Steve's Mining Journal

Gold in Alaska! Thousands have spent their lives searching for the elusive metal in the Great State. My name is Steve Herschbach. I am fortunate indeed to have been born in Alaska, and to have been introduced to gold mining at an early age by my father, Bud Herschbach. Prospecting has taken me far and wide across Alaska and to this day I am still actively involved in the search for gold and other minerals. Most of my spare time in the summer is spent gold dredging, metal detecting, and prospecting. While the extra income is nice, it is the search itself that keeps me going... the adventure of prospecting in Alaska!

Steve with 14.1 Dwt Nugget found at Ganes Creek, Alaska

I plan to update this page after each outing I make in the future, and I will also backtrack and document some of my earlier mining adventures.  I hope to give you an idea of what can be done by one person with relatively inexpensive equipment in Alaska. Keep in mind I have been doing this most of my life as a professional, and that I am familiar with the areas I am working. I don't want to imply you can just jump right in and have the same results I have. On the other hand, if one works at it, the rewards of gold mining can be immense. I'm not talking about just the gold, but the sheer fun and adventure of the search! So here we go, with the successes, and occasional failures, of a prospector from Alaska.

2011 Update: I am re-launching my journal after a period of inactivity as I have now started prospecting outside Alaska and have fresh stories to tell. And to celebrate my new personal website here at detectorprospector.com

The reuse of these stories and images is strictly protected under the copyright laws. You may not do so without my express permission. Image reuse on other websites will normally only require a credit and a link back to this page... but only if I am notified in advance for permission!

This Journal is dedicated to my lovely wife, Karen, for encouraging and supporting my adventures, and to my father, for getting me started on the search for gold.  ~ Steve Herschbach