In the early days, miners heading to the Interior from Valdez had one
option: up the Valdez Glacier and down the Klutina Glacier to Klutina Lake.
They had to drag all their supplies with them, often making more than one
trip.

Once they arrived at the lake, miners were tasked with building a boat
sturdy enough to travel across and enter the Klutina River; from there making
there way downstream to Copper Center.

This was a dangerous route, even in summer. Glacier travel came with a
number of hazards, including crevasses and avalanches. It was nearly eighty
miles from Valdez to Klutina Lake.

The image below shows the approximate route from Valdez over the glaciers to
Klutina Lake: