Alaska (15) Nabesna Road – Aug 2017

Wrangell – St. Elias National Park. Yes, I know I have gushed about this park previously (Chapter 2 and Chapter 3), but we returned having left the Kenai Peninsula and a brief pause in Anchorage, and caught a break with some fabulous weather!

We headed east from Anchorage on the Glenn Highway towards the park.

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Views from the Glenn Highway

The Glenn Highway is a spectacular piece of roadway. Let me rephrase that – the views are spectacular. There are no spectacular roads in Alaska. There are only poor roads, really poor roads, and unbelievably poor roads. We were afforded clear skies and gorgeous views; glaciers (like the Matanuska), beautiful rivers and mountain scenes.

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These mountains and glaciers are a source for glacier streams and rivers that contain vast amounts of glacial silt that somehow finds its way into the Bay of Alaska.

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Glacial rivers in Alaska are a labyrinth

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All of this leads you east towards Wrangell – St. Elias NP. The approach scenes of the park from Glenn Highway are amazing.

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We camped again on Nabesna Road, since we had had such good luck previously. I will admit my deficiency remembering which mountain peaks are which (Sanford, Wrangell…), but trust me they are spectacular. One mountain within Wrangell – St. Elias (Mount Logan – not pictured here)) is close to 20,000 feet elevation, and Mount Sanford (pictured) exceeds 16,000 feet. Nine of the 16 highest mountains in the US are located in this park.  Here are a few shots of the Wrangell – St. Elias mountains (from our campsite).

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The stars were with us; clear skies, barely a cloud in sight, warm temperatures (high 70’s), and a campsite on the side of Nabesna Road that was Position A – again, pictures from our campsite.

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And here is Wrangell – St. Elias NP – at sunset. How does it get prettier than this.

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Good night moon.

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