Maclaren Lodge to MaCarthy Sunday 26th July

This was going to be a long drive day to leave our camp site at Maclaren and say goodbye to the local bear to reach our next campsite.

 

There was more scenery of trees so I won’t repeat much scenery but we did pass one section of the Alaskan pipeline that carries oil from Prudoe Bay in the north right across Alaska to the port at Valdez.

 

 

And it was raining again as we came to a coffee – wee break at Chitina.

 

Next was a big river and a modern  bridge across the nearest part.

We were nearing MaCarthy, a mining town near the Kennecott Mine which needed a massive investment in a railway to bring supplies in and to take ore out. The ore is a massive 70% pure copper so very valueable and one of the richest deposits ever found in the world. The mine itself operated from 1911 to 1938 and is now a National Park. One of the massive trestle bridges that was built in just eight days.

 

 

That night we camped in MaCarthy campground which is separated from the town by a footbridge (and five miles of track to reach the mine itself}.

 

Anya, Tracey and Zoe on the bridge

 The bar at MaCarthy with the same three.

 

 

And I had a few drinks as well.

 

Tracey, Seb, Sigi, Zoe and Anya.