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Went to the claim at Canyon Creek last week to see how things look. I was surprised to see some creek open. Being I have a bad case of spring fever I have decided on spring dredging this year so thanks for the post. Anyone know where to get a water heater for the dredge? Not looking to set up a heated wet suit just want a bucket of hot water to warm the hands in.

Is there a way to search land records/claims by owner's name? I have a friend who is looking for where his grandfather's claim was many years ago. I know it's somewhere on the Kenai Peninsula, but that's about all we know. Thanks!

I received the following email: "My name is *********** , a logger from ***********. I'm wanting to move to Alaska and start a new life with my family. I don't have much of anything. I'm probably one of the hardest workers you will ever meet and I'm honest. I'm looking for a chance at working a claim and learning what there is to learn. I have experience in running a rock crusher - now that was a fun, six years never a dull moment! Welding, mechanic diesel and gas, can build you a house start to finish, my chain saw sleeps in my bed room next to my splitting mall. How do I get a chance in working a mine and owning one?" I have received lots of requests similar to this over the years. Back in the 1980's we literally had people show up at my mining shop with the family in a vehicle, possessions strapped on top, come to Alaska to strike it rich. Here is a bunch of information. I hope it helps - good luck! According to the October 2014 Economic Impacts of Placer Mining in Alaska: There were 646 placer mines permitted by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in 2013. DNR estimated 47 percent of permits (295) placer operations were mined in 2013. In 2013, there were approximately 1,200 direct, mostly seasonal, jobs in Alaska’s placer mine industry. On average, each placer mine had four workers. However, approximately 27 percent of placer mines were run by one person and there are a few significant larger operations (50+ workers). Of the 1,200 workers, approximately 73 percent (880 workers) live in Alaska. Of those Alaska residents, approximately half live in Anchorage/Mat-Su Borough (26 percent) or Fairbanks (26 percent). The remaining half (48 percent) live in communities elsewhere in Alaska. Total direct income, including wages, shares of production, and owner’s profits, are estimated at $40 million for 2013. For miners receiving compensation, 56 percent were paid a wage, while the remaining 44 percent were compensated with a share of gold production. That was 2013 but it gives you some basic figures. Maybe just over 1,000 seasonal jobs, and not all of them from people living in the state. Being located there would help though. Many of these jobs go to family members or long time, trusted employees, so there are few openings on a yearly basis. Still, a person has a shot at it. So how to go about it? All I can offer is what I would do if I did not know anybody. The easiest place to start would be to contact the Alaska Miners Association at http://alaskaminers.org/contact-us/ and purchase their latest Service Directory. I am not sure what it costs now but it used to be $20 (or included with membership). It includes a listing of all the businesses that supply and service miners in Alaska; information on land status, permitting, agency lists, State mining law, and the membership list of the AMA, Alaska's most influential mining organization. Over 1000 miners and mining related organizations are listed with contact information. The key is the membership list with names and contact information. That gives you a place to start with either phone calls or letters. Most actual mining operations in Alaska are members of the AMA. If you are interested in employment at a lode mine, the major mines information is also in the Service Directory. More information can be gleaned from the latest state report - Alaska's Mineral industry 2015. Keep an eye out for a 2016 report soon. According to the report "Total mineral industry employment in 2015 is estimated at 2,901 full-time-equivalent jobs" Here is the chart from the report: Note this chart shows less than half the number of placer employment as the figures quoted in the 2013 