Jul 9

Written by:
7/9/2011 1:02 AM 

The weather continues to be off-again-on-again with a sunshiny day, then a cold rainy day. Or, or like the Fourth of July, warm and sunny in the morning and turning to cold and rainy by 2 o’clock.

Dressing in layered clothing, carrying rain gear and bug dope has never been more important than it is this year of changeable weather if you want to stay comfortable!

Our camp was visited by several musk oxen who quietly grazed across the Cripple River near the “Old Common Operation”, while people on this side of the river took their pictures. These large shaggy beasts seem to be placid and slow moving, but when angry they are very fast runners, and agile fighters. Even the Alaskan Brown Bear (Grizzly to the folks in the lower 48) rarely picks a fight with a healthy Musk Ox as even if the bear wins it usually suffers so many injuries it may not be able to survive the winter. The Musk Ox is covered with long flowing hair that is highly valued for weaving, as it is the softest, warmest, rarest natural fiber in the world – called qivet (pronounced kiv-ee-ute), which sells in the untouched state for $300 a pound. Hint: while these gentle giants may stand still for photos, they do not like hair cuts.

The famous Perry Massie Fishing Trip to the Sinuk River went off without a hitch Tuesday with ATV after ATV following the leader up the sandy trail that runs alongside the Bering Sea for 17 miles to the river mouth. With the sea on the left and the tundra on the right and the blue sky overhead, the beauty of this remote area surrounds you. Here the trusty adventurers stop so the fisher folk can try their luck at Salmon or Dolly Varden and watch Perry fillet them and cook them over an open fire. Hot dogs and other foods were available for the non fish-eating people.

Beach combing is a real favorite for the ones who don’t fish, and interesting rocks, sea shells (Yes, there are shells here ‘though they are tiny as the sea is so very cold.) and driftwood in truly fantastic shapes.

After a rest, it’s time to mount up and ride your mechanical burro back to camp enjoying the fresh salt air and the beautiful scenery on the return trip. Seeing animals like reindeer, caribou, or musk ox, is also a treat that often happens on this trip.

Fishing continues to be not as good as last year, as the full fledged salmon run has not yet started. Dolly Varden, a tasty sea going trout, and Pink Salmon are being caught, along with Chum Salmon. The Chums are catch and release only because they are the main food source for the native people’s dog sled teams. Up here, where the winters are lo-ooo-ng and co-oo-ld and hard, many of the people who live in small villages and on the islands are subsistence hunters who follow the old-time traditions. Their dogs would starve to death on a diet of commercial dog food — nowhere near enough fat or protein for these happy, hardworking family members. When there was almost no Chum in the poor Salmon run a few years ago, these hard hit and caring people had to humanely euthanize most of their sled dogs, saving only the best for breeding purposes. They still don’t talk about it. And before you ask ... No, dog food companies from the lower 48 could not have helped as feeding their products to the sled dogs would be like feeding salad to a sumo wrestler. It would have led to a slow death from starvation. So, please catch and release all Chum Salmon.

We almost, but not quite hardly, had an exciting event happen in camp at Friday Night’s Saloon Follies. A nice young man wanted to propose marriage to his girlfriend up on stage in front of the Cripple River Gang and really surprise and delight her. Unfortunately, she had heard several people in camp talking about the hangings in the saloon and that they were looking for people to hang. Putting two and two together she came up with seven and come Friday night hid out! (They were looking for people to hang as they do every week, but not her!) The person ultimately surprised was her hopeful fiancé, as no one could find her until after the night’s festivities were over. When I was talking to her I discovered that life with her will never be dull, as she had locked her soon to be spouse in the outhouse at the Ketchmark Camp by accident. There he spent several long hours waiting to be rescued while everyone, herself included, were asking each other “Where’s _ _ _ _? Has anyone seen him recently? Do you know where he went?” Finally a thorough search turned him up!

It seems she had left the outhouse and read the sign that reminds you to latch the door behind you. He slipped in behind her and she apparently didn’t notice or forgot or something and latched the door and left the area, trapping him inside! Names, city and state withheld at the request of the embarrassed lady, who hopes whoever reads this will think the people involved are not from south of the Mason-Dixon Line, but from California.

Twelve-year-old Jocelyn Allain and her grandfather Jim Clemmons from Laconia, N.H., came to Cripple River Gold Camp for two weeks this year. They came to see the tundra, to find gold, to have fun and to get away from home for a short while. Jim has been a member of the GPAA for 12 years and takes Jocelyn prospecting with him occasionally, once to Stanton, Ariz., where she found a nugget metal detecting.

“I like everything about camp. The people here are all so very nice, and helpful, everyone is great,” Jocelyn said.

“When you come up bring up an air mattress as the plywood bunks are hard and try to do all the classes you can as this is a once in the lifetime opportunity, who knows when you will ever get to come back again!”

Jocelyn says “Hi!” to her family back home, and “Do I have a lot of stories to tell you!”

She has delighted the camp with her cheerful can-do attitude, her willingness to try new things and the obvious love and respect she shows her grandfather. This spirited, yet sensible, young lady has captured the hearts of the camp, and several prospectors have told me how they have been ‘tickled pink’ to see her actually skipping down the streets of our camp. She’s definitely a keeper! Pure gold!

The Fourth of July parade was a hit, again, with our camp and Nome. ATVers from our camp turned out in great numbers to ride in the parade and throw candy and necklaces to the waiting crowd, where young and old alike ran, hopped, jumped and hobbled to scoop up the treasures. The ATVs were followed by three giant Cripple River Trucks, the back beds filled with passengers also throwing goodies to the crowd. Cameras flashed, picture taking phones clicked, film rolled and another parade was recorded for posterity.

People in the chow hall rushed out Sunday when the calls rang out “The Whales are here! And, “Thar she blows!” Out a little ways in the Bering Sea was a small pod of three Orcas, commonly called Killer Whales. They stayed about two hours or so, and entertained the animal watchers in our camp. They came in a little ways, and then swam back out from the shore a ways. Whale spouts were pointed out, whale flukes were sighted and twice a whale partially surfaced. Now, before I get too much grief from those who want everything exactly perfect, Killer Whales are not really whales but are truly members of the dolphin group. Every year, we have what we call Mother Nature’s Dance in camp. The Salmon Smolt swim down the Cripple River out to the sea, Dolly Varden trout and other fish come to eat the small fish, the seals come to eat the bigger fish and the whales come to eat the seals. The seals leave, the whales leave. The seals return a few days later and then the whales return to repeat this dance until the season is over. Then a new dance starts next year!

So much going on here I almost forgot the gold report. Gold on beach is good, but weather stopped most work for two days. Gold at the trommel highbankers is also good, but again bad weather has slowed prospecting down.

A new prospecting area is now open due to the hard work of GPAA Claims, Outings and Expeditions Director Blake Harmon and the prospectors in camp are very excited to try this area. A report will be given in the next Cripple River Chronicles.

Off to try the new area. It sounds too sweet to miss ...

Until next week, May your life and you pan turn golden!

— Your Friend, Arctic Annie