Carbus Travels Journal: May 31, 2010

Oil, Gold, Sternwheelers, History, Culture

On our way to our first tour of the day we stopped at a spot set up to view the Alaska Pipe Line. This brings oil from the arctic ocean overland the entire length of the stat to Valdez over the most unforgiving land and climate conditions anywhere. There are many engineering features to deal with the harsh environment.

We have several other pictures which we will put in an album.

First goal was Eldorado Gold Mine.

Tour involves a train ride with onboard narration and entertainment which stops several places and gives demonstrations of how gold was mined. One stop is inside a permafrost tunnel to explain where gold was located.

Pointing to junction of permafrost ground and bedrock.

Final stop was a large demonstration of a sluice.

This sluice is probably 100 feet long.

Water is started down sluice.

Pay dirt (hopefully) is poured in to moving water at top of sluice. Grate that lines bottom of sluice has astroturf under it (used to be burlap mats). Gold gets trapped in mats. Dirt and gravel is washed away.

Placer mining in action.

Working a panfull if dirt.

Gold contained in that one pan of dirt. This stuff is not salted!

Final part of tour: Everyone (well over 100 people) goes through a tunnel and is handed a small bag of dirt. At other end of tunnel is a large room with panning troughs and benches along the troughs. There are gold pans and small plastic containers (similar to film canister) at each station. We sit down, empty dirt into pans and start panning. There is lots of help and instruction available. The amazing thing is that every bag of dirt has gold. They guarantee it. At least eight flakes (one for each star in the Alaska flag) or you get another bag to pan. Fun to start with a pan of dirt and gravel and end up with shiny gold flakes in your pan. I ended up with about the same as in the pan above. Sue a little less. After collecting your gold you go to gift shop where they weigh it. You can then put it back in the canister or in various styles of jewelry. Sue now has a new pair of earrings. :)

This nugget was available to handle (under supervision :) ) to feel how heavy gold is. the value is at the value of gold in 1995. Now a lot more.

Afternoon tour was Riverboat Discovery. Very large (four decks) stern wheel paddle boat.

This boat can carry over 900 passengers. there were 300 today. Tomorrow will have 700. Boat travels down Chena River for several miles. There is constant narration along the way.

This was the first Riverboat Discovery. Things have grown a bit.

We passed a number of houses of all shapes and sizes. The only common is that they are on the very peaceful Chena River. A lovely place to live – for five months out of the year. The other seven are pretty severe.

President and Nancy Reagan once stayed here.

There are several stops for demonstrations. Bush pilot doing short takeoffs and landings.

Sled dog demonstration at home of Susan Butcher (now deceased) who won the Iditarod sled race four times.

Demonstration is presented by her daughter (15 y/o).

This creek which is less than ten miles long produced more gold than any other ten miles in Alaska and maybe the world. Millions of dollars when gold was $35/oz. Today’s value: several billion.

Journey to confluence of two rivers. Hour long stop at very complete demonstration of housing, hunting, fishing, clothing, and many other aspects of Native Alaskan life past and present. the demonstrations are given by enthusiastic teenage Native Alaskans. We had lots of time to wander all the displays and talk with the kids about their lives, native life and history, etc.