Tributaries
Tidbits from the Headwaters
McCarthy Classic Relay
On Thursday, March 16, the Kennecott McCarthy Recreation Alliance hosted the third McCarthy Classic Relay Race.
The Open Air Outhouse
My husband has built and sold many outhouses to others in the past and builds them when he needs them for work, but for our own use, that is an entirely different story. For our outhouse, he put the hole in with a culvert and placed a seat on top. That was it.
McCarthy Snow and Ice Sculptor Paul Hanis: Best In Snow
Within two weeks of first touching a snow carving tool to frozen water, Paul Hanis was carving at the World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks. Fast-forward to this winter: Hanis won 1st Place at the 2022 Fur Rondy Alaska State Snow Sculpting Championships and was selected as a Pro Carver for the Disney+ TV show, Best In Snow.
Why We Live Here
This fall, CBS Saturday Morning did a special news spotlight on Wrangell St. Elias National Park and the town of McCarthy/Kennecott. They stated that those who live in the area as their main residence “Are convinced the best way to live is far away from everyone else.” ….I couldn’t shake off the remark that was completely inaccurate.
November Game Night in McCarthy
On November 18, there was a community, family friendly game night at Tony Zak’s home in McCarthy. A funny, homemade sign was posted at the mail shack a week before, encouraging people to fight cabin fever and join us for a night of fun.
Labor Day Weekend In McCarthy
The weather was beautiful Labor Day weekend. Big Chimney Barn Dance played for two nights at the Potato. At noon the Wrangell Mountains Center hosted a five-mile race and a half marathon race. I hosted a free kids fun run that was about a mile and half long.
Road Issues Dominate Annual MAC Meeting
The McCarthy Area Council (MAC) held its annual meeting and elections on August 25 at the Wrangell Mountains Center Hardware Store. In addition to officers, 38 members were present in person, with an additional 11 tuning in virtually. Ten additional persons were present who are not MAC members.
July MAC Meeting
The regular McCarthy Area Council (MAC) meeting on Thursday, July 28, was held at the Kennicott-McCarthy Community Church. Thirty-two members and 15 nonmembers attended. MAC’s regular meeting place, Tony Zak’s house, was closed to the public for the remainder of the summer due to a break-in that occurred to the building in July.
Copper Spike Triathlon
Hosted by Currant Ridge Cabins, the Copper Spike Triathlon is a sprint triathlon in McCarthy. The event begins at Long Lake and ends by the Roadside Potatohead Restaurant (a.k.a. The Potato) in town. Racers start by completing about a 500 meter swim in the lake.
Hidden Creek Lake Flood of 2022
Early in the morning on July 13, pilots flying over Hidden Creek Lake, located on the Kennicott Glacier, saw that the lake level was starting to go down. Soon its cold, glacier water would raise the level of the Kennicott River. This is known to McCarthy as our annual jӧkulhlaup, defined by Wikipedia as “a type of glacial outburst flood.” It is a glaciological term adopted from Iceland and literally translates as “glacial run.”
June MAC Meeting
The McCarthy Area Council (MAC) held a regular meeting on Thursday June 30 at the Tony Zak House. Zoom attendance was also available, although in person and Zoom attendees had some difficulty hearing each other. Thirty five MAC members and twelve non members were in attendance.
Pioneers’ McCarthy Solstice Stampede
On Sunday, June 19, members of the Pioneers of Alaska from Pioneer Igloos located around the state converged at Al Clayton’s Dairy-Aire Meadow near McCarthy for a three-day, action-packed solstice celebration. This was the sixth annual Solstice Stampede put on by the Pioneers of Alaska, and the second one to be held in McCarthy.
A Home for McCarthy EMS
As seasonal workers return to McCarthy and business starts to ramp up, the community is witnessing the construction of the new Medical Service Building. This building, owned by the volunteer EMS group in McCarthy, is a project the whole community has come together to make happen.
McCarthy Area Council Kicks Off 2022 Meeting Season
There are still feet of snow on the ground, but spring has sprung and the McCarthy Area Council (MAC) is looking ahead to the 2022 summer season.