LOCALadk Magazine

48 Summer 2017 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk The Alaskan Highway between Denali and our next major stop in McCarthy is roughly 350 miles of breath- taking scenery. We broke that trip into two days and spent one night at the MacLaren River Lodge. While there we canoed on a pristine mountain lake and spied on a moose family grazing along the banks. Next morning the drive continued and the last 60 miles we bounced along a rough dirt road. McCarthy lies in the midst of the Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park. The area is also home to the Kennicott Copper Mines and the Root Glacier. Trust me that the drive is worth it. Upon arriving at McCarthy you are forced to park your car and cross the footbridge that leads to the small town. For a step back in time, make arrangements to stay at Ma Johnson's Hotel. Rooms are small but full of charm. Once you get settled in, walk across the road to the Golden Saloon to have a cold beer and to meet some the locals. For dinner, check out the Roadside Potatohead Restaurant. Again, trust me. McCarthy and the nearby town of Kennicott offer many opportunities for adventure. Several outfit- ters are eager to help you plan a trip. Since we were there for several days, I was able to do a hike on Root Glacier, take a rafting trip on the Chitina River down the Nizina Canyon, and do a tour of the old Kennicott Copper Mine. The trip down the river is a class II/III adventure with gorgeous scenery along each of the miles that slides by. The return trip to town is with a true Alaskan bush pilot who lands the plane on the sand bar in the riv- er. You then fly back up through the canyon you just paddled down and soar over the Root Glacier before touching down at the small local airport. The Kennicott Copper mine, a huge, red, multi-level barn-like structure, was operational from 1909 to 1938. It produced over 1.1 billion pounds of copper. It was reported that the mine took in a net profit greater than $100 million dollars. The guided tour, to my surprise, allows you to walk through the many decaying levels of the structure. A guide is required, and a hard hat must be worn at all times. It left me with a sense of just how back breaking and danger- ous mining at the turn of the 20th century was. McCarthy was overall my favorite stop. It is a place where the locals rely on each other yet also respect the privacy that comes with living in a remote loca- tion. It reminded me of our Adirondack summer camp at Beaver River Station. Beaver River is hailed as one of New York State's most remote places, with a year- round population rarely exceeding eight people. After our fun stay we left McCarthy and headed west to Valdez. Valdez is a small but vital port on Prince William Sound that was completely destroyed by a tsunami during the 1964 earthquake. It was later re- built inland. In Valdez it was time to get on the wa- ter and explore nearby glaciers from the seat of a sea kayak. Seeing a glacier up close while paddling a small kayak is both humbling and breathtaking. You also have the opportunity to land the kayak on a beach and explore the glacier further on foot.

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