I do believe at one point, the ice chest in the back of the Suburban hit the ceiling as we went over one of the bumps.  

Just imagine 17 miles of this...four times!

To get here.

Since we began making plans a little later than other people, many of the rooms were already booked at the lodge, leaving us one room in the lodge and another cabin outside the lodge.  We decided each couple would take a turn in the cabin.  Also...the cabin was defined as a "dry" cabin.  I quickly assessed that meant no water...no sink, toilet or shower!  When we checked in the first night I asked the host if there were any rooms available in the lodge that night.  She checked her spiral notebook/reservation record and said "yes" but is costs more than the cabin.  She could have said it was a hundred dollars more and I would not have blinked!  $30 for a room with indoor plumbing....SOLD!  She apologized because it was a room with a double bed and a twin bed...no problem...indoor plumbing trumps sleeping in the same bed in my book!  I asked if there was a room available "inside" on our return in a day and she said "no".  I asked to be put first on the standby list!  The lodge was definitely a fishing camp.  We were obviously from away!  The bar was more like Cheers with its regulars lined up telling fish stories!  The restaurant was fine, we watched the Olympics opening ceremonies on the tv and sat outside and watched the boats come in and enjoyed the beautiful view.  I had a feeling it was "the" night....the night I would finally get my sunset...if I could only stay awake!

I enjoyed my room and bathroom and spent some time sorting through my hundreds of photos on my computer that night while checking periodically for the golden hour.  I did not dare go outside too often because along with water in a wooded, remote area comes swarms of mosquitos!  Up until this point in the trip we had counted our blessings as far as mosquitos were concerned.  Sunset was around 11:20 that night... I looked out of my window at one point and noticed the orange shadows!  I put on my shoes, my jacket and strapped on my camera and headed out to the pier.  It was the night!  Aside from the trillion mosquitoes, it was perfection.  I sat on that pier with my two bird friends who did not seem to notice me and soaked in the sunset I had been looking for.  I finally stayed up late enough!

Looks like the perfect place to watch the show.

It was lovely and peaceful.

The next morning we drove back up that 17 mile roller coaster and headed to Wrangell St. Elias National Park hoping to see that beautiful mountain again.  It was not to be.  Once again, the fine weather we had upon entry was gone by morning and the view was quite different upon departure.  At least we had yesterday.

The main attraction, other than the spectacular mountains and wilderness, in Wrangell St. Elias is the copper mine at the end of the road in Kennicott.  It is where many a miner hoped to get rich in the day.  The stories about the mine were great!  I just could not help but wonder who in their right mind would get all the way here hoping to get rich mining copper or even gold and how did they get all the way out here???  We flew in a plane and drove a modern car, think of the 1910's..it had to take weeks to get out here!  I guess there wasn't much else to do back then, why not go to Alaska...or what would become Alaska...and do some copper mining in the middle of nowhere?!

Takes a certain mindset to live out here!

The beginning of "the road"...
wonder if they know they spelled McCarthy wrong?

One of several trestle bridges in the park.

Another one...out of service.

Peaceful and scenic!

We made it to the end of  McCarthy Road, parked the car, walked across the foot bridge and hiked to the town of McCarthy.  Town is a generous term.  Luckily in the "town" there was a nice place to eat lunch, even though by the time we got there the server was a bit grumpy.  I will say, The Potato had the best curly, crispy rosemary garlic fries ever!  The food was good, the place was very nice and it was exactly what we needed!

We then caught the shuttle to the copper mine in Kennicott.  I still could not fathom people living out here, but they do.  The town of Kennicott has been preserved nicely and gives a good feel for what it was like in the early 1900's.  It is set along a massive glacier bed that now looks like the surface of the moon with a receding glacier.  There is a lovely inn there and had we known then what we know now, we might have booked a room early in our planning.  As it was, we walked around the area, marveled at the copper mine and imagined life in the early 1900's.  Pretty cool place.

Kennicott copper mine, under restoration

Glacier bed

The mercantile

If we had to do it again, ideally, we would have chosen to fly in on a small plane (they are everywhere) and booked a room at the Kennicott Inn, enjoyed a lovely room with indoor plumbing and ended our day with a drink on the veranda and  a nice meal at the Inn.  We could have explored the entire area and not driven 120 miles on a dirt road.  But we did it our way.  We experienced a few things on our excursion we would have missed by taking the easy route.  We would have missed the cabins we stayed in at mile 30 and the chance to use the "cook house" and visit with people who have chosen a life off the grid.  We would have missed the tiny town of Chitina and the helpful ranger who lead us to the fishing community down a side road we would have otherwise overlooked.  She pointed the way and told us there was a nice surprise at the end of the road.  We were so glad we followed her suggestion.  We would have missed watching two men net fish on the river while chasing hungry seagulls away from their fish.  We also would have missed the chance to sleep in a "dry" cabin, which I really would not miss much.  We have many stories to tell by not taking the easy route.  I do wonder though, if there are any easy routes in Alaska.  

Dinner in "the cook house"

The Hunter cabin, complete with bathroom and 
many mounted animals!

The top side of the trestle bridge!

Fighting the seagulls off!

Running water not included.

Part of the surprise at the end of the road.
It took me forever to get them all lined up!😂

Trumpeter Swans 💓

We ended our trip in Anchorage, back to civilization.  We bought our frozen souvenir salmon and halibut to bring home so we fit in with everyone else at the airport with our white box.  We enjoyed a delicious lunch overlooking the water and enjoyed working our way back into reality.  It did not take very long for that reality to hit when we entered the airport and found ourselves standing in a 1 1/2 hour long line to check our bags.  Luggage conveyor belt was broken and all luggage had to be moved by hand.  Real life smack in the face.

Alaska was vast, remote, peaceful, and friendly.  It is full of jagged mountains, pine trees, wildflowers, glaciers, beautiful streams and silt filled rivers.  It is not for the internet addicted!  It felt like we were in a foreign country and I had to keep reminding myself we were still in the USA.  We are so thankful we were able to see our 49th state!

Stay tuned for the Canadian part of the Canadian Chronicles!