report and only 120 in 2015. This probably reflects a difference in actual wage and salary type workers versus one person operations or family members and people working for a share of the take. Still, it can be seen overall numbers dropped quite a bit the last few years. Also from the report, here is a map of major mining and exploration projects in Alaska. You can read about these in detail in the report, and a little use of Google can give you employment contact information for each company, job openings, etc. Start at the AMA Links Page Check out the Mining and Petroleum Training Service For opportunities in mining all over see Mining Career Opportunities at InfoMine http://www.infomine.com/careers/ HELPFUL LINKS FOR THE MINERAL INDUSTRY IN ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES • Recording Fees | http://dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff/fees_RO.cfm • Public Information Center | http://dnr.alaska.gov/commis/pic/ • State Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Documents Search | http://dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff/ Division of Mining, Land & Water • Mining Applications and Forms | http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/forms/ • Fact Sheets | http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/factsht/ • Annual Placer Mining Application (APMA) 2015 | http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/forms/14apma/ • Annual Rental | http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/factsht/mine_fs/annualre.pdf • Leasing State Land | http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/factsht/land_fs/lease_land.pdf • Land Lease & Contract Payment Information | http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/factsht/land_fs/lease_contract_payment_info.pdf • Production Royalty | http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/factsht/mine_fs/producti.pdf • DNR Production Royalty Form | http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/forms/mining/royalty_fm.pdf • Exploration Incentive Credit Program | http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/factsht/mine_fs/explore.pdf Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys • Publications On-Line | http://dggs.alaska.gov/publications/ • Interactive Maps | http://maps.dggs.alaska.gov/ • Geologic Maps of Alaska: Online Map Search Tool | http://maps.dggs.alaska.gov/mapindex/ • Unpublished Geology-Related Data (Alaska Geologic Data Index) | http://maps.dggs.alaska.gov/agdi/ • Geologic Materials Center | http://dggs.alaska.gov/gmc/ • Geochemical Sample Analysis Search (WebGeochem) | http://www.dggs.alaska.gov/webgeochem/ • Minerals Report Questionnaire | http://www.dggs.alaska.gov/minerals_questionnaire Alaska’s Minerals Data & Information Rescue in Alaska (MDIRA) Project Websites • MDIRA Portal Home Page | http://akgeology.info/ • Alaska Mining Claims Mapper | http://akmining.info/ • Land Records Web Application | http://dnr.alaska.gov/Landrecords/ • State Recorder’s Office Search | http://dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff/searchRO.cfm • Alaska Resource Data Files | http://ardf.wr.usgs.gov/ • USGS Alaska Geochemical Database (NURE, RASS, PLUTO…) | http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/637/ • Guide to Alaska Geologic and Mineral Information | http://doi.org/10.14509/3318 • Alaska State Geo-Spatial Data Clearinghouse | http://www.asgdc.state.ak.us/ DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, COMMUNITY, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT • Minerals Information | https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/ded/dev/mineralsdevelopment • Community and Regional Information | https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/dcra/ResearchAnalysis • Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) | http://www.aidea.org • AIDEA Supports Mining | www.aidea.org/Programs/ProjectDevelopment/30YearsofMiningSupport.aspx DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE • Mining License Tax | http://www.tax.alaska.gov/programs/programs/index.aspx?60610 • Motor Fuel Tax Claim for Refund | http://www.tax.alaska.gov//programs/programs/forms/index.aspx?60210 • Alaska Motor Fuel Tax Instructions | http://www.tax.alaska.gov/programs/documentviewer/viewer.aspx?5086f

