Yesterday was an important day here. An endangered species this year at our Gold Camp — the sun — came out and shone down brightly on human and beastie alike in all its golden glory! People in camp who have not seen this round shinning warming circle in the brilliantly turquoise blue sky for so long, had trouble identifying this mysteriously bright object in the heavens, but wise old-timers correctly remembered it was called the sun! Welcome back old friend.

 

We had another unusual group of visitors to our Gold Camp Friday about noon, a small herd of Musk Ox. These large, shaggy creatures weighing in at 600 to a nearly 1,000 pounds came down the beach to that place in camp we call ‘the point’, the spot where the Cripple River empties into the Bering Sea. Here this herd stopped as it did not want to swim in the swift water, as they had babies with them, several yearlings, and one very small calf not more than a month or so old. This tightly grouped family herd was carefully watched over by a young but fully mature bull and several adult cows. As slow looking they may be, these creatures are extremely fast runners and when threatened can be as dangerous as a bear.

                                                                                                  

Many people in our camp hurried down to see this herd up close. Well, not too up closeas people in camp had been warned to keep their distance. With little ones to protect, Musk Oxen can be quite unpredictable and if they feel threatened, they will attack. The herd decided to wander past the point and check out our freshwater cleanup boxes and sniff and walk all around there, exactly where our treasure hunt was to take place that very afternoon! Not in a hurry to leave, the Musk Oxen wandered back and forth for a good half an hour, some going down to the river for a drink and others staying high and dry by the gold mining equipment, which means they felt comfortable enough to split up their little herd. If threatened, they would have stayed in a tightly formed group with the babies on the inside and older animals on the outside to ready to fight.

Pictures were being taken by everyone, as fast as cameras could click and the TV Production Crew was shooting footage. Then the big leader Ox saw a person he thought was a long lost buddy fishing down by the river, or maybe a rival from a different herd? Ralph Yager who was calmly fishing had just hooked and was playing a large salmon when the Musk Ox decided to walk over and say, ‘Hi there. Long time no see!’ to Ralph, or maybe chase Ralph, a possible rival male, away from his herd. Who knows for sure? 

 

Several people called out an unnecessary warning as Ralph, who had been keeping one eye on the herd and one eye on his fishing spot wisely decided discretion is the better part of valor and headed for higher ground, away from the Musk Ox. Taking his fishing pole, fish dragging in the sand at the end of 15 feet of line, as of yet not reeled in, Ralph quickly climbed the bank to give the herd the uncontested right of way!

 

The entire herd briefly tried the grass where Ralph had been standing and deciding Ralph did not know good tasting grass from bad grass and moved on another 50 feet to settle down and graze contentedly for a few minutes. Later, they would move on out of camp leaving a smile on many faces, a once-in-a-lifetime experience in many hearts and minds and hundreds of unbelievable pictures to be shared — along with the whole story — with families and friends back home. 

 

Ken Waterman from Medford, Ore. is one of the many hard working all volunteer crew who open up, repair, help run, and close down the Cripple River Gold Camp each year. He has been a member of the Lost Dutchman’s Mining Association and the GPAA for 81/2 years. Ken was once an avid metal detectorist, but due to back problems, now enjoys highbanking some and dry washing — particularly dry washing! First joining the L.D.M.A. so he could travel from patented claim to patented claim and have a place to camp out, he has spent time at Blue Bucket, Scott’s Bar and Stanton. Ken loves being at Cripple River and especially loves fishing. This week he caught a Silver Salmon (also called the Coho Salmon) that weighed in at 10 pounds, a nice size fish. The Alaska record for this fish was set in 1976 at a hefty 26 pounds. Imagine catching that one!

 

When asked if he had any advice from an old “sourdough” to the beginner prospector, Ken replied: “Work hard and don’t give up, especially on metal detecting. It may take time to find your first nugget. After that, it gets easier.”

 

Gold on the beach is good this year with some pickers being found along with the fine flour gold. The weather hasn’t always cooperated with some days being too windy or rainy to be able to put in the foot valve needed to run the beach boxes, but people are running every day they can and are getting good results. Two brothers in camp this year have set the camp record by working the beach all night long every night they could during the first couple weeks in camp and they maximized their beach gold recovery. Now, they are at the dredge camp working just as hard to get chunkier gold, big pickers and nuggets. These hard-working men take their mining seriously! 

 

The fishing is very good with many Pink Salmon being caught. Most are catch and release, so the barbs on the hooks at Cripple River are being flattened. The daily limit is 10 fish, but no one can eat 10 of these big fish a day. You can barbecue them or smoke them, but still most everyone practices catch and release with only the occasional fish being invited to be the guest of honor at a dinner.

 

The occasional Silver Salmon is being caught, especially up at the Sinuk River (pronounced Sin-nick) but no King Salmon have been caught, yet. While they’re not a common fish here, still several are caught each year in or near our camp. Some ‘prospectors’ never work a mining claim here; they come to our camp to fish. I have been told it is better to come here than to go to a fishing camp. (I guess that makes some sense, to them at least.) Lures work well, especially some with orange on them, I’ve been told. This year, several people have broken their fishing rods in camp. One or two of them were fishing when they broke the rod. The fish was to heavy for the light tackle, one ran his ATV over his fishing pole and one shut the outhouse door on his in the wind and snapped the tip off. Names and States of the last two withheld at their request.

 

The sun came out to play again yesterday, and it was a perfect day for a beach glass hunting trip to the East beach in Nome. The sand along the Bering Sea was wide and smooth, making the trip to town for those of us on our ATVs fast and relatively easy.

Bonnie Ofchar Hanover Mi, a crew member who works in the Trading Post led the way, followed by Ronda Nichols from Brooklyn, Mi., (she and Bonnie have been friends for over 40 years) with me bringing up the tail end.

 

A quick stop in town and on to East Beach to wait for Big Bob Fredlund and the truckload of hunters. When the people arrive at the beach, the beach glass is waiting and this week Mother Nature has been generous. The storms that have bothered the gold miners back at camp has thrown up and washed up lots of old, thick, tumbled, brightly colored beach glass, just waiting to be picked up by eager hands. Along with other unusual rocks and treasures! Green, white, clear-frosted, amber, dark brown, aquas, yellow, cobalt blue, turquoise blue, amethyst and, yes, red! Everyone found a nice amount of glass along with rocks and other ‘keepers’! Then it was off to town for lunch and shopping or touring. Later, back to camp for an optional crab feast. 

 

Joe Cline from West Fork, Arkansas has been coming to Cripple River Gold Camp for four years now, and is the head of Camp Operations Department. Joe and his lovely wife, Mae, who stayed back in the lower 48 to keep home things going, joined the GPAA in 2004 and the LDMA in 2006. Mae, who isn’t into prospecting, does computerized embroidery. Mr. Cline has been a rock hound since high school when he lived in Apache Junction, Arizona, where he cut rocks into cabochons and did some silversmithing.

 

“I like all aspects of prospecting and I love this camp. I plan to keep coming back as long as they will let me, or until I am too old or it is no longer any fun. At least for a long long time any way,” Joe said.

 

As much as I love to write to you all, the sun is still shining bright, and the warm sea breeze is calling me. I’ve got to go. Until next time, May your life and the bottom of your pan be golden.

Your Friend,