Jul 3

Written by:
7/3/2002 12:00 AM 

Greetings from Cripple River Camp, 12 miles west of Nome Alaska! The camp has been really jumping recently as we are getting ready for a summer of fun and prospecting. The weather has been BEAUTIFUL. Most days are warm (up to 72 degrees) and the sun is shining. An occasional cloudy day or a few sprinkles keep the mosquitoes under control. At 3 AM yesterday morning, the ocean was so calm, the sunlight shining off the water looked like a million diamonds sparkling. The beauty just filled up my heart and soul. For a while I just sat and looked, forgetting to go to bed. What a perfect place to be.

Camp has been changing, with a separate new road for the trucks from the camp to the beach (the previous road is now ATV’s only), several new buildings, including some hootches a fire suppression system, a garage, changes in transportation and supply systems - - - the list goes on and on. Many improvements are being made, and more are planned, in an effort to improve our camp without causing it to lose its unique ambience as a primitive gold mining camp. Work on the non-denominational chapel is continuing this year. The chapel can also double as a meeting place for other functions. Many of our experienced crew members have returned to camp this year, with new crew members filling in the vacancies. Probably most important to the people mining on the beach are the new easy to start motors, easy to use foot valves, and more panning tubs. And, back by popular demand, Ralph Backstrom, a very young 92, will be running his snack service for the hungry miners on the beach. For a primitive mining camp we have a lot happening.

There were not a lot of storms on the Bering Sea last year, and due to the milder weather the ice broke up early leaving the beach fairly smooth for beach mining this year. The gold potential of the beach looks good, with some claims naturally, a little better than others. There is less water in the river this year than is normal, but it looks good for the dredge camp and the trommel. When mining in Alaska, you learn to work smarter, not necessarily harder.

There was a tinge of sadness at the crew meeting June 29th as former crew who had passed on were remembered in a moment of silence. Prior to this years trip we lost Don Hartman, Lavern Schildberg, and last years popular medic Dr. Dick Knudson. Life is short, pan while you can!

This has all ready been an interesting year for wild life sighting, as there have been reports of moose, reindeer, fox, and even a wolf sighting (he or she was a grayish white and stood off the trail watching the ATV’s for a few minutes, then just quickly melted back into the willows and disappeared off to do wolfie things). The ptarmigan are still changing from winter white to summer brown, and Artic Terns and other birds have baby chicks running all over the tundra. We had a whale pod swim by last week, and several seals have been spotted. One of my favorites, the Artic Ground Squirrel or sisiliks are in camp posing for pictures. Musk ox sign has been seen, but as of yet no one has reported seeing a musk ox. All the creatures up here are wild animals and you never know when or if they are going to show themselves for a "Kodak Moment".

Salmon fishing is still closed, but the season is open for trout and Dolly Varden’s are biting like fiends. The tundra outside of camp is covered with white Alaska cotton, and in spots it looks like fields of snow. Other flowers are also starting to bloom, and in places the tundra is a riot of colors. The air is pure and fresh, and the slightly salt air off the ocean seems to gently tickle your lungs.

The dredge and trommel camps are in operation, and the camp at Ketchmark will be open Monday. This is a very remote camp with access available by ATV only. Cripple River Camp is over 2300 acres, and that’s a lot of are a to prospect. To make exploring easier, the camp has thirty ATV’s that can be rented on a daily or weekly basis. In camp it’s first come first served, or you can pre-pay and reserve the ATV through Louise in Temecula, California.

The Cripple River Trading Post has an expanded and improved selection of items including black camp T-shirts (100 more than last year), emblazoned with the camp logo and 2002 with sizes appropriate for kids and granddads, and other goodies.

The town of Nome also has a lot to offer with unusual dining and shopping experiences. Last week was the Midnight Sun Festival celebrating the longest period of sunlight of the year, over twenty-three hours. We are looking forward to the Fourth of July Parade. The GPAA has two trucks in the parade, with people in the trucks throwing candy to the children, and handing out stickers commemorating the twentieth anniversary of George Massie’s first trip to Nome. This year our trusty camp manager John Backstrom hopes to have a motorcade(?) of smiling waving ATV riding members following our trucks in the parade, and taking part in some of the festivities.

From those of us lucky enough to be at Cripple River we can honestly say, “HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME, WISH YOU WERE HERE!!!” and may your life and the bottom of your pan turn golden.