Jul 21

Written by:
7/21/2003 12:00 AM 

Greetings from the Cripple River Gold Camp! The weather here has been beautiful! Golden sunshine, with a cool breeze blowing the gnats and mosquitoes away. Today the Bering Sea is so calm, that from the chow hall window the water looks like blue glass sprinkled with sparkling diamonds, and the air so clear you can almost see “to tomorrow”. Monday at the 8 a.m. morning meeting Tom Massie announced that he and Cindy had hidden little metal boxes chock full of treasure all over camp. In addition, each box had a number in it that was redeemable for other prizes. The second the meeting was over, the camp (now instantly infected with treasure hunt-itis) erupted in a real frenzy. People searched, dug, hunted, and metal detected the entire camp. This hunt is still on-- five days later-- as not all of the “treasure” has been found. In some metal boxes were silver coins, or a gold commemorative coin, foreign bills, walrus ivory figurines, small gold nuggets, or other great and nifty things. So far no two boxes of treasure have been alike. Of course, the weather co-operated for Tom, making the hunt extra nice.

Yesterday, the cutest baby seal graced our beach with her presence. “Inky” Swiney, from Louden Tennessee was the first to see her. He hurried back to camp and took Suzy Hulsey and her son Jeff, from Tracy California, to visit with the baby. Jeff took pictures of the seal, which was willing to pose. Again today, the camp received a “seal of approval” when Mike “Bo” Bohannan from Springdale Arkansas, saw a large seal sitting in the sun on the beach, just across the Cripple River from camp. The seal was more than happy to let “Bo” take a few close-up photographs. Bo then told the seal that he really was better off in the Sea where there were fish to eat. Bo swears that the seal waved good-bye to him with a flipper as he slipped into the water. According to a local seal watcher in Nome, occasionally the mother seal will bring her tiny pup up onto the shore and leaves him or her there while she hunts. This protects the baby seal from walruses and whales, as well as struggling to keep up with momma seal. Once she is through hunting and has eaten her fill, she returns to the shore to join up with her pup. The seal pup, which has been waiting for a quick meal of warm milk, goes off into the Bering Sea happy to be re-united with mom. Animals and their ways fascinate me. We encourage people here to photograph the local animal residents, but except for photos, to leave the animals alone.

If you are into prospecting, I KNOW you have heard the phrase, “gold is where you find it”. Early this year Frank Mayse came into the chow hall, tossed his cap on an empty table, and looking down saw a nugget! Yellow Gold!!! And he didn’t even have to pan material to get it. This windfall could have been claimed by Frank’s wife, Jo. She was able to identify the nugget sight unseen. Jo said,” It’s sort of roundish, golden colored and heavy for its size with a specific gravity about 19.1”. And, of course, she was right!! Frank, being a very good husband, was of course happy to share his find with Jo.

Perry Massie’s ATVers tour to the Sinuk River was so very popular last week that this week he led a group of adventurers west again. ATV after ATV followed Perry out of Cripple River and along the Bering Sea “Beach Trail’. This ride goes past what many people here consider to be some of the most beautiful scenery near camp. Camera people took pictures, fisher people fished, rock hounds had the best selection of quartz and other sea tumbled rocks to collect, (with several pieces of Jade being found), and the rest of the people just luxuriated in the fresh sea air, and drank in the unique beauty. Each person had brought some food to eat in the open air, so lunch was enjoyed. Then people rested a while, or walked around and explored. Then back on the ATV’s for the ride back to camp. Another great day at Cripple River.

Speaking about Perry Massie and great days, this week Perry celebrated his forty-first birthday, and HE gave all of us in camp a fantastic present. He bought 50 or so Live Alaska King Crabs, (approximately 126 pounds of this most tasty crustacean) and brought them to camp! Giant cooking pots were located, and we had a giant crab cook out. Add pounds of hot melted butter, side dishes, and desert and we had a feast fit for kings and tired hungry prospectors. Everyone ate their fill, and (believe it or not), we had crab legs leftover. We ate and ate until we couldn’t eat any more. What a birthday present!!! Thank you and happy birthday Perry..

The following is in response to all those of you who have asked me to include more detailed descriptions of what goes on in “that there gold camp”. I will try to include a little info each week. During the six weeks camp is open, each Friday night is celebrated with a party. After supper there is a gold draw for the gold mined that week by the dredge crew and trommel crew. For those of you who have never attended an outing, this, in brief, is the usual procedure: The gold is divided into shares, and each share is numbered. Then numbers are written on plastic caps, one cap for each drawee. The caps are placed into a gold pan. All the individuals line up, and each person, without peeking, draws a number. You get the gold share that corresponds with your number. You also get a small baggie of gold bearing black sand to pan out. We then adjourn to the “saloon” for soda’s, popcorn, and an old fashioned miner’s meeting and court, where miscreants are tried and hung. The hole in the rock club meets and swears in worthy new members. Then the residents of our gold camp get down to the really serious business, having fun. Anyone with any talent, (and some of us who don’t have any talent at all), gets to go up on stage and perform. If you sing you get to play karaoke. Skits can be performed, poetry read, jokes told, dance troupes perform---pretty much anything reasonable goes. The evening’s entertainment is always different, and surprisingly good. Your responses can range from deep cleansing laughter to having a new friend touch your heart. For the past two week a young man, Taylor Nankervis, age 13 has performed on both the mandolin and the fiddle. Taylor is blessed with an abundance of talent and a great attitude. With his exceptional playing this young man touched the heart of everyone lucky enough to hear him play. He’s back in the lower 48 this week, but best wishes to Taylor, and to Bob his father. We all hope to hear you play again.

I haven’t written much about the fishing this year, but the fishing season is still closed for salmon, so it is catch and release. The Arctic Char and the Dolly Varden Trout are legal to keep. And tasty to cook and eat. Especially fresh from the Cripple River to the frying pan. As with last year, when enough salmon make their way up river to spawn, the salmon season should open.

Until next time, may your life and the bottom of your gold pan be golden.

Arctic Annie