The Tundra Telephone

The CB radio was the way that people who lived in the country communicated . It was also a lifeline. In 1980 there were no cell phones. every morning we would hear from our neighbors... GOOD MORNING from would blast from the speaker and we would hear a daily scripture read from Carrie Uhl. Her voice was easy to listen to and she would bring joy to everyone. Her husband Bob was as close as an expert on the wildlife in the area. Carrie would bring the morning to life and everyone would follow up with conversation and current events. It was also a way for people to help each other if it was needed. Sometimes it was dropping off some gas so they could travel to town. everyone shared with there neighbors. It was common for the boats that traveled the river to have a CB But I was the first to mount one on a snowmachine. It was tucked away in the rear seat compartment and the antenna mounted to the rear bumper bar. We depended on the caribou for meat and when I was hunting I would share with the Elders and drop off meat along the trip and visit with them. If I came upon a small herd of caribou I would pass the information along so other family's could gather meat before they left the area. A few times the CB came in handy to call for help for people broken down out on the trail. In the evening after the chores had been finished we would brew a big pot of tea and folks would chat on the CB and say goodnight in an arctic Walton's style. Goodnight Nelsons, Uhl's , Jones camp, Oggie, Schaeffer's ect. some nights the signal would bounce off the atmosphere and people up river would come on and it would be a chance to hear news and catch up. I miss those days.