Life here "In my remote corner of the planet" took on new meaning a few years ago. We used to have fifty miles of road ... Mother Nature took care of that about three years ago when the Copper River changed its course.
Looking up river ... that is Child's Glacier in the far distance ... near where the road used to end. River deltas are in a constant state of change as sediments cause currents to alter their paths...
... in 2012 the river washed out a land mass located between two bridges. Now our road is approximately thirty-six miles long. This impacted tourism to our community, as the Child's Glacier is a spectacular experience ... one of Alaska's best kept secrets! Locals really missed the family fun and adventure both at the glacier and along the road. The state of Alaska will never replace the bridge due to the expense and the fact that it is so "remote". After that announcement, the sense of loss in our community was profound.
Meet local resident, Captain Jack! He came to the rescue! He had worked for the local division of the Alaska Department of Transportation here in Cordova for 30 years and is now retired. He began working on this road, the Copper River Highway, when he was 20 years old. He knows and loves this country!
He and his wife opened and operate Riverside Inn and Airboat Tours. He has an airboat that transfers people and gear across the river and then transports them via vans to the glacier and other outdoor fun!
Here we have crossed the Copper River and are about to drive to the Million Dollar Bridge.
The view of Child's Glacier from the Million Dollar Bridge ... even after 30+ years ... we find ourselves in awe.
The bridge was built in 1910 and considered an "Engineering Wonder of the World"! Mr. DD and I often talk about the ability to build something like this even now ... amazing example of human ingenuity!
A brief history of the bridge can be found here.
We have missed this place ...
... and have so many fond family memories here.
Miles Glacier is on the other side of the bridge!
This was the view of Miles taken after crossing the bridge and during a hike up a hill to a communication tower.
Stunning views!
The view from here made our hearts skip a beat ...
... the bridge and Child's Glacier ...
... working clockwise ...
... until we reach Miles Glacier. Absolutely beautiful day for this stunning view!
A gorgeous day ...
... in a very remote place ...
... doing what we love ... with those we love ... here in our corner of the planet!
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| Pic from Google Images |
Do what you love. Do dillydally!
Mrs. DillyDally
Beautiful country!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the pics.
Marilyn
So beautiful. Thanks for sharing your remote corner of the world!😊
ReplyDelete