Alaska - Day 2

Ready for an adventure?  How about getting up early and heading out for a 12+ hour excursion to McCarthy and Kennicott? 

Did we mention that it includes a van ride of 60 miles (each way) on a gravel/dirt road that by this time of the year is literally riddled with potholes of varying sizes and depths? 

 Oh, but the beautiful sights.....

 When we reached this bridge, the driver asked us if we wanted to walk across....of course, we did!

 The view from the bridge down into the gorge.....

We were greeted with this view when we reached our transfer point....an icy glacier.

This old wagon caught my eye as it sat along the side of the path...

Kennicott is the site of an old very productive copper mine.  It's hard to imagine how they managed to build it perched on the side of the mountain as it is!

There is an active preservation and restoration effort going on here....at least in the summer months!

It was a misty, rainy day but we decided to head down the trail toward the Root Glacier....

....but we didn't get very far before we came upon this sign/warning.

Ummmm, no, we didn't bring our bear spray.  Think we'll turn around and head back into "town".

 

Doesn't look much like a glacier, does it?  More like a gravel pit or moonscape.  But underneath that rock and dirt is ice.....

See that patch of ice showing through on the right side?  Glaciers are fascinating....as they advance, they grind up the surrounding terrain, often depositing the debris on top of the ice..

 Almost back to "town"....
 

We enjoyed lunch at the local (and only) lodge...then took a break from the rain and relaxed on the front porch....

As we headed back to Copper River the fog began to roll in, creating a beautiful and ever-changing landscape...

 The bus driver was sure to point out these trumpeter swans.....

 Yes, the swans were beautiful, but I was struck by the beautiful reflections.

 We had never heard of fish wheels before....an apparatus used by natives to easily fish for salmon. 

Only problem was, it has been so dry here this year that the fish wheels are stranded out on the mud flats and their owners can't even get out to tend to them!

 After a very long day, we are back at Copper River Canyon ....

And tomorrow we will leave this beauty behind and see what other treasures are to be discovered....on to Fairbanks!