A photograph at the Cordova Historical Museum shows Jeffie Wade and her sister wading in the water at mile 7 of what is now the Copper River Highway, taken in 1921.
In the same area, nearly 100 years later I took photos of two-year-old Jase Rodrigues flying a kite with help from his parents Tony and Kara.
The amount of history this highway has seen and the growth in recreation opportunity reminds me just how valuable it is for Cordova.
Another historical photograph showed Warren G. Harding, the 29th president of the United States, looking at Childs Glacier with his wife Florence, near mile 48 of the highway, then a railroad.
Being Cordova’s longest road, the Copper River Highway extends for just 36 miles, after Bridge 339 washed out in 2011 and halted vehicle access.
People can cross the river and pick up road access again on the other side but after another road washout at mile 45 this past August, vehicle access has proven much more difficult further down the highway.
Still for Cordovans, the 36 miles of easily accessible road provides an otherworldly landscape mainly utilized for recreation and subsistence. Going out the road is a way to unwind, submerge the mind and body in nature, and escape from the constraints of life in a small town; something not easily done in the community which has no road connecting it to the Alaska highway system.
On sunny and dry days, a rarity for the rain-drenched town, people flock out the road with four wheelers hitched in the bed of trucks and dogs hanging out the windows; behind them, billowing dust clouds block any reminder of schedules, lists or responsibilities.
This past week was the first week with a few consecutive sunny days in nearly a month. I packed up my cameras and tried to go out every day I could.
I rolled the windows down, cranked my CDs and soaked in the sun, feeling silly for ever complaining about it being too bright. The air lost its winter bite and in turn, the highway came alive again.
With each sunny day, snow that made the road impassible reluctantly gives way.
Most of the net-covered planks that guide hikers along U.S. Forest Service trails have lost their snow and ice, as sounds of birds fill the spring air.
“I really encourage people to enjoy the trail systems,” said Cathy Renfeldt, executive director of the Cordova Chamber of Commerce.
There are also USFS public use cabins and various areas to camp out the road.
More than 90,000 acres of land in the Cordova area is owned by The Eyak Corp who require users to have permits. Permits can be picked up at The Eyak Corp., 901 Lefever St., or found online at eyakcorporation.com.
Their land use permit is currently valid for one year on all Eyak Corp. lands, with the exception of camping permits required for recreational sites at Cabin Lake, Hartney Bay and Jeppson Pond.
Day trips to Sheridan Glacier, less than 20 miles from town and only a few from the airport, provide up close and personal views of an ever-changing landscape that humbles those who traverse it.
During the winter, people ice skate on the frozen lake, walk onto the glacier and explore its caves while in the summer, having s’mores next to its face or hiking the neighboring mountain to get a bird’s-eye view is the preferred option.
Cordova Gear, a local outdoors shop in town, has begun offering day rentals for bikes which Renfeldt recommends for those who don’t have access to a vehicle.
Whatever the method, route or activity, going out the road has been a staple in this community. For more than 100 years, this same land provided views and adventure, a want for visitors and a necessity for Cordovans.
Editor’s Note:
Grab a FREE copy of this week’s print edition April 4-7 at the Cordova Chamber of Commerce booth at the Great Alaska Sportsman Show in Anchorage.
