On the Long Road to ….McArthy

We awoke to gloriously blue skies, and views of the distant snow clad mountains – again we were up early at 7 a.m. ready for a long days drive..after breakfast, and packing our tents, still soaking wet with the morning dew, we drove towards Glenallen , our last bit of civilisation before the backwoods ! stopping for some views of the distant mountains as we drove there and once in the town we stopped for last minute supplies,coffee and a big blueberry muffin ..lovely

Then started the long road of the day, firstly the long straight roads, a lunch stop at Chitina http://www.chitinachamber.org/  before we started the 66 miles of dirt road towards our destination for today – McArthy , famous and known to me because of the book Road to McArthy http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Road-McCarthy-Pete/dp/0340766077 but firstly we traversed along the muddy road, with mud spattering the van and trailer, as we slid and splodged through lots of road repair/construction, viewing old trestle bridges which carried the original railway line to the copper mines at Kennecott

we arrived at the ‘end of the road’, at the footbridge that crosses the Kennecott River , and loading all our gear on a trolley we crossed the bridge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthy,_Alaska and waited collection to take us to our residence  in nearby McArthy

We were soon collected and travelled along the muddy,potholed,bumpy road, to be deposited outside our accommodation Lancaster Backpackers Hotel http://www.mccarthylodge.com/accommodations/lancasters-hotel (no expense spared ?) – it was basic to say the least, but clean and good(free) showers, with a lovely diesel generator outside in the grounds, churning out electricity day and night !

Still we were close to the ‘centre’ of town – The Golden Saloon, where we would end up buying all our meals at ! situated at the muddy crossroads – they must have had a lot of recent rain, as all the women were walking around in Wellington boots ! We told them we had brought the sunshine..and we did !

After showering we met in the Golden Saloon, for a chat with a lady from St Elias mountain guides http://www.steliasguides.com/?gclid=CKTzvIH_9rECFUlyQgod03cAJA to discuss our various options for the next couple of days …

I had decided to go ice climbing, and liking what I heard soon booked on for the following days climbing, others were joining me, and others rafting and glacier walking..

So, goodnight from the metropolis of McArthy !