Photos of Alaskan Towns (Valdez, Seward: hotel, elementary school, restaurant)

[ShipOfFools42]

Originally Posted by ArcticState

I hear McCarthy is an up-and-coming town, especially for end of the road types. Hard to believe that just in 1983 half the town population was murdered.

McCarthy is so cool to me. Population of less than 50 (according to the most recent census data at least), and a really cool and unique location. Can you get into McCarthy on the Edgerton, though? It looks like it ends right before the river crossing. Plus it's closed in the winter. Do most people fly in and out of McCarthy when they go places, or is it possible to drive?

[tigre79]

It's plowed to about ten miles past the bridge in winter. They don't get huge amounts of snow though, so according to our friends who have a cabin out there it's usually passable most of the winter. Not much (if anything) is open in the winter though. The road isn't great, but it's driveable even by little cars most of the time. They put a bunch of stupid gravel on it earlier this summer, and my little truck floats around on that stuff like crazy. I'd rather it just be dirt, personally.

[Chilkoot]

Originally Posted by ShipOfFools42

McCarthy is so cool to me. Population of less than 50 (according to the most recent census data at least), and a really cool and unique location. Can you get into McCarthy on the Edgerton, though? It looks like it ends right before the river crossing. Plus it's closed in the winter. Do most people fly in and out of McCarthy when they go places, or is it possible to drive?

Yes, the road ends about 1/3 of a mile from town. There are two foot bridges to cross. There's also a shuttle service for 5 bucks that picks you up at the foot bridge and takes you into town or to the Kennicott lodge which is about 5 miles from McCarthy. It does loops all day.

[ArcticState]

Originally Posted by tigre79

WTF? I've never heard that story!

Here is the story of the day Louis Hastings tried to murder McCarthy:
University of Oregon, The End of the Road

[ShipOfFools42]

Originally Posted by tigre79

It's plowed to about ten miles past the bridge in winter. They don't get huge amounts of snow though, so according to our friends who have a cabin out there it's usually passable most of the winter. Not much (if anything) is open in the winter though. The road isn't great, but it's driveable even by little cars most of the time. They put a bunch of stupid gravel on it earlier this summer, and my little truck floats around on that stuff like crazy. I'd rather it just be dirt, personally.

I'm with you on the gravel... sort of. Most of the time I would prefer a dirt road, but then when it rains for three or four days straight (or three or four weeks straight for that matter), that dirt gets awfully soupy. We just put new gravel down on our road, big gravel, and it's a lot less floaty than the small gravel. In any case, in my 2-wheel-drive, I'm glad for the gravel when it rains, otherwise I'd be walking up the mountain. And it's a pretty long walk too.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by tigre79

WTF? I've never heard that story!

Yeah, there was a guide there and his wife, their son use to go to school in Valdez, on good flying days on a Friday, I would fly him up there to see his parents on weekends. His dad would fly him back down (or drive depending on the weather) to Valdez on Sunday afternoon. My wife at the time worked with him at the Valdez market after he got off school as a box boy, very good kid.

Both of his parents were killed by the scum a few years later when I had moved to Anchorage, couldn't believe it, they were all really good people! The troopers in a helicopter stopped him a few miles out of town on a stolen snow machine, claiming he was "escaping" the killer. Story didn't add up and they arrested him, back in McCarthy the survivors ID'd him.

Should have fell out of the helicopter on the way back to Anchorage!

Alaska has it's share of "end of the roaders", think they can't get caught because they are in the "Wilderness", idiots are clueless that they stick out like sore thumbs. There has been a number of guys like him here, and figure there will be more!

[Chilkoot]

Originally Posted by starlite9

Yeah, there was a guide there and his wife, their son use to go to school in Valdez, on good flying days on a Friday, I would fly him up there to see his parents on weekends.

Looks like it touched you more than most. I remember when that happened, just horrific.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by Chilkoot

Looks like it touched you more than most. I remember when that happened, just horrific.

Although Alaska is a big State, if you travel in it much, you will get to know people all over. Growing up here, there is few places in the State I can't go and either know someone, or meet someone that is a friend of a friend.

That is a common thread for a lot of Alaskans... The exception may be Anchorage, there is a lot of new people there and they don't get out of the city much!

Last week a friend new to Alaska, went up to a mine in the Brooks Range and sent me an email that he couldn't believe that a couple of the guys knew me. I'm sure Warp, Met, Marty, Stiff and a host of others have the same thing happen a lot as well.

Sadly, events like the one in McCarthy are touched by a lot of Alaskans. When Silka killed a bunch of people in Manley, I knew one victim and another that arrived just a few min's after Silka had taken "Weeds" boat after shooting him as well! Sad legacy of end of the roaders!

[Newtgirl]

I read the entire article on McCarthy. I've still got tears in my eyes. It always saddens me that people can be so violent to others. What a terrible loss...

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by Newtgirl

I read the entire article on McCarthy. I've still got tears in my eyes. It always saddens me that people can be so violent to others. What a terrible loss...

Yes it is sad, but there are people in the world that are just evil. And they seem to think going to "The end of the road" in Alaskan towns they are invisible... when in fact they stick out even more.