McCARTHY --- The REAL ALASKA

In 1900 two prospectors discovered the largest deposit of copper ever found. After a few years of negotiating, scheming and backroom plots the Kennecott Mining Company emerged and built the company town of Kennecott, AK. A railroad was built to take the ore to the port of Cordova. An engineering marvel, it covered 196 miles of virtually unexplored wilderness. It included over 1300 bridges, including the "Million Dollar Bridge".

A company town meant that no alcohol or unsavory recreation was allowed. So McCarthy, about 5 miles away, grew to provide bars and brothels. In 1938, facing a declining quality of ore, the mining company closed. Not wanting workers to slack off before the closing, management did not tell anyone that the mine was closing  until the last train was ready to leave. Given just a few hours to prepare, all the workers and their families got on the train with what they could carry. The company paid a couple of security guards and their families to stay.

"Discovered" by young adventurers after the area was made Wrangling-St Elias National Park, Kennecott became a tourist attraction while McCarthy grew to a town of 32 year round residents. Leaving the paved road at Chitina, which itself is out of the way, it's about 60 miles along the abandoned rail bed to a footbridge across the Kennicott River. I did not make a spelling error. The town - with an "e" was named after the glacier and river - with an "i" but was misspelled in an early record and the error became the name of record.

The end of the paved road.

Our first moose sighting since Mama and baby in Kris' back yard.

For two sisters who are afraid of heights, this sign was not reassuring.

Nor did the view off in the distance.

Confidence levels did not increase as we got closer.

Don't look down.

Oh wait - it gets better, that was just the first one.

False alarm. We do not have to drive over this one. Interesting, though - built in the winter of 1911, it spans 180 feet and is 90 feet high. It was built in 11 days.

Here is the Main Street of McCarthy.

The Upscale digs.

I didn't spring for luxury. Here's our home for the next two nights.

Our room is on the second floor. But the bathroom is on the first. Outdoors, down the stairs and back inside. But there are 9 rooms total and 2 lavatories and two shower rooms so usually no wait.

Two of the other 8 buildings in town.

From McCarthy's colorful past. I believe the brothel is gone (I didn't ask), but the saloon survived.

Although our tour of Kennecott is scheduled for 3:30 our plan is to get up and out early and hope to get a morning tour so we can walk the rest of the area during the afternoon.