I've searched the DP archives, been reading DP forever (it seems), certainly on the GPZ discussions, and have yet to see or hear about this unit's operation/performance/settings in Alaska. I'm headed to areas North of Nome, AK next year - and just dotting my "eye's" and crossing my "tee's" long before the trip. Steve has covered Gane's Creek incredibly well, as usually does with a bunch of MD's, but unless I was asleep, he has yet to discuss having taken his ZED up there. I'm looking for advise (beyond carrying a .44MAG), settings primarily since Alaska is not AZ, nor NV, nor CA.

Hi all, Just got back from a trip to Chicken Alaska and my AT Gold and T2 Classic were spot on. Total weight for the four nuggets is 16.8 grams. The three small nuggets were found with the AT Gold, 3x6 snake coil on day two. The biggest nugget is 10.8 grams and was found with the T2 Classic, 4x11 biaxel coil on day three. The T2 with the stock coil could detect small flakes by listening for the break in the threshold. All the nuggets were 5 to 6 inches deep and would have been missed if I didn't listen for the break in the threshold. I like to give a big thanks to Steve for writing the stories of his adventures in Chicken that inspired me to take the trip. I have now detected and found gold in for different areas of Alaska in 8 years. (Ganes creek 4 times, Moore creek 1 time, Nome 2 times, and Chicken 1 time.) 26 ounces found in 8 years with $700 VLF. Last of all, don't let anyone tell you and area is hunted out, trust in your equipment, keep a good attitude, work hard the whole time, and believe in your abilities. Thanks, Treasuredude

Just back from the Nome, Alaska area. Hard work (low and slow - listen carefully - focus) and little luck yielded a nice range of specimen nuggets. The were a few areas with hot rocks but most spots had acceptable slightly-mineralized soil conditions for my GPZ and GB2. It did seem I dug a lot of rusty 3-4" nails in the 24-36" range but only one nugget this deep. Does the GPZ and other detectors pick up rusty nails deeper than nuggets? Is there something about their shape and electrical/magnetic properties that make them easier targets?

I was curious where to spend my time looking for gold using a sluice box and/or pan. I am curious if it is worthwhile heading up torwards Hatcher Pass and taking the Gold Mint Trail and working on the Little Susitna or go to Crow creek in Girdwood? What's your opinion?

Headed out Saturday for a quick trip to the river. Just a pan and my camera - Oh and by prospecting buddie. Any way I sampled three or four spots with little luck, finally come across a large boulder with a bit of flow material behind it and gave it a go. Did not expect much as it was loose and obviously resent, well to my surprise................. So the question is what would you consider a good sample Pan? FYI - I like the 14 inch GPAA pan green color, wide bottom and medium sized riffles.

I have been following Steve's detecting tips since 08 when I bought my first detector,a MXT from Alaska Mining and Diving (AMDS) Million Dollar Garage sale. Thanks for the Forum Steve. Inspired by http://Steve's 2013 Alaska Gold Adventure I will be going to Chicken, Ak. the first of July for ten days, camping @ Walker Fork Campground. I have a White's MXT, GMT and Garrett ATX. With all the new detectors out there, I am looking for a new detector best for the area. I have been think about the Makro Gold Racer. Thanks for every ones on the Forum.

One of my favorite types of prospecting is sluice and panning. No loud motors, no beeping and buzzing detectors just the sound of the river and nature in general. Anyway, thought I would post some pictures. Not a real big haul, but for the six - three gallon buckets I ran - I am happy.

Saw this at Bill's forum and liked it - good photos and details showing how getting gold seems like only a small part of things sometimes. http://www.ssdsupply.com/alaska_2015.htm

I'm using these cold winter months to plan my trip to Alaska this summer. I plan to hit some of the GPAA claims on the Kenai peninsula. I am a GPAA member and have their latest guide, so I have that basic info and know I will need permits to dredge, highbank or power sluice. I would like for anyone with actual experience on any of these claims( Ken & Brian, Shirley E, Northlander #2, and Demaree) to provide some input as what to expect, such as physical access, land or water (big stream or little stream, deep or shallow) conditions or anything that would help me prepare. Pictures would be great if you care to post some. I place a high value on the personal experiences of others. Not trying to get rich, although that's not a bad thing; just looking for a little gold to say I was successful. I do plan to take my detector also, a White's MXT, but that's not my primary tool. Yes, I know it's not the best, but you know what they say about a blind squirrel. I will be looking into some camping areas also for my fifth-wheel trailer. Thanks in advance for your input.

