Friday, March 27, 2009

Spring Is In The Air


During the winter, the black spruce growing along side Nabesna Road turn an almost black color. As spring time nears and the days grow longer and warmer, the trees take on their familiar green color. This seems to happen over night and the change is, to me, even more dramatic than when the leaves first appear in late May.

Update Note:
The next update to the Nabesna Road Blog will be on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 (no joke!).

Road Conditions:
  • Nabesna Road is currently in good condition.
  • Watch for ice at Rock Lake (Mile 21.8)
  • Skookum Creek (Mile 40.5) - water is beginning to flow over the road over ice.


Insider Tips: It's a beautiful day. Take a drive this weekend and enjoy seeing the Boreal Forest wake up.

Wildlife Sightings:

Caribou (daily)
Moose (3/26)
Lynx (3/27)
Ptarmigan (3/27)
Snow buntings (daily)
North American Dipper (3/25)

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Welcome to the Nabesna Road blog.



Here it is - the debut posting on the Nabesna Road blog. The purpose of this blog is to share an up-to-date road condition report and share tips for things to see and do on your visit to the northern district of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. I plan to share wildlife sightings including birds but you have to get out there yourself to see them. I'm not going to tell you where they are. Part of the magic of living here and visiting this amazing place is making discoveries on your own. I want to provide insider information that will help your visit be safe and as rewarding as possible. Nothing puts a damper on a visit like having your heart set on hiking the Skookum Volcano Trail only to find that the road is washed out at Boyden Creek just two miles short of the trail head. The National Park Service has a road guide available at visitor centers and on-line.

Current Road Conditions as of March 25, 2009
  • Nabesna Road is in good condition.
  • There is ice on the road at Rock Lake, Mile 21.8, and also near the Skookum Volcano Trail head at Mile 36.2.
  • Icy patches are developing as temperatures warm up during the day but drop down to zero or below at night.
  • Watch for caribou on the road.

Insider Information
We have an approximate snow base of 36" along the road depending on where the wind has shifted it around. Beautiful blue ice falls are visible from Mile 36 on in both the Mentasta Mountains to the north and the Skookum Volcano Formation to the south. With longer and warmer days, this is a great time of year to access backcountry locations. Both Tanada Lake and Copper Lake are popular snowmachine in spots for ice fishing for Lake Trout and Burbot.

Wildlife Sightings

Caribou daily
Lynx (3/24)