Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Alaska National Parks are not really like a lot of the National Parks in the lower 48, like the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone. Wrangall-St. Elias National Park is the largest National Park area-wise with only two short roads going into it at all, and they are unpaved and remote. So we set off to explore and found a free campsite near the town of Chitina, AK where one of the roads begins. The road goes to a ghost town with a few tourist attractions and ends, but a small dirt road that private cars are not allowed on continues another 5 miles to another ghost town called Kennicott and the start of a few really cool trails. So we set off on bicycle again and got about ¼ mile from town when Dave got a flat tire. No big deal, we always carry a patch kit, right? Wrong, of course we’d left it in the Jeep this time. So we ask around town and no one has anything remotely resembling a patch kit, and we can’t even find duct tape. The best we get is packing tape. But we hike and enjoy the trails to glaciers and old mining camps anyway. Since we can’t patch Dave’s tire he suggests he start walking and I ride down (it was all uphill to the town, so it’s all downhill to where we parked) and grab the patch kit, then ride back to where he’ll be. I was a bit reluctant for fear of bears but I took off and zoomed down the hill. I guess the bears knew to stay away from a person going 20 mph on a bike singing Sublime and Weezer at the top of their lungs. I was happy though, just after I chugged some water and got ready to head back up the hill Dave came riding down. Turns out, there are some patches inside the little tire pump I carry on my bike. I think my Dad got us those for Christmas one year, so thanks Dad! It really came in handy. Here are the photos from the glacier hike.
Here are some of the fishwheels the native people use to catch salmon out of the rivers.
Beautiful mountains!
On the trail to the glacier.
The Root Glacier. This was a great hike to the glacier and really cool (even if a bit scary) hiking around on the glacier.
It was weird, it was a hot day so we were wearing shorts and t-shirts, but while walking around on the glacier my feet were freezing!
Dave, blazing ahead on the ice.
Tags: North, to Alaska
Sissy
Hey Sissy! I’m still so envious of you! Glad to see you’re enjoying life. Take care.