I don't know if anyone has seen this, But this is Huge at 294.10 ozt/ 9.1 kgs https://www.facebook.com/AmazingGeologist/photos/a.398226493604029.92268.398222836937728/942067909219882/?type=3&theatre Steve, You Missed One. john

First off, I love this forum and all the info here. Good work guys! I am planning a trip to Alaska for the summer. I will be pulling a fifth-wheel trailer. I will be following my wife's uncle, who makes the trip every 3 or 4 years for the fishing; but I am primarily focusing on the gold. I think our primary destination will be on the Kenai peninsula, but other places along the way are not out of the question such as Chicken. I'm into the gold thing about 3 years now and have been primarily to AZ, Colorado and the Klamath in N. Calif. I'm pretty proficient at panning & sluicing and did some highbanking on the Klamath. I have several sluices, Gold Grabber highbanker, and I plan to put together a small dredge or power sluice(no more than 4 in). I am a GPAA member, so am planning on hitting some of those claims, some public areas, and some fee area also. So my question is this: What would you tell someone who is coming for up for the first time, that they need to know or might not have thought about. Thank for any info to make this trip a success.

Just published, free to the public. Geologic Map of Alaska Neal

Steve, I bought the F19 thinking I could hunt around Anchorage for silver coins. Did you have any luck in that area? Interestingly, I found four rings, two necklaces, several ear rings and pendants, few hundred in clad and lots of cash. And not one silver coin. Not sure if I should be disappointed by that?

Hello, has anybody done detecting in the valley that the Little Susitna river passes through? I am thinking of the valley and slopes to the north and south of the river along the Gold Mint trail.

As winter time gets closer I always get to thinking about Snow and a couple of years ago I found one of the best photographic sites ever, I did a search for Alaskan Mines and I found all these photos of places and Antiques from days gone past, In the second link there is a list of their themed photos. I hope some may find them interesting, http://alaskaphotographics.photoshelter.com/search?I_DSC=Mines&U_ID=U0000CbLURB8TBIo&I_USER_ID=U0000CbLURB8TBIo&I_DSC_AND=t&_ACT=search&submit=Search http://www.alaskaphotographics.com/ john

Akau Gold Alaska 2015 Hunting for gold nuggets in Alaska, something that sooner or later crosses your mind once you get the dreaded Gold Fever Bug. I started planning my adventure about a year before, having never been able to visit Ganes creek or Moore creek while they were in operation. With very few options to choose from for nugget hunting in Alaska; I decided to book my trip with Akau Gold It was my only real option left that I was aware of. My adventure began flying out of Burbank Airport, packing a week’s worth of clothes along with 2 detectors, a GPZ7000 and a Gold Bug Pro. Three plane changes and 12 hours later im in my cabin at Akau gold camp on Anvil creek, 7 miles outside of Nome Alaska. My cabin was very basic with a wooden bunk bed and small portable heater. All their potable water has to be trucked in so showers are kept to a minum. Food was home cooked meals served @ 8am and 8pm and very good as far as my tast go’s. They have an activities menu to pick from as far as what you will be doing each day be it panning, slucing, high banking, or Metal detecting. I was there for one reason only, nugget shooting, and with 24 hours of sunlight and 600 acres to explore I can say I got my fill in the 7 days I was swinging a detector and maybe only covered a small part of it. The ground is mild but there is a ton of old iron trash, you need a detector with discrimination. My gold bug pro did not survive the airplane flight and the coil plate had somehow split open in my luggage. So for the 7days I was swinging my gpz7000. With a lot of ground covered by tundra and all the iron trash I stuck to checking old tailing piles and push areas. I had a great time and will be going back again next year I hope. Again accommodations are very basic, the weather changes every few minuets, it can get bone chilling cold even in summer, daylight is 24 hours so sleeping can be tuff. The hosts Augie and Betty are great and will do all they can to make your trip a good one. The food is home cooked and there’s gold still there but it takes work to get some, even in Alaska.

Bin lurking for a while and based on some of the info floating around like this thread http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/1151-reintroduction-of-the-minelab-gpx-4500/, I bit on a used 4500. Will be using in Alaska so wondering if the mono coils will generally be what a person would be using. Comes with one double D and 6 mono's. Glad I can put the Zed out of my mind for a while. Appreciate all the experience that's being shared around here. Has saved a lot of miles.

