Travels with haRVy

While visiting Talkeetna, Alaska we spent an afternoon on Alaska Railroad’s Hurricane Turn Train. Riding the Hurricane Turn Train between Talkeetna and Hurricane Gulch is a great way to meet local Alaskans in a casual, laid back environment. Many of the passengers on the train are Alaskans who use the service as a way to reach cabins or homes that are inaccessible any other way.

This train operates as a flag stop service, allowing passengers to hop on and off as they please. To disembark, they simple notify the conductor of the milepost where they wish to stop. To get back on, its as easy as a wave of a flag.

The area where most of the cabins are located is known as Chase, which is home to approximately 40 year round residents. They use the Alaska Railroad as their lifeline to transport necessary goods from the larger cities back to their homes in the wilderness.

Baggage car with some of the goods being transported to remote homes.

This family got off the train next to the river on our way up. They planned to float the river in a raft. Others got off at various locations to camp, fish and hike.

On our way back, we saw the family down-river playing on shore.

A few train relics lie along the tracks.

Our train took to a siding to allow the another traveling south from Fairbanks to pass.

The tracks follow the Susitna River for miles.

Just about all there is to the town of Hurricane. 

Some pretty nice scenery along the route.

From atop the bridge over Hurricane Gulch, our turn-around point.

Conductor Warren Redfearn provided stimulating narrative throughout the trip.

The train stopped a few times allowing us to disembark for photo ops.

The smallest city in Alaska – population 2.

Sherman resident and author Mary Lovel offers her books for sale to train passengers from her rail side bookstore. Journey to a Dream is the true story of the Lovel family and their pilgrimage from middle America to the wilds of Alaska during the 1960’s. She tells of their success in homesteading land to earn and obtain title and the adventures they experience raising four small children in the wilderness.

Al loves train rides.