Tag Archives: trip-reports

The McCarthy Road, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

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Sign warning of danger, dangerous weather and road conditions on the McCarthy Road, in winter, Wrangell-St. Elias, Alaska.

Hey Folks

Well, I’ve not got a lot to tell you, unfortunately. For various reasons, none to exciting, I’m in Anchorage until after the holiday. Around the first of the year I’ll be heading to McCarthy. Not for a trip, but for the winter. Update (actually it was 2 awesome winters).

That’s right, I’ll be staying just outside a town that has about 5 people in it during the winter. I’m not sure how often I’ll get internet access, but hopefully I can work that out and stay in touch. For those of you who don’t know much about McCarthy, the photo posted here gives you a little idea.

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How to find a campsite, by Carl.

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backpacking campsite, Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Hey Folks,

There’s a lot of things I’m not good at. I can’t do math (I quit, right around the time our class began studying something they referred to as ‘long division’). I can’t play basketball. I have a black thumb when it comes to all things computer. I’m not good at remembering where I put things ….. BUT!!!! …….

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Alpenglow on Stairway Icefall, Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska

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Alpenglow on Stairway Icefall, Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Hey Folks

Well, this one will be the last of my current winter in McCarthy series.

This is another photo of the Wrangell Mountains in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Donoho Peak, and the moraine at the toe of Kennicott Glacier and Root Glacier. You can clearly see from the snow that this is wintertime. No disputing that!

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Kennicott Glacier, Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska

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Kennicott Glacier, Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Hey Folks,

Here’s another photo from my recent trip to the Wrangells. This is a photo of a couple of chunks of ice. I spent quite a bit of time right around this little area, watching the light – it’s amazing how much it changes in a very short time in the winter here.

I found some great pieces of ice and chunks and walls and all kinds of cool stuff. If it had been summer, I wouldn’t have been able to cross the river and lake to get to this part of the glacier.

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Bremner River, Wrangell St. Elias National Park

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Sunset over the Bremner River, Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Hey Folks

OK – we’ve officially left Denali behind. For a while. I’m going to post some images from Wrangell St. Elias National Park, because it’s been a while .. must be a few weeks at least.

This photo was taken on a backpacking trip I did this August, near Tebay Lakes.

We flew in to the backcountry, after waiting around McCarthy all day for the weather to clear – we’d flown in earlier in the day, only to be turned back by a dense fog, less than a mile from our landing strip — arrgghhh – so close! Then we hiked for 10 days, and had an absolute blast. The weather couldn’t have been better – you know it’s good weather in Alaska when I’m swimming in lakes and showering in waterfalls. The blueberries were out of this world.

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Mt. Sanford, Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska

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Mt. Sanford, from Rock Lake, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Hey Folks

Well, well, well .. times have indeed changed. I’m currently sitting in the plush surroundings of the Princess Cruise Line Copper Center Lodge. I’m sitting in the ‘Wrangell Room” appropriately enough, gazing out one of the 15 twelve foot-high windows, across the Copper River Basin, where I can see Mt Drum, Mt Sanford and Mt Wrangell.

If for some reason I took it upon myself to stand up, out of my comfy swivel chair, I could also see Mt Blackburn to the south. An impressive view.

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Brooks Mountains, ANWR, Alaska

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Valleys and ridges, Brooks Mountain Range, ANWR, Alaska

Hey Folks,

Here’s another image from my trip to ANWR. This particular afternoon was early in the trip, and we hiked up around some ridgelines in the Brooks Range, not far from the Upper Marsh Fork river. It was an awesome afternoon, and we spent several hours clambering around the hillsides. The wind picked up pretty strongly, after a while. I had carried a tiny little gitzo tripod with me, and it really wasn’t up to the task of holding up my camera gear in wind this strong.

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Mt. Blackburn, Willow Lake, Wrangell St. Elias, Alaska

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Mt. Blackburn and Willow Lake, Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Mount Blackburn – King of the Wrangell Mountains

Hey Folks,

This image will be my last one from Wrangell St. Elias for a little while.

Well, that’s the plan, anyway – that’s highly likely to change as I get even more excited about heading back to the park this coming summer.

This photo was taken from the Richardson highway, looking east towards Wrangell St. Elias National Park, at Mt. Blackburn. There’s a pull off on Richardson highway that affords a view of Mt. Blackburn (16,390 feet = 4,996 m), Mt Sanford (16,237 ft = 4,949 m), Mt. Drum (12,010 ft = 3,661 m), and Mt. Wrangell (14,163 ft = 4,317 m) in fall.

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