So I went on this trip to Nome, Alaska. I was told there was a lot of trash there but I also expected big gold. I took discrimination, PI and Zed. We sluiced, high banked and metal detected for about a week in and out of the rain. One day we went fishing for pinks and chum salmon. It was a fun trip. I got this 11g/5g specimen from a pushed patch about 1 ft down with my Zed. I wanted more but I didn't get skunked. Some others there found some larger gold and others did get skunked. I hope to get better light on this in another picture but I need to get it posted. Mitchel

Hey, Steve; good article! http://www.icmj.com/article-notloggedin.php?id=3263 The article took me back to 2005 and Moore Creek. You ran an excellent camp! I don't know if you can link to the article I wrote about my trip there but someone may find it of interest... I found a few moore creek photos of my first speci, finishing the celebration and camp... thanks for the memories fred

Back in 1980 there was a Gold rush in Alaska and else where, as the price of gold hit over $800 an ounce. I and 3 friends went to Alaska to spend the summer mining for gold. Researching at the BLM in Anchorage it seemed pretty much everything accessible by vehicle was claimed up. One lady had staked 900 claims. After piddling around some public areas for a while, we made a deal with a claim owner to work one of his claims. His cut was 20% of what we found. It worked out well, as we found 27 ounces one week with our Keene super 4" dredge. My question to those in Alaska is, are there any claim owners willing to do that this coming summer? Thanks in advance for your replies! RSJ

