8-12-2013 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

We departed mid morning for the drive to Wrangell – St. Elias National Park.  Along the way we stopped to view the mountains that make up only a small part of the park. We also passed through the town of Chitina (which is pronounced Chitna).  Don’t blink because you will miss it. At Chitina we turned on to the road to the national park. It is 60 miles of gravel roads.  You gotta really want to make the trip.  The Park was taken over by the National Parks system in the mid 80’s.  They have been slowly renovating and improving the roads and facilities.

One of the items they highly recommend that you take is a full size spare tire just in case you run over one of the old railroad spikes that occasionally come up from the ground.  When they tore up the old railroad that ran from Cordova to Kennecott they overlaid the old track bed.  The railroad was the only one means of transportation to Kennecott, unless you used a dogsled.  It was built from 1905 to 1911 to haul the copper ore from the mine.

Fish wheels on the river along the way.

There is quite a story on how the ore was discovered and the many innovations that were used to extract the copper from the ore.  The town of Kennecott was built to support the mining operation.

The mine was named after the Kennicott Glacier.  When they named the town, however, they missed spelled Kennicott and subsequently it was named Kennecott.   See….and you thought we couldn’t spell!

the power plant

the post office

the concentration mill, 14-story high wooden building!!

The mine abruptly closed in 1938 over a union dispute.  Within 1 hour after they voted to accept the union, the owners closed the plant.  They told the workers that they had 2 hours to catch the last train to Cordova or walk the 200 miles on their own.  They did exactly what they said they would do and locked the doors and walked away leaving everything just as it was.

We spent the night at the Kennicott Glacier Lodge that has been reconstructed as it was back in the early 1900’s. They do not have bathroom facilities in the rooms; you have to share the facilities with the other guests.  There is a “20 holer” out in the back.  The meals they prepare for us were superb.

We explored the glacier and were amazed to find out the all of the dirt that is in the valley below the lodge is actually part of the glacier.  When you first see the piles of dirt and rock you think that it is the tailing for the mining operation, but under the dirt is the glacier. Quite amazing.  

This is the way to enjoy the vista!!!

See the blue ice under the rock and flour?