The Pilgrim Story

By Dorothy Adler

With all the recent activity surrounding the Pilgrim Family, access up McCarthy Creek, and relations with the NPS it is difficult to know or begin to understand this family, issues aside. It seems like many people in our community have wondered where the Pilgrims came from and why they chose McCarthy as their home. Although they have been in our community for a year now, The Pilgrims have remained somewhat of a mystery to many of us, and not many of us have gotten to know them on a personal level. I spent the day recently with some of the family members at their camp in McCarthy and was amazed with what I learned. So for all of you curious McCarthyites, here’s the slightly censored version.

It was a sunny spring-like day, breakup in fact when I headed over to meet with the Pilgrims at their McCarthy camp. Leaping over puddles, feet sloshing around in the wet mud/snow, thoughts racing through my mind as to how the interview would begin… anticipation, curiosity; Gosh, I haven’t interviewed anyone since college, let alone write a story on ‘em as well. Oh, well, I think to myself and instantly, as if I snapped my fingers, (remember “I dream of Jeannie”) I was there in their yard, surrounded by Pilgrims, and two cows, a horse and three very big dogs. It was a bit overwhelming, really.

Not too long after I arrive I find myself inside the small, but tidy and organized cabin, their home base in McCarthy. I am greeted with a big hug from Elishaba, the eldest child, who is endearingly called “Sissy” by Papa and siblings throughout my visit. She is also called “Elisabeth,” the English version of her Hebrew name. I take a seat next to Papa and look around the room, realizing that half of the clan is sitting before me. The older children are here with Papa, while the younger ones are at home up McCarthy Creek with Mama (Country Rose). I have a list of questions to ask the Pilgrims so I take out my notepad and proceed to barely write anything down during the next six hours.

Papa Pilgrim is a storyteller. All stories begin somewhere. Papa’s story began when he met Country Rose twentynine years ago in sunny southern California. In his thirties and