Recalling Memories: KARLUKWEES

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September, 2010

RECALLING MEMORIES FROM …. THE STRAIT YEARS:

Now living in Tucson, I am having a difficult time getting used to the very hot summer!  Especially compared to the lovely summer weather we experienced in Port Angeles, Washington, and my mind is filled with memories of the twenty summers we spent in that beautiful area.

In my fifth and last book, The Strait Years, I wrote about our life during those years.  Our home overlooked the Strait of Juan de Fuca, so the ship and boat activity was a constant source of interest. The Olympic Peninsula had many beautiful places to explore, and crabbing, digging clams, and fishing provided endless enjoyable activities.  However, my fondest memories are of the cruises we took among the islands in US and Canadian waters in our 30 foot cabin cruiser named the Maverick.

A careful list was prepared prior to each cruise, as certain supplies could be difficult to find in small seaside towns or marina stores.  Sometimes the boat would be a loaded and ready for the trip, sometimes for days, as we waited for calm water or the fog to lift. This was imperative, as our first day involved crossing the Strait of Juan de Fuca ….25 miles of big water.  Once across, the water was usually calmer in and around the various islands.

I’d like to share my memories of one the most interesting places we visited.   It took us 16 days to reach this site.  Each and every day along the way had its own story…the things we saw as we cruised along, and interesting moorages or anchorages. For those stories, you will have to read my book, The Strait Years.

KARLUKWEES:

Karlukwees is the site of an ancient, now abandoned Indian village on Turnour Island, in Canadian waters.  A red mark on this map shows the island and its distance from Port Angeles.  We learned of this village from the book Northwest Boat Travel….A helpful item to carry when cruising in Northwest waters.

Approaching the village, we spotted several dilapidated buildings, and a rickety, yet usable dock, with a ramp to shore, so we pulled in and moored to the dock.  We had caught six salmon that morning. Fortunately, I had brought along our pressure cooker, a gas burner, with portable propane, cans and a can sealer. So, while Rodger cleaned the fish and got the burner set up on the dock, I cut up the fish, filled and sealed 25 cans, lit the gas burner, and loaded the pressure cooker.

Before long a couple with their young son pulled up in a sailboat.  They had caught several salmon.  Too late to add to the pressure cooker, Rodger suggested smoking them, saying we could make a smoker!  They had never smoked fish, and probably thought he was crazy…at the moment I thought he was too!

Scouting about on shore, they found the rusty outside of an old furnace, some metal sheeting, and dead cherry wood for smoking.  Since I had ingredients along, I showed them how to sprinkle canning salt and dark brown sugar over the clean fish fillets, and then lay them out in a large plastic pan where they “marinated” over night.

In the morning, the guys dug a hole in the sand for the fire, set the furnace casing over that, and made crude shelves out of the metal.  The fish was removed from the pan to the shelves, the cherry wood fire was lit, and the smoking process began. By about 4:00 PM the fish were ready, and had turned out “Perfect.”  Our new friends were very impressed!  The next day our company left, and we were once again alone.

Crabbing here was terrific, with lots of giant sized Dungeness crabs!  On shore we picked blackberries and sweet plums.  Happy to have an oven, I made blackberry cobbler and crab quiche.  Recipe for crab quiche follows:

Butter an 8 x 10 pan.  Place cooked crab meat, diced onions and celery, grated cheese, and desired seasonings in the pan.  Pour over all a mixture of 2 eggs, 2 cups of milk (I used powdered milk) and ½ cup of Bisquick.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.   Good either hot or cold!!!

One day a visitor came by, who had lived here as a boy.  He said they obtained fresh water by building a dam on the hillside. And, that the shore was once lined with totem poles, which have fallen over the years, and are now covered over by huge blackberry brambles. He also said that ancient blue trade beads were sometimes found on the beach at low tide!  The village was gradually abandoned as people began to seek employment and a more modern way of life.

Hoping to find an ancient trade bead, I spent endless hours searching the beach. My search was rewarded one evening when I found not one, but two ancient blue trade beads! A huge raven had hovered above me during my search, “talking”…as ravens do,…Or, was it a Spirit from the past guiding me to these treasures of old???

While here, we explored the old buildings on shore, and meandered along the midden beach. I sketched scenes of the old buildings, the dock, and surrounding scenery, all the while spinning tales in my mind of how it “might have been” in the old days when Karlukwees was an active village.  They were wonderful, unforgettable days!

We had left Port Angeles on August 4th, and returned on September 2nd feeling much richer for our experiences!

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