Remote Prospecting?
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- Jim_Alaska
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Re: Remote Prospecting?
Interesting that you mention Red Garnets.. The place I dredged on the East Fork had an abundance of them. I always thought it interesting that when I cleaned up there was virtually no black sand. But there was a lot of Red Garnet sand that made cleanup difficult. I also found decent size Black Garnets, but it was curious that the Red Garnets were predominant. I would easily have a five gallon bucket of Red Garnet sand that came out of the triple sluice 5" dredge when I cleaned up.
Jim_Alaska
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Re: Remote Prospecting?
If I remember correctly you checked it last year and found anomalies.
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Re: Remote Prospecting?
Yes Chuck, this all sounds very plausible to me from what I had observed there. I forgot that we had talked about anomalies in the Salcha. I have not spent much time there at all, just two fly-in trips to salvage a D-6 dozer. That's when I observed the mining activity there. Other observations I made back then had to do with what I could see from thee ridgetops where I trapped, they divide the Salcha from the Chena.
I only flew over the old dredge, but in doing so could easily see that they had walked the dredge all the way up that creek and left it in place when done. The creek was very narrowly incised and the tailings were simply piled up on the banks of the creek on both side.
The little creek where we flew in to salvage the dozer was just downstream from the creek with the dredge. This little mining operation was worked by hand in the old days and actively worked by hand recently. The miners rented the dozer from a friend of mine to be able to expose more workable ground, they didn't get much done. They sort of seemed like a "fly by night" outfit that did not have much experience. When they pulled out they left everything in place; generators, welders, tools and other mining equipment. It was fortunate for us that they did, because they had broken the main spring on the dozer and we needed the tooling to repair it before walking it out. There was also a very nice, large cabin here, fully set up to live in.
I only flew over the old dredge, but in doing so could easily see that they had walked the dredge all the way up that creek and left it in place when done. The creek was very narrowly incised and the tailings were simply piled up on the banks of the creek on both side.
The little creek where we flew in to salvage the dozer was just downstream from the creek with the dredge. This little mining operation was worked by hand in the old days and actively worked by hand recently. The miners rented the dozer from a friend of mine to be able to expose more workable ground, they didn't get much done. They sort of seemed like a "fly by night" outfit that did not have much experience. When they pulled out they left everything in place; generators, welders, tools and other mining equipment. It was fortunate for us that they did, because they had broken the main spring on the dozer and we needed the tooling to repair it before walking it out. There was also a very nice, large cabin here, fully set up to live in.
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Re: Remote Prospecting?
From what I remember of the land status, Mental Health Trust Land cannot be claimed, but it can be leased. That is what Mental Health Trust Land was designated for; to produce income for the mental Health Trust.The majority of Gold Creek was surveyed and has anomalies. Unfortunately it is within the Mental Health Trust. There is a VERY nice GOLD anomaly on Gold Creek outside of the Trust lands near the point where Gold Creek branches off of the North Fork of Salcha River.
-Geowizard
There is Mental Health Trust Landin the Chena drainage also, it is usually just above the Chena River Recreation area, which would extend into the headwaters of the Salcha, since only a mile separates the two drainages.
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Re: Remote Prospecting?
Jim,
I remember the story about the broken spring on the dozer.
- Stick around! There's more!
- Geowizard
I remember the story about the broken spring on the dozer.
- Stick around! There's more!
- Geowizard
Last edited by Geowizard on Mon Aug 28, 2023 3:02 pm, edited 2 times in total.