Remote Prospecting?

[Geowizard]

Under the ice;

The Rivers don't freeze solid. The surface freezes to a depth of about 18 inches to two feet. It's thick enough to support a mining operation with a shelter over the hole. From images that I have seen, the Kougarok River has very slow, almost no current flow.

A ladder could be dropped to the bottom. It's possible to mine from the surface of the ice using a camera to image the mining below the surface. The minimal water flow would clear the viewing area allowing a view of where the suction nozzle needs to work.

- Geowizard

[Slatco]

Cool idea and why the heck not!

[Jim_Alaska]

Ice dredging??? Tried it once, not a nice experience.

winchain5.jpg

snowmchne.jpg

[Johnedoe]

Man that just doesn't look like any fun at all.......... Not to mention not terribly productive.

[Geowizard]

Girls just want to have FUN;

Grab a beer, sit down and watch a Girl do it... Emily Riedel...

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/b ... g-for-gold

- Geowizard

[Leonard]

Here's my version of winter dredging. This was 21 years ago when I first started dredging. This was with my first dredge and when I had no brains at all.

http://golddredger.com/clear1.htm

[Geowizard]

Growing understanding;

As we get older, hopefully, we develop understanding through a combination of bad experiences and good experiences.

Kogarok is DIFFERENT than the two examples given above...

Two things are needed to mine GOLD in WATER...

GOLD;

The upper Kougarok River has significant past GOLD production with a HIGH probability of side pay remaining.

WATER;

The River is NOT a creek. The River has been dredged with a bucket-line and is probably 10 feet or more deep. This leaves an ICE cover that WILL support suction dredge mining.

Ok... THREE things...

A PLAN;

Stick around!

- Geowizard

[Geowizard]

The plan;

Safety: No plan is complete without an up-front, be sure you understand the risks, statement about things that may bring a premature end to a mining plan...

Hypothermia and drowning represent the two ever-present dangers when mining in or on water in the Arctic. If anyone is not clear on both of these subjects, we can discuss them.

The nice thing about a bucket line dredge is the fact that the miner is enclosed in a house that is out of the water and the bucket-line brings the pay to papa.

Let's look at a few feasible alternatives...

Stick around!

- Geowizard

[Micropedes1]

Leonard, dredging in that kind of conditions is crazy! I don't have the testicular fortitude to handle those conditions any more.

[Geowizard]

Life support system;

Prospecting or mining in a remote location requires life support...

All of the things we take for granted living our comfy, cozy lives in town provide the life support that becomes an assumed part of day-to-day living.

Testicular Fortitude?

All of us have the option of making decisions on the level of discomfort he chose to endure...

Personally, I look at prospecting and mining as an activity that WILL afford every necessary level of safety, and comfort as possible. I don't want to GO OUT prospecting or mining and immediately want to GET OUT. That doesn't make sense!

Cold weather;

Because everyone is subject to the effects of hypothermia, we must absolutely and foremost recognize the importance of staying warm. That requires fuel... not just warm clothing and shelter, but FUEL.

The first part of any plan has to be a consideration of where do I get fuel, how do I preserve the fuel so that it is immediately available when I need it...

Remote operations require fuel to position the fuel. In some cases, in forested areas, fuel may be found in the form of trees that can be harvested for fuel. The problem with most areas where mining has taken place is that the trees have already been depleted.

Kougarok River;

As you get closer to the Arctic Circle, trees are absent.

Nome is where you go to buy fuel. It's expensive! Fuel cans are expensive. Transportation is expensive!

After getting over the sticker shock, there is still business to take care of...

Shelter;

Much discussion ensued years back (on this Forum) when the subject of "Arctic shelter" was tossed around.

This requires an entire thread of it's own.Suffice it to say, any time of year, in, on or around the Kougarok River, shelter is a necessity. You can't cut corners. It needs to be solid, secure, insulated.

A hut on the ice;

A hut on the River ice can be constructed for temporary shelter while dredging.

You will need a hut to stay in while you are making the ice hut...

There's more...

- Geowizard