For some reason, my second-to-last post from Alaska didn't publish. It covered my 3 days off the grid in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. To get to my lodging deep in the interior of the park, the nation's largest, I left the car behind and rode the last 60 miles on a van shuttle. It was a better option than driving the narrow, washboard road myself. Called the McCarthy Road, it was built over an abandoned railroad & is notorious for flat tires.
After getting settled in my hotel room, I set out on a half day hike to the long abandoned Bonanza Mine. It was the most challenging hike of the trip, requiring a 4.5 miles to climb up 3,800 feet. In all that distance, I only passed two other people.
I dedicated the next day to a hike on nearby Root Glacier with a local guide service. It turned out I was the only one signed up which meant the two of us--my guide & I--could cover a lot more ground. By far, the highlight was shuffling through an ice cave that went deep in to the glacier.
My last day in the park, I toured the towering copper mill that once processed some of the highest grade copper ore ever found. It rises 14 stories above the main street level, taking advantage of the steeply pitched hillside. The park service has completed some basic preservation work, but for the most part the industrial ruin appears in a state of slow decay.
To get back to my car I eschewed the road for a short flight, which took a fraction of the time to cover the same distance.
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