Morrows to Alaska 2014: Kennicott Mine & McCarthy

Today we drove 88 miles (60 of it on dirt/mud, pot hole, washboard road) to the historical town of McCarthy and the Kennicott Copper Mine. The only way in to the town and mine area was to walk over a quarter mile foot bridge and catch a shuttle. Of course you could have walked the 4 plus miles but we chose not to. A little history about the mine: In 1900, two prospectors (one ranger said they were surveying the Alaska rivers) spotted a large green spot on the mountainside between Kennicott Glacier and McCarthy Creek. Again the ranger told a different story: That they met a man who had copper tools and later, when they were up there again, he was starving and they offered to give him some of their food if he would tell them where he was getting the copper from. So believe which ever story you choose. ha They got financial backing from men such as the Guggenheim brothers and J.P. Morgan and in 1906 Kennicott Mines Company was formed.
The next hurdle was to transport the copper ore from the mines to the coastal town of Cordova, where it would be shipped for smelting. They decided that a railway would be the best way to transport it. Construction of the railway began in the spring of 1908 at Cordova and stretched 196 miles to the Kennicott mine. It was jokingly called "Can't Run and Never Will" but it was completed and transported approximately 200 million dollars worth of copper ore. It was a grueling difficult task. They were given 2 years to complete it by the financial backers. It was completed during that period of time. There were as many as 6,000 men working on it and they were ill prepared for the harsh conditions and difficult terrain. One trestle bridge that I took a picture of was completed in 8 days.
I hiked a 1.5 mi. trail high above the mine with Jim and Dee. Jeff and Marcella did a hike (I think 4 or more mi round trip) to the root glacier. They are staying there tonight and hiking again tomorrow.
Even with the jarring bumpy road, we enjoyed the day and learning the history of the mine and the area.