Copper River

Copper River, near Chitina, Alaska

By the time we hit Kluane, the road became extremely rough. Most of the Alaska Highway is smooth and paved. The section between Kluane and Tok, however, has high permafrost levels, making road stabilization difficult. As long as you take it slowly, it’s not an issue. Too fast, however, and the heaves set you airborne, your vehicle bottoms out on the dips, and some of the potholes are so deep that they could sheer a tire.  I don’t know how the big rigs and bus-size RVs make it, but they do. We have, however, talked with folks who broke their springs or tore up their undercarriage. 

We headed to one of our favorite camp spots at Liberty Falls near Chitina and the mighty Copper River. 

Liberty Falls, Alaska

Sam and David in Liberty Creek

The Copper River is known for its Sockeye salmon. It is a huge, braided river (melt water from glaciers that become shallow and wide, turning into rivulets surrounded by rock debris).  The Copper is fed by both glaciers and several other large rivers, making it the tenth largest river in the US. The Copper carries a large amount of silt from the glaciers and copper deposits along the upper portions, giving the river its color and name. The river is renowned for its King, Coho, and Sockeye salmon. The salmon swim upstream over 300 miles in their journey to return to their spawning grounds. Because of their arduous journey, the salmon must store additional fats and oils, making their meat extremely rich and highly prized. 

Copper River, Alaska

Beyond Copper River, the road leads to McCarthy and the Kennicott Copper Mine. (To learn more about theses places, check the links below.)

Copper River, Alaska

We were delighted to discover our favorite campsite was vacant at Liberty Falls.  We set up camp, then drove into Chitina. Again, we met with much change. Stores had closed, and the only motel no longer served breakfast or lunch. 

We continued on to the nearby Copper River to watch the many fishermen. Fisher folk used a variety of nets and lines. Indigenous folks are allowed to fish with dip nets or fish wheels. The fish wheels are fascinating to me. They float on the river and have a catch system that scoops up the salmon and drop the fish in a catch basin. 

Fish wheels along the Copper River

After stopping to take photos, we returned to camp to let Sam play in the creek. 

The next morning, we took the two-hour drive down the gravel road to McCarthy. We took a familiar hike to view the glacier, but the mosquitoes were dreadful. After about a mile, we figured we were all anemic from blood loss. We turned around and headed back to the truck. 

That night we were surprised to see a fire truck come into the campground, along with nearly a dozen other vehicles. Only after the fire truck’s emergency horns were set off did we realize that there was a wedding on the bridge overlooking the falls. One of the newlyweds must have worked for the fire department. Had I only known, I would have taken pictures! 

Tomorrow it’s on to Valdez, where we always see bears feeding on the salmon.  It’s one of my favorite places. I can’t wait!  

To read more:

*David wrote a great post about the Kennicott mine. To read it, click here:  http://ruffingitx3.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-kennicott-copper-mine.html?m=1

*For more about McCarthy, click here:  http://ruffingitx3.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-mccarthy-road.html?m=1