Gotta get some PROTEIN...Check

June 09, 2013

A mosquito kind of day, partly cloudy and no breeze to keep them at bay but I did get away while bike riding to the river.  Today was a hunt planning day so I won’t miss an opportunity in August-October should one arise.  I finally located a gold miner from CHICKEN, Alaska.  I’ll drive up to TOK to meet Clyde Baldwin (74y) and give him a hand around his house and find out what might be available.

June 10, 2013

Arrived in TOK at 10:00am to meet with Clyde and boy ole boy, he is a spry 74 year old man.  He said he doesn’t want to dive this year on his dredge because he’s feeling too old but after hearing him describe the work, I doubt it.  The mining claim is nine (9) miles down stream from the Taylor Highway (near CHICKEN) and all supplies go in by boat if the water is high enough, otherwise by ATV.  There isn’t a position for a rookie diver so Clyde gave me suggestions to try recreational prospecting.  I thanked him for the info and headed toward the Taylor Highway to go fishing.  The lake I found was a mile walk from the parking spot and all I could do was toss lures from the shore.  I noticed a man-made structure along the shore about a quarter mile away so I went for it.  Someone had built a wooden pontoon boat and equipped it with a paddle and chairs.  I jumped aboard and worked the shoreline for the next five hours.  I caught three keeper Rainbow Trout (12-13”) and released two others before catching two Arctic Char (a trout, 17 ½” and 16”) and finishing up with another three keeper rainbows (12-13”) and two more released.  Eight fish would supplement the diet nicely but I re-stopped at Clyde’s to offer him fresh fish.  Clyde refused the fish but did say I could stop by his claim if I made it up that way this summer. 

The two and a half hour trip to GULKANA turned into three and a half due to the gold panning in some promising creeks.  It looks like I may have some “color” but without glasses all I can tell is that I have black sand and a tad bit of gold looking stuff.  That is a good sign so I’ll stash it away for a later clean-up. 

About 11:30pm I had my last meal of the day, a whole rainbow trout…mmmm good!  Now to get the fish smell of my hands and off to bed.