Pilgrim update

The Pilgrim family have had some challenges the past two months, not all relating to access. On March 17, little Abraham, age 9, was in the generator shed and fell, catching a finger in the drive belts of the running engine. The accident stripped all of the skin and flesh from the last joint on his middle finger. Abraham’s older brother David took quick action to preserve what was left of the finger and rush Abraham down the 14-mile trail to the McCarthy Airport just before dark.

Papa was already in the hospital in Anchorage for some problems with severe joint pain and diabetes. Mama (Country Rose) and Jerusalem were with him. Abraham was flown to Anchorage, where doctors said the finger would need to be amputated. Country Rose said that was not acceptable, and after some time a doctor was located in Portland, Oregon, who was willing to attempt reconstruction of the finger.

Since Papa also needed medical care, he flew to Portland with Abraham. Sister Jerusalem, age 15, caught a later flight as there was no room for her on the medivac flight. There, surgeons operated immediately and were successful in saving the finger.

Chuck Cushman, head of American Land Rights Association, lives in Battleground WA, just 30 minutes from the hospital where Abraham was. Chuck is a musician and plays harpsichord in a blue-grass band. He visited the family in the hospital and took Papa and Jerusalem to a bluegrass concert where they soon found themselves on stage. They were a hit and played a few more times while there. Someone offered to record them, so Hosanna, David, Joshua, Lamb, and Elishaba gathered up their instruments and drove down there from McCarthy in their old van.

To help with their travel funds, Chuck arranged 2 concerts for them on April 16 and 18. They sold out, so 2 more concerts were scheduled on the 22nd and 25th.

When Abraham can travel, the whole family plan to drive back to Alaska in the van.

As all of this was taking place, the April 15 deadline to use the bulldozer to drive up the McCarthy-Green Butte Road set by the National Park Service (NPS) passed. The family had earlier done a test and determined that the trip, needed to get building materials to replace the cabin that burned down in 2002, would be impossible under the strict guidelines set forth by the NPS.

“During the past few days we have had opportunity to try a short portion of snow machine trail out with our D-5 Dozer,” said Papa Pilgrim. He went on to list the extreme danger, the grave possibility of equipment loss and “the obvious unreasonableness” of the NPS requirements.

The Pilgrims, with the help of the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) sued the NPS last fall after being unable to use the road to their property all summer. A federal judge in Anchorage ruled against the family, and PLF took the case to the 9th Circuit Court. According to Russell Brooks, who is handling the case, the court will likely not hear the case until next August. Of the NPS offer of a permit, Brooks said, “It is way too little and far too late in the winter season to do the Pilgrims much good.”