Summer has come to the Cripple River Gold Camp again! The early crew has been out and about repairing the damages caused by the camp’s long and lonely winter vigil.
We humans in the lower 48 wait for summer to arrive so we can again return to Nome, Alaska. We come from all over and meet here, 12 miles from Nome where the waters of the Cripple River and the Bering Sea come together to dance in delight and share secret kisses. We come together to have fun, find gold and adventure, take breathtaking pictures, breathe truly fresh air, experience a different way of life, learn new skills, hone old skills, make new friends, and see our camp friends from before! Yet before the first of us arrive, at the very start of the season, the entire camp seems to be holding its breath as if waiting for something, in fearful anticipation.
The Chow Hall, the heart of the Camp is thinking, “Will my people come back this year bringing the 'wood doctors' to fix my buildings, the 'water doctors' for my pipes, and all the other 'medical specialists' to diagnose and treat all my other woes? Will I again hear the squeals of laughter ringing from the buildings and streets, friends teasing each other in good natured fun? Or exclamations of delight over a great hot-cooked meal, excited voices raised over an extra nice gold find, or the gentle arguments over a game played at night? Will new lovers walk down my streets hand in hand, and older married couples, many still holding hands or sharing secretive intimate glances celebrate another happy anniversary here again? Or will I be forgotten in today’s difficult and uncertain times?"
Then the Cripple River Gold Camp hears the first of the early crew’s ATVs on the beach road and recognizes the doctors' voices from years past. “They’re here! They’re here! See here everyone, George, Wilma, Dorothy, everyone - we haven’t been forgotten” and then quick as a wink the buildings share a good laugh and a smile, and settle back down into seemingly lifeless structures for the summer -again.
Yes indeedee, participants or crew, we are at Cripple River Gold Camp for the Summer AGAIN!!!
The damage to the camp this year was especially severe, with several roofs caved in from the snow, one of which was the saloon, which saw damage to several camp work trailers stored inside. Several other buildings also sustained snow damage, so the early crew had quite an extensive job to get the camp up and running this year. In addition to the repairs, there was also new construction, a new office with a tower. So Cripple River now has a two story building! It’s kinda cute, as it is almost taller than it is wide. The Chow Hall has been so improved that “Chip” Yorde, from Merrill, Wi, “Miner’s Chef Extraordinaire” is virtually glowing with enthusiasm over the changes in the Chow Hall. Chip exclaimed, and I quote, “I feel like I have died and gone to Heaven!!!” A General note of interest, all the ladies assigned to the Chow Hall this year are wearing pink Cripple River hats, so they are easy to spot.
The weather has been varied with a day or so of light mist and cool wind, but for the past two days it has been bright and sunny, and 65 degrees, with a light breeze to help with the mosquitos, but bug dope is still nice to have. Some of the new Deet free brands seem to be working well so far this year, but time will tell.
Fishing is good at Bowhead for Dolly Varden, (Arctic Char -also called sea-going trout for its ability to live in both fresh and salt water) as they are feeding on the baby salmon, called smolt, who are making their way to the Bering Sea for the first time. The young salmon will live and grow in the salty Bering Sea until mature enough to spawn, when they will return to the waters they hatched, lived in and thrived the first many months of their lives. Here they will spawn, but the fresh water that nurtured them in their infancy will cause their death as adults. Mother Nature’s cycle of life.
The gold on the beach is good this year, and the beach boxes are humming. With the good weather, foot valves go in early and come out late, as beach miners learn the skills of separating flour gold from the red and black sands of the beach. A lot of the work is done with the good trusty “muck stick” lovingly known as a shovel, but the gold is definitely worth it.
Heather and Sean Stilwell, from Anchorage, are first timers at the gold camp this year. Having lived in Alaska for the past 27 years, they definitely are not “cheechakos” or newbies to Alaska, but they are greenhorns when it comes to gold prospecting! This year they came for one week and have both worked hard on the beach for the past five days. “We saw the GPAA show on TV, and joined the group right away. When we saw the Alaska trip advertised, we decided to try an Alaskan vacation this year. We love it here! The crew is just wonderful, and they answer all our questions and are ready to show us how to get the gold and run the equipment. We’re getting great gold, and while it is work, we are learning a lot we will use in our future prospecting."
The flowers around camp are not very tall this year, probably due to a hard winter and a late spring, so we have coined the term “Belly Flowers" because to get really good photos of some of the shinier ones, you need to get down on your tummy to see the flowers' faces. The flowers all look like a colorful carpet, not much variety in height, but a great variety in shape and color. We have a fox friend hanging around near the camp, so we don’t have many Sisiliks, also known as Arctic Ground Squirrels.
There has been a herd of caribou roaming around the Bowhead Creek area about two miles from camp, and a herd of Musk Ox that can be seen just across the Cripple River from camp. At times you can see them from the Chow Hall window.
A baby seal was sighted on the beach, and was not bothered. It was likely left on the beach by its mother while she was out fishing. After a mother has fed, she comes back for her baby, feeds him and takes him back into the sea. If the baby goes in alone, it can get lost and die or be eaten. It’s always best to leave wildlife alone unless you are sure what to do.
There has been a whale sighting across from our camp, so our summer dance is starting. Salmon attract the seals. In a few days the seals attract the whales. When the whales come, the seals leave. After several days, the seals return and the cycle starts all over again. As you can read, photo opportunities abound this year, again!
Linda Grace from Prescott, Ariz., joined the Lost Dutchman’s Mining Association nine years ago and has been coming to Alaska for the past five years. While in camp, and assigned as housing coordinator, she wears many other hats and is always hard at work helping the camp run as smoothly as possible. If there is a job that needs doing, Linda is ready, willing and able to fill in and do it! A 5-foot, 6-inch dynamo, Linda is always ready for a new challenge.
This year, in addition to all her other duties, Linda is in charge of Friday Night’s Entertainment, and with her in charge, you can expect something great. Linda's favorite color is that of passion - purple. In the past five years, Linda has not been mentioned in the Chronicle once! It was an accidental oversight.
Ken Rucker, our Camp Manager, reports “This has been a hard year. We have gone from freezing temperatures and 14 feet of snow to 75 degrees in a space of four weeks. We are looking forward to a good summer, good gold, good weather, and good times.
Well, I’ve just gotta go out and prospect some before I get the fibbertygiggets any worse. So until next week, may your life and the bottom of your pan turn golden!
Your friend, Arctic Annie