Two guys and a Jeep: Days 16,17,18

Don't worry, we haven't gone missing. We've just been spending the last couple of days exploring the largest national park, Wrangell- St. Elias. For three days, I got a sense of what Alaska is really like, one of the last wild frontiers. The ride into the park was a two hour journey on a rocky dirt road through mud and rain. We were greeted by the owner of our campground, Chris, and a few of his local friends, along with a swarm of mosquitoes who decided our campsite was a prime feeding ground. It was a bit rough at the beginning, but an amazing homemade burger lifted our spirits. That night we heard about a party in the woods from some locals who invited us to go (Wrangell/St. Elias is unique in that it is a national park while also being largely composed of private property). It was a pretty big event with about 150 people listening to live music (mostly local metal bands), crowding around the bonfire (which was huge in true Alaskan style), and drinking beer. It was at the party that we met Shaggy and Turtle, two wilderness guides who we discovered were camping next to us with their group of Dutch tourists. They told us about the best places to see in Alaska and provided some great company! The next day we grilled some great steaks and bratwurst together. One of the main attractions to see was the Kennecott mine, the old remnants of one of the largest copper mines of its time. We visited the historic mining town and then went on a long hike through the surrounding wilderness. It was 12 hours, and we were exhausted by the end. Even though, it was well worth it. The views were spectacular, and the most exciting part was walking on the Root Glacier. Probably one of the scariest things I've done but it was exhilarating. We rewarded ourselves with a great dinner at the local town of McCarthy (My dad highly recommends the bison burger). Leaving Wrangell- St Elias, we headed down to the port city of Valdez. The snow-capped mountains surround the town on all sides. It's definitely one of the most scenic places to live that I've ever seen. Fishing and boating are huge here so tomorrow we are scheduled for a kayak tour suggested by our friend Shaggy.