As my time at the Rooster Ridge GPAA claim in Coker Creek, Tennessee draws to an close, the Smokey Mountains gave me one heck of a going away party.
The severe thunderstorm that passed through Coker Creek Friday afternoon left a trail of injuries and destruction in its wake. Tree limbs came down, canopies were thrown across the fields, leaving cuts and bruises behind. Tents and camps overturn and torn. So we patched up the cuts, downed painkillers for the bumps and bruises, and tried to set camp back to rights as best would could. Though it could have been much worse, the storm took its toll on Expedition '13. It appears that we'll be able to finish this leg of the Expedition, but before we head west, the Expedition will need a new tent. Since the First Nugget Contest is winding down, though you can still participate until we get the nugget home, Miss Paula has established the Oro Expedition Tent Fund. You can click the donate button anywhere on the website, or if you're a business that would be willing to do a barter exchange...one large three season cabin tent for the equivalent in advertising on KDCL Media, and recognition as a sponsor of Oro Expeditions--contact Miss Paula. We leave behind many THANKS and BLESSINGS to the friends we have made in Coker Creek and Tellico Plains, and are already making plans for a return trip in the not too distant future. SPECIAL THANK YOUs TO: Ron at The Welcome Center Bill & Marsha at Bill's Pit Stop of Coker Creek Dixie at Caney Creek Village Rose and the crew at Subway Tyler at KramBonz John & Nickie Mississippi Joyce & Vern Chris & Jack Michael & Melissa Ralph Cotton James, Christina & The Girls Linda Jim & Trish Yosemite Sam The Coker Creek Chapter of the GPAA for being our home away from home
0 Comments
It’s been ten days since our last entry, but a lot’s happened since then. The huge storm that hung out with us for a week nearly washed me away, and there were several mornings when I woke from dreams of our old waterbed to find my air mattress floating around the tent.
Some new friends, I’ve made in town, were kind enough to lend this prospector a dry place to sleep a couple nights so I could get warm and dry. The Nugget Buggy has definitely earned its keep, too. LOL Now all the rain swelled the creeks and rivers slowing down the Expedition, but the weather has been beautiful for the past week even if the frost has been on the grass a couple mornings, and I’m back in the water again. My 14 day time limit in the Cherokee National Forest was up so I moved gold camp to the GPAA claim outside the town of Coker Creek, and settled in to meet my new neighbors. A pair of brothers from Mississippi were spending their vacation on the claim so we spent a couple days running the woods with our sluices boxes collecting those shiny bits of gold metal. A little company in the creek makes the day sluicing pass by quick. Along with those little yellow rocks, there’s also a few artifacts I’ve found here and there along with some beautiful clear quartz points and clusters, and a couple other brothers that protect my camp from the wild hogs and bears. Man’s best friend and first alarm system. Miss Paula will soon be in possession of the videos from the first month of Expedition ’13 so be sure to keep checking Facebook and YouTube for her announcement. Until next time, may the bottom of your pan always be yellow. |
AuthorOro Cas shares his thoughts and experiences as he travels the country on his Expeditions. Archives
January 2014
Categories
All
|