AlaskaAV
GONE WEST
Mission, TX
Often I have talked about Dahl Creek and the Kobuk Valley and will probably do it again. This is really some area to have lived in. God's back yard I call it. I always felt He built Eden and than Dahl Creek next just for Him to have a place to relax and crank up His barbie. In the mean time, He made my wife.
Through testing and prospecting, the following minerals have been found within 50 miles of the Dahl Creek airport (DCK). Needless to say, the best find was a lode of 65% copper at a place called Bornite by Kennecott Bornite just over the mountain north from Dahl Creek and that was the reason for the Dahl Creek airport. Just west of the airport is a mountain that is almost all jade (jade mountain). When Kennecott was driving the shaft into the copper ore at Bornite, they ran into oil shale that might have even been able to be processed at a profit had there been transportation. Samples showed enough gold that it would have been a profitable also. One thing they ran into that really got to the workers were the misquotes some 750 foot underground. They figured they were imbedded in the surrounding materials and when the air got to them, they suddenly became the size of a Super Cub. The shaft went down almost 1000 foot before an explosion (the last one programed) to loosen up the rocks blew into a huge underground river that flooded the shaft. C-46 flight after flight by two airlines full of cement bags to block the hole. I was shown TV films by the project manager of the fracture. I suspect a person could have driven an ATV through that hole and the volume of water and pressure were unbelievable.
So many other rivers/creeks in the area that have gold and jade in them also. The Kobuk River has some of the best tasting fish anywhere, Sheefish. Lots of mink in the valley as well as lemmings and weasel. Moose, caribou, fox, wolf (including wolf packs), porcupine, bear, and the worst animal of all, Ernie when our beautiful live in helper was around. The town of Shungnak will get a kick out of that comment.
Now back to Dahl Creek itself.
I had a very good friend there who actually lived in Tok and had a gold claim near Eagle that showed me around all of his claims at Dahl Creek. During his gold working days, he used his old D8 Cat to push all the huge jade rocks aside so he could get to the gold. Once he got through all of that, he flew in a small Allis Chalmers tractor to run a diamond saw to slice up the jade rocks. I still have 2 sets of book ends of Dahl Creek jade he gave me. One day, he came to our home and asked me to help him determine the weight of each huge rock. Knowing a little about the weight of Jade, I gave him my ideas. At one point, I spotted one rock in the shape of a kidney and probably weighed 10,000 pounds. I looked and looked from all sides looking for fractures and finally came up with a dollar figure for the Al, the owner.
I often went down to the creek and panned for gold myself. Probably made more money there than what Wien paid me but I loved aviation work more than money I guess.
Further up Dahl Creek, the modern prospectors found an area containing Uranium capable of producing at a profit. Clear at the top of the head waters an area of asbestos was found. This type of asbestos has only been found in two places in the world, one in Italy and the other at Dahl Creek. Remember, this was in WW II and all of a sudden it became very important.
Some of the other minerals found were iron, silver, zinc and so many others, all within reason of being mined at a profit had there been transportation to civilized areas.
Sorry guys, they never did find a strip club though so no need going prospecting there for that. Been there, done that.
Through testing and prospecting, the following minerals have been found within 50 miles of the Dahl Creek airport (DCK). Needless to say, the best find was a lode of 65% copper at a place called Bornite by Kennecott Bornite just over the mountain north from Dahl Creek and that was the reason for the Dahl Creek airport. Just west of the airport is a mountain that is almost all jade (jade mountain). When Kennecott was driving the shaft into the copper ore at Bornite, they ran into oil shale that might have even been able to be processed at a profit had there been transportation. Samples showed enough gold that it would have been a profitable also. One thing they ran into that really got to the workers were the misquotes some 750 foot underground. They figured they were imbedded in the surrounding materials and when the air got to them, they suddenly became the size of a Super Cub. The shaft went down almost 1000 foot before an explosion (the last one programed) to loosen up the rocks blew into a huge underground river that flooded the shaft. C-46 flight after flight by two airlines full of cement bags to block the hole. I was shown TV films by the project manager of the fracture. I suspect a person could have driven an ATV through that hole and the volume of water and pressure were unbelievable.
So many other rivers/creeks in the area that have gold and jade in them also. The Kobuk River has some of the best tasting fish anywhere, Sheefish. Lots of mink in the valley as well as lemmings and weasel. Moose, caribou, fox, wolf (including wolf packs), porcupine, bear, and the worst animal of all, Ernie when our beautiful live in helper was around. The town of Shungnak will get a kick out of that comment.
Now back to Dahl Creek itself.
I had a very good friend there who actually lived in Tok and had a gold claim near Eagle that showed me around all of his claims at Dahl Creek. During his gold working days, he used his old D8 Cat to push all the huge jade rocks aside so he could get to the gold. Once he got through all of that, he flew in a small Allis Chalmers tractor to run a diamond saw to slice up the jade rocks. I still have 2 sets of book ends of Dahl Creek jade he gave me. One day, he came to our home and asked me to help him determine the weight of each huge rock. Knowing a little about the weight of Jade, I gave him my ideas. At one point, I spotted one rock in the shape of a kidney and probably weighed 10,000 pounds. I looked and looked from all sides looking for fractures and finally came up with a dollar figure for the Al, the owner.
I often went down to the creek and panned for gold myself. Probably made more money there than what Wien paid me but I loved aviation work more than money I guess.
Further up Dahl Creek, the modern prospectors found an area containing Uranium capable of producing at a profit. Clear at the top of the head waters an area of asbestos was found. This type of asbestos has only been found in two places in the world, one in Italy and the other at Dahl Creek. Remember, this was in WW II and all of a sudden it became very important.
Some of the other minerals found were iron, silver, zinc and so many others, all within reason of being mined at a profit had there been transportation to civilized areas.
Sorry guys, they never did find a strip club though so no need going prospecting there for that. Been there, done that.
