Page 18 - Richardson And Glenn Highways (East Alaska)
P. 18
BearfootCheckpoint:Slana (Mile60)and Mentasta (Mile80)mark TOKCUTOFF theupperheadwatersoftheCopperRiver. Populationaround300.
CHISTOCHINA
Porcupine Quills
Traditionally, porcupine quills were used to create decorations on Athabascan clothing. The hollow quill was crafted into a design. Many styles of beadwork now incorporate commercial beads instead. Athabascan beadwork typically includes floral and leaf designs. Native art has always used materials that are available from the surrounding environment. Even today, gloves and footwear are made from moosehide. Birchbark and spruce roots are used in Athabascan country to make traditional bowls and baskets.
NABESNA
ROAD &WRST The Nabesna Road (Mile 60) leads into
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve.
Stop At The Slana Ranger Station
The Nabesna Road is an old mining road at Mile 60 of the Tok Cutoff. Today it heads into the wild and lonely northern entrance of Wrangell-St. Elias Na- tional Park and Preserve (WRST) . The Slana Rang- er Station is located at the start of the Nabesna
MENTASTA Road. Rangers at the Slana Station will give you
Mentasta is a traditional village at the headwa- ters of the Copper River. Local Ahtna people in the 1700's and 1800's fought off Russian sol- diers on multiple occasions here. More recent- ly, Alaska Native hero Katie John, who died in 2013, took the right to fish all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. This case won a major vic- tory for subsistence rights and traditional salm- on harvests in rural Alaska.
CHISTOCHINA
Porcunine Quills I
safety tips and tell you current conditions on the Nabesna Road, which willvary by rainfall and weath- er. Ifthe road is bad , you may have to turn around, depending on whether you have an RV or a well- equipped four wheel drive.
Camping Out
The scenery along the Nabesna Road is spectacu- lar, and there are several good grayling lakes. The National Park Service maintains several public rest areas along the road and a campground up the road at Mile 28. Two large creeks cross the road near Mile 29 and Mile 30. Nabesna, an old and private- ly-owned gold mine, is 46 miles up the road. There are no gas stations on the Nabesna Road , so be sure to fill up first.
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NABESNA
