day 7 - 13-storied copper mine, $10,000 Reward for Sam and Belle Starr
July 11th, 2005
Foggy morning in Seward
Fishing-boat
Boat of research-geologists
Oil terminal on the other side of the bay
We stopped at a snow spot and built a tiny snowman:))
We planned to visit Kennicott copper mine today. We spent the night in Glennallen.
The last 60-mile section to Kennicott is unpaved and much worse than the Denali hwy
Bridge over Kuskulana river (238 feet above the river). Before its 1988 renovation, it was known as
"the biggest thrill on the road to McCarthy"
They had 2 flats..:(( We promised to send them help
This was the first place to ask for help.
This is the end of the 60-mile long highway. It took very long to get there because we cannot drive faster than 30-40.
We crossed the Kennicott river
And took a shuttle to Kennicott
Kennicott
This mine was found in 1900. In the Lower 48, mines were digging up ore contained only 2% copper. Here, the veins
would average almost 13%, while some contained as much as 70%. When they founded a company, they built a railroad
to Cordova to transport the copper. They provided a lot perks for the employees (theatre, tenis courts, school).
They even had runner's races too. From 1911 until 1938, the mines operated 24/7, produced 519,000 tons of copper and
reported a net profit of more than $100 million. In 1938, the management closed the mine in 1-2 days.
We climbed to the top of the complex
The incredibly huge moraine of Root glacier
The shuttle did not wait for us in the promised time. We hitchhiked to McCarthy.
McCarthy was created at the same time as Kennicott. But the latter was a company town, the former was a place
of 'wine, women and song'. Nowadays only 50-100 inhabitants are in the town during the summers.
They are mostly outdoor people, artists.
We entered into the Golden Salon for a beer:))
Outdoor people, adventurers at the counter
Original $10,000 reward poster..
Rafting and Achorage bars on day 8..
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