In the mid 1970's when the new Polaris Mustang snowmachines first came out, Frank Coffee, Leslie Hunter, Charlie Fitka Jr., Vernon Evan, Ludwig Papp, Willie Duny Sr., and a few others traveled back past Negeethiak by dog team and snowmachine to hunt caribou. The weather was very windy and it was snowing a lot white they were there. Frank told the men he'd seen caribou down in the valley so he rode down on his snowmachine. Just as he reached the bottom, he said a blizzard caught him by surprise and he completely lost the others. He said the wind was so strong it tipped his snowmachine over and broke his windshield. He decided there and then to stay put and weather out the storm. So right next to his snowmachine he dug a hole in the snow that would shelter him and keep him warm from the cold wind. He said that after he covered himself up in the snow he pushed his gun through the snow so he would have enough air to breath. Leslie and Willie also got lost in the storm and stayed out in the cold next to a lone tree. They never realized they were only a few feet away from the cabin they'd been searching for.

After the storm the men found each other again and hunted for four more days back in the flats. Frank said they made a big fire and cooked a big pot of caribou meat which they'd caught before the storm, and they finished the whole pot. One of the men decided to travel back to Bill AlIman's camp by dogteam to get some grub and cigarettes from his place. Even so, Frank said they all ran out of cigarettes. But when they were heading back home they met up with Don Hunter Sr. and another guy and they all bummed a cigarette from him.

By: Frank Coffee

Interviewed by: Carmen Pitka