Page 29 - Anchorage & Kenai Peninsula Bearfoot

BearfootCheckpoint:Hopeislocated atMile17HopeRoad, off Mile 56 ofthe Seward Highway. Population about 200.
EVERYDAY IN HOPE
Hope is a small Gold Rush town, located across Cook Inlet.
During the Gold Rush, prospectors followed each oth- er like sheep, "rushing" from one likely mining spot to another, with little logic in their travels. For example, 3,000 miners arrived in tiny Hope in 1896. They were lured here after $40,000 worth of gold was pulled from nearby Six Mile Creek. The next year all but 150 ofthem had "rushed" on to the Klondike. In1898,10,000 miners "rushed" back to Hope. There are still active gold mines along the Resurrection Trail, and you can do recreation- al panning in designated sites.
The Hope Road travels 17 miles along Turnagain Arm. Bicyclists and recreational motorcyclists enjoy traveling the Hope Road, with scenic curves, hills and views of the ocean. Beluga whales sometimes come into the small bays along the road.
SEWARD HIGHWAY
Resurrection Pass Trail
This trail was once "the trail to Seward." It heads south from Hope to Coo- per Landing, cross-coun- try, where it joins another trail that heads on down to Seward. Before launch- ing out on this major hike, contact the Forest Service to find out exactly what you 'll be facing in the way of challenges, and how to prepare for the walk.
Historic Buildings
There are many well pre- served historic buildings and cabins in the town of Hope. Although Hope looks like a traditional "sea town" it's interest- ing to note that the water of Turnagain Arm here is very shallow. That's why there is no harbor in Hope. Boats that plied the waters of Turnagain Arm had flat-bottomed hulls.
EVERYDA Y