Prospecting

[longrider]

anybody up there prospect for gold to supplement their income? carney

[smwon]

There has to be some somewhere... even here in Oregon people do it as a hobbie if nothing else... Any ideas ya'll?

[frostbite]

Hey just read your post, I have finally received some calls from a Tourist line that they want to interview me for a position in Fairbanks. I hope it goes over well, and my move to Alaska will not be so burdensome.
Anyway I have been involved with Gold Mining in South America, I plan on applying some of the Brasilian techniques to so some "Recreational Prospecting" once I get established. They use what is called a "Torpedo" suction style of River dredge. It does not require a diver to operate, or work the end of the suction hose.

[marcie]

Frostbite,

To find out about rec prospecting in the interior, you would do well to see Ron Wendt's website and his books. Ron is a close friend, and one of the people who fired my desire to go to Alaska many years ago. Ron was born on a homestead out in the Two Rivers area, and his father and grandfather were miners. I think he has more knowledge of the small miner and mining than anyone in the state. He lives in Wasilla and has for a long time now, but he can give you a lot of information about the Interior. Also, the Alaska gold forum, created by my husband Jim, who lived in Two Rivers for more than 30 years, has a lot of very good information about the subject in the posts.

Jim has dredged in a number of areas up there, but the problem with that area is that while the largest gold mines today are in that area the gold (in quantity) is most often found very deep, beyond the reach of rec equipment. There are some exceptions, and some small mom and pop businesses but not a lot.

Ron's website is at: home.gci.net/~goldstreamalaska/

His business is called Goldstream Publications, and he publishes two small bimonthly magazines in addition to all his own books (he has a dozen or more in print) and he publishes for others.

One of his mags is about mining and its history there, the other is about trapping and other stories.

He's a great guy, and a great friend.

You can find a link to the Alaska Gold Forum at the bottom of any of Jim's posts here. He's a registered member.

Hope this helps,

[longrider]

Hi there Ms Marcie, Glad you found this site. I am a member (subdrvr) of the Alaska Gold Forum and have read most post there too. I am always looking for new info and your Gold forum is awesome not to mention the Building and other forums.

I read this forum, the Alaska Gold forum and the Homesteading Today forum regularly and each is wonderful.

I havent bought a 6" dredge yet but it wont be long. we have a lot of fine gold here in alabama but i wont get serious yet til i move north. take care, carney

[marcie]

Have you used a dredge before, longrider? Do you have one now? If you do not, you might want to look for a smaller, used one at first, to use where you live now. Trying to manage a 6 inch on your own if you've never dredged is not the best of situations.

Let me know and we'll go from there...

[brent]

Hey longrider,

I know that you have a lot more experience mining for gold than I do but thought maybe this site might help you out some. It will tell you what can and can't be done and what permits are needed. www.dnr.state.ak.us/
I have been reading your posts for some time now and was curious when you where planning on making the move up north. I see my pen pal Frostbite has had his dream come true. I won't be able to go for about 2 yrs. yet but I can't wait till then. Do you have land already purchased yet? I purchased some about 15 miles from Skwentna (that sounds funny. 15 miles from Skwentna, down here in Iowa it might be a walk in the park to travel only 15 miles but up there it might as well be 100 miles) anyway, I just thought the above link might give you some info you don't have yet...

brent

[longrider]

I am a GPAA memeber and go to outings with some of them. I came accross a fella that makes a good living off dredging the creeks and rivers near roads on the way to fairbanks- he has helped me understand the lay of the land. dont have a dredge yet- watching to see which one looks best for me. I have a lot of Ron Wendts books and many others for basic research.

i dont have land up there yet either. my biggest obstacle right now is money. I have student loans that i am wanting to clear before i move north- i will be debt free before moving. And too i want a sizable savings before coming up.

currently i am building a house for my parents so they will be in a good place and near family. i dont expect to move for another three years.

When I do move I will spend the first summer getting a cabin up and the homestead in order. after all is settled i will consider where to prospect.

I am just curious as to wheather or not anybody make a living on there homestead prospecting their claim?

[Jenny]

brent said:

I purchased some about 15 miles from Skwentna (that sounds funny. 15 miles from Skwentna, down here in Iowa it might be a walk in the park to travel only 15 miles but up there it might as well be 100 miles)
brent

Brent, this is off topic for a minute, but I laughed when I read that part of your post. You're so right! We have friends on a lake about 12 miles from us, but sometimes we go years without seeing each other if the conditions aren't right during the winter for a snow machine visit. A charter plane from Anchorage would cost well over $1,000 for either of our families to visit the other. This year our husbands were guiding together, and I was able to get a backhaul with our boys to visit their family, so it wasn't bad. Simple things like a visit with friends a few miles away can sure get complicated up here sometimes. Even though your land is fairly close to us, I'd say it's still pretty unlikely that we'll all meet.

OK, now I'll let y'all get back to your mining talk.

Jenny