Got the larger, deeper, longer sluice box hooked up. Wouldn’t you know it, our current pump system doesn’t put out enough water to run it. Oh well, not all experiments work, not my favorite part of mining.
Back to the old sluice, running some dirt. Get a rock jam every once a while but otherwise works ok.
You know it’s going to be a pretty good run when you see this in the concentrate bucket
.
Back here at the claim. Now that we know our homes are relatively safe from the forest fire. Got some much needed rain, it doesn’t make it much fun to work outside, but we don’t have to worry about every little spark from grinding or welding. Campfires are still banned, so we had to huddle up by the little buddy heater in the storage tent last night.
First order of business, noticed some cracked hoses on the backhoe. Off to town to get new ones made.
Then some welding and grinding on the trommel. We are adapting the sluice that was from our old wash plant. It’s wider, deeper and longer. Should work much better. Also have to put lock nuts on the belt tension bolts to make sure they don’t rattle out.
Seems like we spend more time getting ready to run than it takes to actually process the dirt. Part of mining I guess.
>
Finally got up and running. Working the bugs out of our trommel. She likes to jam up with rocks sometimes right where the hopper chute goes into the trommel.
We tilted the angle of the trommel and it helped a great deal, though occasionally one works it’s way in there and then things get exciting. You have to try to clear the jam before burning the belts and fast enough that a bunch of material doesn’t build up and overrun the sluice after the drum starts turning again. Wish there were a way to avoid this but we haven’t found any so far.
We have been getting a little gold. A lot of overburden came down over the winter. There is gold in it, so we ran it.
The dig site is looking pretty promising. Just removed this huge rock. Started uncovering it last year. We discovered it had a halo of gold around it. Can’t wait to see what it has under it.
Hello Folks,
Seems there are some of you that are planning trips to Alaska. I
thought I might do a little post with places I’ve been and pay-to-pan and free
areas where I have gotten good gold.
Kennecott Copper Mine in McCarthy, Alaska. If you guys are planning a trip here, message me and I’ll give you some tips on making this trip, its a little tricky with shuttles and places to park, etc. Its breathtakingly beautiful to see the old mining town overlooking a glacier.
Kennecott – Wrangell – St Elias National Park &Preserve
Independence Mine. This is not too bad of a drive from
Anchorage, they even rent pans and let you work the tailing piles.
Independence Mine State Historical Park, Alaska State Parks
Now, my most favorite, pay-to-work claim. Its a little spendy, but I’ve always gotten my monies worth in gold in the end. In face quite a few people have joined the “one ounce club”
on their facebook page this week. This is quite a drive, but if you are driving
through Canada to get here, its not too far from where you cross the border in
Tok.
Chicken Gold Camp ,Chicken, Alaska: RV Park, Cabins, Caf, Gold Mine & Dredge
I have never worked here myself, but I have heard realty good things about Crow Creek
Mine in Girdwood, only a short drive from Anchorage.
THE HISTORIC CROW CREEK GOLD MINE Girdwood, Alaska
I recently met some of these guys in a Mining Safety class I had to take, I have never been to their camp, but have heard good things. I have prospected in the area (see below petersville). In fact the first gold I ever found was near their camp. They run a bed and breakfast with gold mining.
http://www.cachecreekcabins.com/
Now for free to pan areas:
This publication is for areas on the Kenai Peninsula. I have gotten good gold in most of them, though some of the streams require a permit to dredge and
open\closed dates if there are salmon in the stream. If you have any questions
on these I may be able to help you, as I have worked most of them. I’ve had the best luck on Resurrection Creek.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5195151.pdf
I have also visited the Petersville area and had good luck, the road can be
treacherous. If you are going to visit Denali National Park, its on your
way.
http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/factsht/mine_fs/petersvi.pdf
There are many others in the interior, I have not visited them all but here’s a little
bit of info on them.
http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/factsht/mine_fs/caribou1.pdf
http://www.alaskacenters.gov/upload/…ning-in-AK.pdf
For you GPAA folks, there are a lot of really great claims, some are not too far from Anchorage.
http://www.goldprospectors.org/Community/Chapters/Chapter-Directory?state=AK
Also, my biggest piece of advice, if your driving around
Alaska, you need to buy a Milepost book, you wont be sorry.
On their way to Arizona to pick up our trommel, my folks had a run in with a moose. Everyone is safe and they are en route again with my truck this time.