Jul 11

Written by:
7/11/2001 12:00 AM 

Greetings from Cripple River! You may have heard we had rain. Well let me tell you we really had rain. The third of July the rivers that border the camp on the east and west had risen to great heights, and even Edwards Creek was flooding. The rain also accelerated the snow melt, and Cripple River Camp was cut off from the rest of the world for about 36 hours. Prospectors wanting to go to town or to Arctic Creek couldn't make it. The waves in the Bering Sea made it very hard to even run the beach boxes! Activity in camp slowed some but didn't stop. A few hardy energetic miners donned wet weather gear and panned or sluiced for gold. The few brave prospectors who wanted to work the beach couldn't get their foot valves set in the rough weather. Not to be denied, they moved their beach boxes close to the sea and used buckets to supply their water. This is the way it was done in 1900. Other miners gathered material up in buckets, carried them back to camp and ran the material in the clean up boxes. True prospectors will not be denied. Those of us not quite so adventuresome chose other activities. There were poker games, cribbage, dominos or solitaire. In the saloon there were tapes and classes on prospecting. Those who attended learned a few tricks to assist them in future activities. People wrote letters, ate a lot of "grub" or even slept!

The weather improved late in the day on the fourth of July. Camp trucks resumed their runs to town, but only one ATV braved the high waters in the Penny River to be in the parade. Next year we will try for forty Cripple River ATV's in the parade. There were a few firecrackers celebrating the Fourth of July. Tom Massie threw a big bonfire party on the beach in front of the camp and of course, since it never gets dark this time of year, there were no fireworks (except maybe at the cribbage games)! The weather turned beautiful – blue skies, a light breeze and warm sun shine. Everyone wanted to get to that beach and get that gold at once! The rush was on!

We're in to our third week in camp and things are going great. Several of the new couple’s hooches are completed and there are two walls up on the new Chapel. The flowers are in bloom and the baby birds are taking their first flights. Three days ago a live walrus was sighted between Cripple River Camp and Nome. It was at the edge of the sea, flippers in the water just looking the beach over. When the two riders on ATV's saw the walrus they hit their breaks and skidded to a stop. The walrus shook its head and faster than you would believe an animal of that size can move, the walrus spun around and dove into the ocean. The first wave washed out the imprints in the sand and the two onlookers were left pinching themselves and muttering about never having their cameras with them when they need it.

Friday night at our camp party in the saloon, Chip and Lavern Yorde were honored for being married 45 years. A Nome centennial plate was presented by the crew members. For Christmas they had given their four sons (Dale, Dan, Dennis and Duane) a trip to Nome as a present. During the party the four of them sang a song on stage that brought the house down with applause...it was a very special moment. Next big one is 50. Congrat's!

The weather has been so exceptionally nice the past several days that a picnic was planned for Sunday up by the Sinuk River. This river is west of camp about 14 miles and is a great spot for finding small sea shells, unusual drift wood, stream tumbled rocks, a host of wild life, and beautiful scenery.

This year the word is out...watch for bears! We have seen several and lots of tracks. Monday night we had one by the river at Edwards Creek. They usually avoid us just like smart people like to avoid them, but this one seemed agitated about the lack of fish. He eventually headed toward the Sinuk and better pickings. Salmon season is closed temporarily (to us, not to the bears), but the Dolly Varden trout are biting good!

At eleven p.m. one "night" (the sun was still brightly shining) an ultra-light plane landed by supply. It was Blueberry John's son who just flew by and dropped in for a chat. Fifteen minutes later, chatting over, he took off. That's the Cripple River experience – you never know what is going to happen. Camp record on fish is now 25", but as it was a salmon, it was a catch and release.

An interesting aside – Alaska Eskimos did not make igloos of blocks of ice. Alaska Eskimos made igloos of hide and wood and large stones. The Canadian Eskimos traditionally made their igloos of ice.

Until next time, may the bottom of your pan turn gold.