Getting There: McCarthy, Alaska

I’m told that getting to McCarthy, where the instructors and students will be staying during the Glaciology Summer School, is an Alaskan adventure all by itself. After driving 8 hours south from Fairbanks, it will take about 2 more hours to drive the 60 mile gravel road, the “McCarthy Road,” that will lead us to the 150 square mile town of McCarthy. At the foot of the Wrangell Mountains, this town that serves as a gateway into the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (the largest in the US) is accessible only by foot, bike, or shuttle. Then it’s onward to the glaciers! (We’ll see how that is done.)

All of the Glaciology Summer School instructors and students, including me, are converging on Alaska in just a few days, so stay tuned to find out what this beautiful region looks like today, and how scientists are studying it. We’ll be the road there soon!