Helicopter flights to Erie Mine Bunkhouse bring noise to Kennicott Valley in mid-September

Helicopter flights between McCarthy and the remote Erie Mine Bunkhouse will bring periods of increased aircraft noise to the Kennicott Valley in mid-September, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve said Monday. The helicopter will carry personnel, equipment and materials to the historic site. Flight dates depend on weather and conditions. Pilots operating in the area should remain alert for helicopter activity, the park said in its notice from Copper Center.

Park Service crews will use the delivered equipment to move fallen rock from around the structure. Some materials will be cached for possible further stabilization next season. Visitors are told to stay clear of active work areas and follow posted signs and closures. They should also avoid entering abandoned mine openings or closed historic structures.

Federal award records show the Department of the Interior contracted Ridgeline Aviation, Inc. of Cordova for $40,499 in on-call helicopter service for the Erie Bunkhouse stabilization project. The performance period runs from Aug. 28 through Feb. 28, 2027.

The park closed ground beneath an unstable hill on the Root Glacier access trail in July, warning hikers could be injured or buried by falling rock, and it remains closed. The park opened a reroute around it. That new route begins 1.8 miles along the Erie Mine Trail. It leaves the trail ten yards past the Amazon Creek footbridge, turning left and downhill onto talus. It runs about 2.5 miles one way. The park strongly recommends traction devices, put on before stepping onto the ice because of the steep grade there.

Acting Superintendent Joshua Scott said the reroute restored safe access to Root Glacier, one of the park's most visited destinations, while protecting visitors from the changing hazard.

The bunkhouse sits on a steep slope above the glacier. It is reachable only by air or on foot. The park's number is 907-822-5234.