The Shidner Family

In the summer of 1993, we built our home in McCarthy. For the last 15 summers, we have worked and played in McCarthy, our favorite place on Earth.

We have seen many changes in the local area, including a change from CB and satellite radios to "tellular" phone service in 1995 and a pedestrian footbridge across the Kennicott River which replaced the hand-pulled trams in 1996.

Andy's background is in mountain climbing, survival training, satellite internet installations and construction. This summer will be Andy's 8th season working for the National Park Service on the historical building restoration project at Kennecott.

Cynthia is the home schooling coordinator for the Chugach School District, working with families in McCarthy and nearby communities.

Our sons, Matthew (12) and Robert (9), enjoy the long days of sunlight during the summer. They have hiked on the glacier, explored the underside of the glacier, visited ice caves, and learned the names of our local plants and animals.

If you visit in late July or August, we'll share some freshly picked garden vegetables with you! You are also welcome to borrow books from our office if you wish to learn more about the human and natural history of the local area.