To Chitina (pronounced Chitna!) 8/13/2019

After breakfast at the hotel, we started back south, heading for Chitina. That is the point from which we will take a bush plane to Kennicott and Wrangell St. Elias National Park.

We woke to cloudy, drizzly skies that turned to rain as we left. Our drive was about 5 1/2 hours. The road, route 2 to route 4 took us through sitka spruce forests, the Alaska range, and black spruce

Alaska Pipeline

forests (some of the ugliest trees I have seen). We stopped at an info station for the Alaska pipeline
which followed our route south. Very intersting info on how it was built and the various considerations made in design for the terrain.

There were a number of spots on route 4 where construction crews were working on the road. They seem to have a lot of work to do before winter set in.

Our hotel is Gilpatrick's in Chitina. It was built in the 1920s, and retains its vintage charm, probably looking very similar to the way it did

back then. Rooms are small and tidy, just large enough for a bed, chair and night stand. Our room has a bath. I'm not sure if that was original to the hotel or not. More photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/JFfTnQVxBjj3WRuL7