Epic Alaska Adventure - Spring 2024
| << Leg 12 - Yakutat, AK to Valdez, AK | Trip Home | Leg 14 - McCarthy, AK to Talkeetna, AK >> |
|---|
Leg Stats
- Time Enroute: 1 hrs
- Distance (direct): 98nm
- Distance (actual): 120nm
- Fuel Used: 11.2 gal
Fortunately, just as promised by the ForeFlight comments, the self-serve pump operated by the helicopter company had 100LL (and at a reasonable price!) so I added a bit of fuel, taking care that we should land at our next destination with half tanks or so. I was a bit nervous to be making my first landing and takeoff on a relatively short gravel runway, so I wanted to give us the most performance possible. We took a few more photos, filed and opened another VFR flight plan with Juneau Radio, and departed.
The plan was to follow the road through Thompson Pass, and then head over to follow the Copper River the rest of the way.
The scenery in the mountains was gorgeous.
We quickly arrived in the McCarthy area, and with nobody active on the radio to ask, I setup to make a low approach to the North over the field to inspect the conditions.
The field seemed fine, and no wildlife were on the runway, so we circled around past the Kennecott Mine.
Fortunately we landed uneventfully. The gravel was a bit bumpy but nothing dramatic. I kept it rolling into the parking area and found a nice looking spot to shut down. Immediately upon opening the cabin door, we were assaulted by mosquitos!
We hurriedly gathered our things and were met by the daughter of the owners of the cabin we rented. She picked us up in a car and drove us from the airstrip on a little tour of the wonderful McCarthy town and dropped us at our cabin.
After we settled in, we made the 20 minute walk into town with Magic, who loved the extremely dog-friendly atmosphere, with off-leash dogs everywhere!
Katherine and I both absolutely loved McCarthy. Everyone was friendly, and we quickly found some fantastic food at a local restaurant called The Potato, which we visited at least 3 times during our time in McCarthy.
In the evening we had a nice campfire with our cabin neighbors.
That evening we got some great sleep in the cabin, which had no normal 120AC power but did have some USB chargers and nightlights, as well as a gas stove for tea and coffee. (No bathrooms, but outhouses with mosquito nets) The next morning we again walked into town to visit the General Store and I got a McCarthy sticker, and we met a very nice local who encouraged us that it was safe to let Magic off leash everywhere in McCarthy.
Everywhere in McCarthy are reminders of the town's past as a frontier mining town built around the copper mine.
The town itself is very small, but quite interesting and historic.
We paid a bit to get a shuttle pass for the hourly 'town shuttle' to Kennecott. While we waited for the shuttle, we walked down to the river and let Magic explore a bit.
Kennecott is where the abandoned copper mine is located, otherwise a 3 hour walk. The copper mine (Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark), like the entire town of McCarthy, lie within the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, and is perched right on the edge of Root Glacier.
We had a very nice time exploring the extensive complex of abandoned mining equipment and facilities, and enjoying the views of the valley and the glacier
Afterwards, we walked down to the so-called toe of the glacier from our cabin.
That evening we stashed Magic in her crate and visited the Golden Saloon, the only remaining saloon in a national park, where we watched a rock band.
Leg Photos
Trip Leg Navigation
<< Leg 12 - Yakutat, AK to Valdez, AK