I spent a couple months in Alaska prospecting for gold in the summer of 2014. That adventure was chronicled as it happened here on the forum at Steve's 2014 Alaska Gold Adventure. It was a great trip and a great adventure, but when I told it I relayed the fact that it was actually part two of the story. Part one happened in 2013 and for reasons you will now discover I kept quiet about it until now. Those interested in the logistics of making the trip to Alaska and details on where I stayed, etc. will find all that covered in the 2014 story so I will not repeat that stuff here. 2013 was a momentous year for me. My business partner and I had sold the business we started together in 1976 to our employees in 2010. My partner immediately retired but I stayed on a few years to oversee the transition. Things seemed to be going well enough that I announced my retirement to take place in the spring of 2013. My wife and I had purchased a new home in Reno, Nevada and so plans were made to sell our home in Alaska and move south. At the same time, some partners and I had acquired some mining claims on Jack Wade Creek in the Fortymile country near Chicken. Alaska. My plan was to move my wife south then spend the summer gold dredging with my brother. The disaster struck. I screwed up the paperwork and the claims were lost. That mess was described online at Making Lemonade Out of Lemons and I even wrote an article for the ICMJ about it. I was not to be deterred however and made plans instead to go metal detecting for the summer. Unfortunately, my brother also had a change of plans and so was unable to make the trip with me. Just as well as I ended up having my hands full. The house sale was in progress and time running out so I boxed and palleted everything we wanted to keep and shipped it south. Then I loaded my wife and dogs up in the car and drove them to Reno. Next I flew back to Alaska and had a last big garage sale. I sold everything I could by the afternoon and out a FREE sign on what was left. Worked great - the house was empty, I cleaned it up, and pretty much left it to the realtors at that point. Finally, on June 16th I jumped in my fully loaded truck and headed for the Fortymile! On the way up just past the town of Palmer on the way to the town of Glenallen you pass Sheep Mountain in the Talkeetna Mountains. It is a very colorful, mineralized peak and it was a beautiful sunny day so I stopped and took this photo. Sheep Mountain, Alaska From the USGS ARDF file at http://mrdata.usgs.gov/ardf/show-ardf.php?ardf_num=AN080 Early Jurassic greenstone and minor interbedded sandstone and shale is intruded by numerous mafic dikes and at least one body of unmineralized Jurassic granite. Greenstone has been hydrothermally altered and contains at least 6 separate gypsiferous deposits in altered zones along joints and shear zones. Deposits composed of pods and stringers of gypsum, quartz, alunite, kaolin minerals, pyrite and serpentine minerals (Eckhart, 1953). The gypsum-bearing material averages 25 to 30 percent gypsum, with a maximum of 50 percent. In addition also reported from same general area are: (1) small irregular quartz-calcite-epidote veins in greenstone containing chalcopyrite, malachite, azurite and possibly bornite and chalcocite (Berg and Cobb, 1967); (2) disseminated chalcopyrite in greenstone over 5 ft thick zone subparallel to bedding (Martin and Mertie, 1914); (3) trace gold in samples of pyritic greenstone (Berg and Cobb, 1967); and (4) minor anomalous concentrations of copper and gold associated with some of the alteration zones and nearby veins (MacKevett and Holloway, 1977). Large area of south flank of Sheep Mountain is stained dark red from oxidation of pyrite in greenstone (Berg and Cobb, 1967). Oxidation of Cu minerals. The gypsiferous material averages 25 to 30 percent gypsum, with a maximum of 50 percent. The six deposits indicated and inferred reserves contain about 659,000 short tons of gypsum material, of which about 50 tons of this material had been mined (Eckhart, 1953). In addition, about 55 tons of clay was mined for the manufacture of fire brick and boiler lining. Samples of pyritic greenstone assayed trace gold (Berg and Cobb, 1967), and nearby veins in alteration zones show concentrations of copper and gold (MacKevett and Holloway, 1977). We did a talk radio show for many, many years at our company. The latest of several "radio personalities" to work with us on the show was Kurt Haider. He had expressed an interest in metal detecting so I invited him up to look for gold. I met him along the way just before we got to Glenallen and headed on to Tok for a bite to eat at Fast Eddie's. Then on to Chicken and finally Walker Fork Campground by evening. This is a very nice, well maintained BLM campground at the mouth of Jack Wade Creek where it dumps into the Walker Fork of the Fortymile River. The campground hosts this summer were a very nice couple named Pat and Sandy. Walker Fork Campground Steve's Camp at Walker Fork Campground The next morning Kurt and I ran up the creek to find Bernie and Chris Pendergast. They were spending the summer camped along Jack Wade Creek prospecting and I was anxious to see how they had been doing. Not bad, they already had over an ounce of gold found before we arrived, and that got Kurt and I all fired up to go look for gold. I had told Kurt, a total newbie, that I had a sure thing. We were going to hit a bedrock area I had detected the previous summer and where I had found a lot of nice fat little nuggets. There was rubble and little piles of dirt, and I thought all it would take is moving the rubble and dirt aside and we were sure to find gold I had missed. We got started after lunch on a steep slope where it was easy to just rake material off and then check with a detector. Kurt Looking For Gold With White's MXT Pro The location turned out to not be very good, but Kurt did manage to find one little nugget, his first ever. He was real happy about that! We did not work at it all that long though with the late start, and Chris