We tried waiting out the fog in Valdez, and it worked. The town was still shrouded in fog when we left it Tuesday morning, but as soon as we got a few miles away, it cleared up. We stopped at Worthington Glacier (see pic below about collapsing ice cave!), and then went on our way. We had lunch at an awesome little lodge where I got some sort of Russian food that I will now crave for the rest of my life. Then we headed down the infamous McCarthy Road.
Some views of the road. We kept hearing/reading things about how it's not really as bad as everyone wants you to believe, etc. Well, if you ask me, it was worse than everyone said. The pics can't do it justice, and besides, on the worst parts, I was just trying to stay alive, not take pictures!
The way into the town of McCarthy: you park on one side of the bridge, and then walk across the river on this footbridge and a mile into town. Seriously.
This is pretty much the whole town. The hotel is across the street, and the backpacker's hotel (where we stayed and which is NOT heated) is around the corner.
Although McCarthy wasn't quite what we had expected, we took a flightseeing trip with a guy who had been doing it for 30 years. It was definitely worth the crazy experience.
The "Silver Bullet" we flew in!
The abandoned Kennicott mine.
The Wrangell Mountains from the Richardson Highway after leaving the McCarthy Road.
Beautiful pictures! I would really like to go sometime. I got the second postcard today. Thanks for the blogging, it is cool to see that someone I know gets to go to Alaska. Be careful on the way home. TTYL Connie
ReplyDeleteWow!! I cannogt wait to see you and hear even more about all of these adventures, especially the ones you wrote about someday! I just got my second postcard -- you are the best!!!
ReplyDeleteDude, that road looks scary! I'm glad you didn't die in the ice cave...and I wonder why it's three hours, before anyone can come and rescue!? Is it like swimming, and once the ice cave collapses you have to wait three hours before you go in?!?
ReplyDeleteThose aerial shots are amazing...and I can imagine they don't do it justice! That abandoned mine looks pretty sweet too!
I can't wait for you to get home, and while I want you to drive as humanly possible...no more speeding tickets! We don't want them taking away your license before you can actually make it home!
Miss you!!
So does anyone live around the mine area?
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