McCarthy

Labor Day weekend has become a semi-tradition for our family, where we all head out in different directions. I say “semi” because it isn’t like we’ve done it several years in a row, or even set about trying to do it, but it kind of just happened in 2016 (see the Manley Hot Springs post I finally put up). So, now we always talk about Labor Day like it is tradition for us to split up.

It might sound weird for a family that claims to be close, but it is kind of fun all going off in different directions. This year Amanda went to Seward by herself for a night with our new camper. She found a quiet, isolated spot for a quiet evening of rest after hiking Exit Glacier. She met up with her sister to try some snagging for Silvers in Seward, and then enjoyed a nice drive home.

Jenna and I ventured out for a new flying adventure. Looking at the weather, the Copper Valley looked like it was going to be improving and I’ve always wanted to try and stay at one of the Park Service cabins in the Wrangell St. Elias National Park (https://www.nps.gov/wrst/planyourvisit/upload/Airstrips-Booklet.pdf).

We didn’t get too early a start on Saturday and I wanted full tanks before heading into the park, so we flew up to Glenallen first. We fueled up there, ate a little lunch, and then headed over to McCarthy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthy,_Alaska). After getting our tent set up, we wandered into town, which is just over a mile away. Although we’d brought food to make, the weather was gorgeous and we found a little restaurant with local beer, salty fries, and dog-friendly seating outside, so we parked it. Many others had made the journey to McCarthy for the weekend, and the place was hopping. We had a nice dinner and meandered back to the tent to spend a little time reading and relaxing before heading to bed.

The next morning we walked up to Kennecott Mine (https://www.nps.gov/wrst/learn/historyculture/kennecott-mines-national-historic-landmark.htm). This is the first time I’ve been there, and I highly recommend it. I walked away with an incredible appreciation for the level of innovation, industry, and determination the business demonstrated, as well as individuals, to make the mine happen. In the early 1900s, this was a highly consequential mine that produced a huge amount of copper for the world. The commitment and dedication it took to make it successful is impressive.

Jenna and I hiked out to the glacier and walked on the glacier a bit. Then, elected to take the $5 shuttle back to the airport. We packed up our tent and took off, planning to scout out the strips that had a cabin. Our first attempt was Glacier Creek. We took a few passes at the Peavine strip, and felt fine, but we wanted to try a cabin first. Flying over Glacier Creek, I wasn’t comfortable with the valley I’d be flying into if I had to do a go-around. The winds were calm, but my mountain flying expertise is limited and ignorance is not a friendly co-pilot. I’m sure there was room for me to make a 180, if I had to, but I wasn’t about to find out I was wrong and, with other strips to check out, we took off out of the valley and went to Jake’s Bar.

Jake’s Bar has a nice approach and plenty of options if a go-around is required. After a practice approach and low pass, I knew where I wanted to touch down and was comfortable with my options, so I set up for landing. We nailed the landing, touching down right where I wanted at stall speed. For those that are interested in what the approach is like, I uploaded the video from the cockpit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjoOsdQBO0s.

Although I was excited about the landing, walking up to the cabin made us giddy. Jake’s Bar has a public cabin, a sauna, a load of firewood, a nice fire pit, and a cache. We were in heaven. Jenna pulled out her homework while I made a campfire. We cooked up dinner and sat out by the fire, enjoying a relatively bug free evening. We curled up in the bunkhouse, with Sadie by my feet, and felt the eerie and oddly comforting silence of knowing you’re really out there, alone. At one point in the night Sadie got up and went on high alert. It was so dark, I couldn’t see anything, so who knows if it was just the wind, or a bear. I was able to quickly fall back asleep, knowing we were relatively safe in our cabin.

The next morning, we woke up and the air was incredibly brisk and cold. A hint of frost covered some of the grass and I made some coffee as the sun slowly rose. We had slept well, but I was eager to start a journey home. Jenna woke from her slumber and we made breakfast and marveled at how incredible the location was and how fortunate we were to have such amazing weather.

We walked from the cabin to our plane. Although it was cold, the sun was shining on 63 Charlie and when we got there we just stood in the sun for a few moments, soaking up the powerful rays of warmth. I knew today was a special day. I walked the strip and picked out my take off and loaded the plane up for departure. Sadie was not happy to have her play time interrupted; she was enjoying the sun more than we were, if that were possible.

We piled in, warmed up the plane, and taxied for takeoff. Just like the landing, it was perfect, and we did a low pass over the valley as we decided on our route home. Given the unlimited ceilings and visibility, we decided to make a straight shot. We went up to altitude and headed straight to Anchorage.

Even as I write about it now, my heart longs to be back out there. It was a special weekend… great weather, special memories made with my daughter, and new places explored. I can’t wait for the next time.