and Bernie had invited us over for moose stew. Chris is a fantastic cook so we enjoyed both the stew and a DVD packed full of Ganes Creek photos from the couples adventures there. Finally we called it a night and headed back to our camp. Now time to get serious! Kurt and I grabbed the picks and rakes and spent the whole day tearing into some berms left behind by the miners bulldozers on the bedrock bench area. I just knew we were going to find gold for sure. We would both do hard labor for awhile, then I would put Kurt on the ground with my Gold Bug 2. Working Bedrock With the Gold Bug 2 We worked a couple hours. Nothing. No big deal, just need to move a little more. Nothing. More digging and scraping. Nothing! I would have bet $100 we were not only going to find gold there but do pretty well. The spot had produced quite a few nuggets before and I had refused to believe we couple possibly had cleaned it out. But by the end of the day it was a total bust. We finally just wandered around a bit detecting and I lucked into a little 3 grain nugget. What a letdown. No big deal for me but I was really wanting Kurt to do well and this was not working out anything like I had thought it would. The next and last day for Kurt we decided to hook up with Bernie and just give it a go like we normally do. And that means hitting the bushes and tailing piles wandering around looking for gold. Kurt had his MXT Pro and Bernie and I our GPX 5000 detectors, so we had a horsepower advantage for sure. Still, I was hopeful as we put Kurt on the best spot that Bernie knew of from his extra time before us. Bernie Pendergast and His Trusty Minelab GPX 5000 Very first beep, Bernie digs up a 3 pennyweight nugget! Yeehaw, we are going to find gold!! We all hunt away, with Bernie and I checking in with Kurt periodically. Kurt, it seems, just was not destined to have any beginners luck at all; Bernie and I each found a couple 1-2 gram nuggets by the end of the day but Kurt came up dry. I was feeling kind of bummed out but Kurt insisted he was having a huge adventure, and come to find out he rarely ever got out of town at all, so this really was a big adventure for him. I just wish he could have found more gold, but he was up early and headed back to town the next morning. I was on my own now, so I rigged my GPX 5000 up with my Nugget Finder 16" mono coil and hit the tailing piles. All day. For no gold. However, just by myself that is really no big deal at all. It happens all the time and I do not think anything of it. If anything, the pressure was off trying to help a friend find gold, so it was a relaxing day wandering around. Saturday, June 22 started out sunny with a few clouds. There were some tailing piles across the creek I had been wanting to detect. I had hit them a bit the year before and just dug trash, but had not put in more than a couple hours at it. Still, they looked real good and I had been thinking about them all winter and decided it was time to give them a go. I started out with my GPX 5000 but immediately got into some old rusted metal, like decomposed and shredded can fragments. I just was not in the mood for it that morning, so went back to the truck and got out my Fisher F75. The F75 had done well for me in the past hunting trashy tailing piles and was along on the trip for that reason. I got near the top of the pile with the F75 and on getting a signal looked down and saw a dig hole full of leaves. I try to recover all my trash and get frustrated when I find holes with junk in them. The signal though was flaky, not a distinct trash signal, so I figured I may as well see what the other person left in the hole. I gave a quick scoop with my pick, and gold pops out of the hole! I am not sure if the person was using a VLF and the specimen gave a trash signal, so they left it after half digging it, or maybe they were using a Minelab, and the signal just sounded "too big" so they left it for trash. Too big indeed, they walked away from a 2.37 ounce gold specimen! To say I was stunned would be a vast understatement. The trip had only just begun. The best part of all was that my expectations for the trip were very low. I had been hoping that a month of camping and detecting would get me a couple ounces of gold. That would be more than enough to cover my expenses and make a few bucks. Yet here I was on the sixth day of my trip, and I had already exceeded that amount. This was just great on several different levels, not least in pretty much taking every bit of pressure off going forward. Here is that specimen from a more detailed account of the find I told previously at Fisher F75 Strikes Gold Twice in a Row! 2.37 Ounce Gold Specimen Found With Fisher F75 Metal Detector on Jack Wade Creek, Alaska I had to take a break and go show Chris and Bernie my good fortune. Then I switched back to the GPX 5000 and got with digging everything, including all those bits of rusted cans. Funny how a nice chunk of gold changes your perspective. That, and seeing what somebody else had left behind as trash. I finished out the day finding three more nuggets, a 2.5 gram "cornflake" nugget, a 3.4 gram piece and and fat round 6.1 gram marble. First week, 2-3/4 ounce of gold, This was shaping up to be a really great adventure! To be continued...... Steve's Gold From Jack Wade Creek, First Week 2013 This post has been promoted to an article

Today my youngest daughter and my second child is 40...dang, I am getting old! Happy Birthday Crystal! For her birthday i am sending her a pendant that was fashioned from my first piece of Alaska-thank you Steve H; almost ten years ago at Moore Creek. Steve aka El Dorado made the cab and turned an ugly duckling into a swan-thank you El D. He is a mighty fine artisian! The setting was done by a local jeweller and I wish I had had El D do the work but done is done. Unfortunately, I lost the photos of Alaska when my puter-died...(Steve you have/had a copy of that article in your stuff) The specie was about the size of a nickel and was rock with a slice of gold in the middle... fred