BEYOND HOPE

While living full-time in Alaska, I spent a fair amount of time fishing, panning for gold, and hiking in the old mining town of Hope. My brother and I, along with friends, camped there for weeks on end. Having so much fun—we’d never want to return home to Anchorage.

Hope had a special appeal to me and still does. My wife and I contemplated retiring in the small community, but could never secure property on a bluff overlooking Cook Inlet. That was the only location I would’ve been satisfied with. Instead, Joleen and I chose Lake Havasu City, building our house with BLM land and Lake Havasu at the backside.

Regency Drive is the only area I would’ve been happy with here, and we were able to pull it off thanks to local realtor and former Alaskan, Richard Pagliero. With no property listed for sale on this street, Richard yanked some strings to make things happen. Having faith that he’d come through, our prayers were answered. A unique story in itself, I’ll save that tale for another day.

Hope, Alaska, is supposedly named after 17-year-old miner Percy Hope, although some historians question this. Percy Hope came to the area in 1895 as part of a contingent of gold seekers. With gold being discovered in Six Mile Creek, prospectors by the thousands flocked to the vicinity. Before long, saloons sprang up, with stores soon to follow.

Come 1898, when gold was discovered in the Yukon Territory, Canada, many miners left Hope to seek their fortunes in Dawson. Some of them remained, keeping the struggling locale from becoming a ghost town like Sunrise, located just a few miles away.

We were able to visit some of the old mining camps, with rusty relics still lying amongst the trees and brush. Large pipes that brought water for sluicing can still be seen in the old Palmer Creek mining camp. There is plenty of wildlife in this valley, with black and grizzly bears often spotted.

We’ve been searching for a place in Arizona that’s similar to Hope, Alaska. I wanted a spot to go for short stints and relax, with less noise than Havasu, although the sound of Harleys and Hotrods is music to my ears. It is a bit hard to concentrate at times while writing, with constant roaring in the background.

Listening to a friend one day talk about a small town where he loves to park his RV, I was more than shocked to hear the name, Hope. Joleen and I didn’t know it existed. Jim Brownfield and his wife have been going there for several years to unwind. They find it more peaceful and scenic than Bouse or Quartzite.

Hope, Arizona, is 89 miles south of Lake Havasu City via AZ-95 S and AZ-72 E. Ironically, the distance from Anchorage to Hope, Alaska, is 88 miles. Wanting to visit the town that Jim Brownfield refers to as a desert paradise, last month we traveled through there on the way to Prescott. I instantly fell in love with it, seeing the potential for great adventure.

Maps show the surrounding mountains chocked full of old gold mines to explore, while there’s a grocery store in town, along with a church, gas station, and antique store. Boondocking is in our immediate plans, meaning we’ll carry in our water, power, and septic system while carrying out all trash.

On the way out of this tiny town, my wife spotted a large billboard. Joleen read aloud, “You’re Now Beyond Hope.” Before I had time to chuckle she quickly became a poet, good-naturedly roasting me, “They made that sign with you in mind!”

Geographically speaking – she was correct!