Seward weekly gateway., 1906-08-04
Surveyors Find Road or SOuttl Side of Turnagain Arm
 Too Expensive.
INVOLVES MUCH ROCK WORK
Reel and 0daIe Say Present ROuJe From Sunrise to Railroad Is
 Most Feasible.

That the most practicable route for a trail from Hope and Sunrise to the Alaska Central railroad is the present Johnson creek trail to mile 8 is the conclusion of w. H. Reel and J. J. Odale, who were employed by General Manager Poland of the Alaska Central to investigate the proposed route along the south side of Turnagain Arm. Ai~ ter going over both routes carefully they agreed that the Johnson creek trail would be far cheaper, although twelAe miles longer.
 Contrary to previous ideas, obtained chiefly from looking at the shore line of the Arm from the water, Reel and Odale found that heavy rock work would be necessary much of the way. Accordingly a report will be made, recommending the improvement of the Johnson creek trail, with some slighr changes in the route. From Hope i' will be 40 miles and from Sunrise %L miles to mile 5 on the railroad
 Work Already Done
 Messrs. Reel and Odale were de>ig. hated by NIr. Poland to study uail routes at the request of Maj Richard son, chairman of the Alaska road com- mission, who was here recently ano promised to expend hereafter the pro- portion of the license fees collected iu Seward, Sunrise and Hope belong ing to the Alaska road fund upon trail which will give the latter two 80 good roadway to the railroad, and con sequently easy communication with Seward. Mr. Reel is an Alaska Cen .tral engineer and NIr. Odale is mining man familiar with the Inlet region and with mountain road mak- ing. Mir. Reel is now on the Johnson creek trail taking elevations and mak~ ing estimates of necessary work. MT. Odale is in Seward and has written his report, in which he says in part:
 T find after looking over the coun- try thoroughly that the proposed beach trail from Hope to the head of Turn again Arm is not practical for either pack trail or wagon road, on account of the many snow slides in deep gorges that would destroy costly bridges: also much heavy rock work and other obstacles.
 Study Trail Routes
 After finishing this work, I looked over the route known as the Johnson creek trail, between Hope and mile 33 on the Alaska Central Railway Part of this trail is already constructed. Between Hope and Sunrise, a distance of nine miles, considerable work has been done by the people of those two towns, and from Sunrise to the LynN creek mines. a distance of sixteen miles, there is a good, wide pack trail and sled road completed, which could be made into a wagon road very easily. From Lynx creek to the railroad, distance of nearly fifteen miles, across the Johnson creek pass, there is no very difficult work. The only heavy work on this route is along Bench creek, where there is about a mile of rockwork, and bridge would be re- quired across Groundhog creek 40 feet high and 60 feet long. This would be the only large bridge necessary on the whole route.
 "The average snow fall on the sum- init is six to eight feet, but taking everything into consideration I think this is far the best route, though it is about twelve miles longer than the proposed beach trail"