Root Glacier, Wrangell-St Elias NP

Sorry about over-utilizing the panorama function but there is just no way to capture the immensity of this land.

We stayed at Kennicott Glacier Lodge and enjoyed a history tour of the Kennecott Mines then hiked the Root Glacier trail for some magnificent views.

Yes Kennicott and Kennecott are spelled differently. Blame the founder of Kennecott mines...

The mine was built as a feat of determination, engineering and capitalist exploitation at the height of the industrial fervor of the early 1900's.

A huge copper load with almost pure copper ore (approaching 80% copper) was discovered high in the mountains in a most remote and isolated region of Alaska. A railroad was built, and a large copper mill was constructed to include huge steam generators and a massive copper separation mill. Trams from several mines ferried copper ore down thousands of feet of mountainside to the mill. Immigrant laborers, mostly from Scandinavia, worked in harsh and dangerous conditions as was typical for the times.

The copper mine played out in 1938 after generating millions of dollars in profit for it's investors (J.P.Morgan and the Guggenheims).

a link to Kennecott mines provides a little more history...