Last Chance for Moore Creek - Nearly sold out

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi,

We have 63 out of 80 slots now booked for Moore Creek this summer. It has been quietly booking all winter. Seems like all the sudden there are only 17 openings left, so if anyone is interested you'd best take a hard look now. See http://www.moorecreek.com/who_is_going.htm for who is going and when, and http://www.moorecreek.com/cost_and_availability.htm

for signup costs and details.

I had planned on making more information available this winter but have been buried with projects. The bottom line is I am heading out to the mine in about 12 days, and so will be unavailable online until latter June at earliest. My partner Dudley will handle bookings in my absence.

I'm starting another thread at http://bb.bbboy.net/alaskagoldforum-viewth...um=2&thread=754 with Moore Creek Questions & Answers. Please ask all questions there and not on other forums or by email so the answers can help everyone. Please ask about anything, no matter how minor it may seem. I want people to know what the program is before heading to the mine.

Steve Herschbach

Moore Creek Mining LLC

[fredm]

Hey Steve;

if you or your potential visitors are interested Bill Southern has put my story of my Moore Creek visit last year on his website.........

Had a great time and expect big nuggets to be found agin this year.........

Fred

[nuggethunting]

Hello Fred,

What detector are you taking up this year to Moore Creek? You mentioned you might get into another Minelab PI before the trip if you can sell the GS5.

Hopefully Moore Creek will produce more big nuggets ... to the first weekers that is!!

Take care,

Rob Allison

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi Rob,

Unfortunately, Fred is not returning to Moore Creek this summer. I mean this as Fred was a pleasure to have at the mine. He appreciated the early morning quiet and wildlife and despite fighting a detector he was unfamiliar with, had a great attitude about the experience. And found a coin right in camp I'd rather have found than a nugget!

A really nice story, Fred. Thank you. All I can say is hopefully we will bump into each other again one of these days.

Oh, by the way Rob, those big nuggets are waiting. But did you notice how the experienced guys found the most nuggets at Moore Creek last year... and the novices found the largest?

Steve Herschbach

Moore Creek Mining LLC

[nuggethunting]

Hello Steve,

Ya, funny how the more experienced found more nuggets, but the larger ones were found by the less experienced. When its comes to hunting strickly tailing piles it really hit and miss. You're either on a good pile or not. I figured the more experienced people would find more nuggets overall, but I knew the big ones would be in anyone's hand.

Last year I spotted a good pile, but it took a bit of hiking around the water to get to it. Being lazy Glenn said he would give it a whirl and he found (5) nice piece right on top of the pile. If you have a gut feeling about something, you better check it out ....

My predictions about this year are:

* Less gold nuggets found than last year (lets hope not) if everyone stays in the same areas

* A few more big ones (4-6 ouncers) will be found

* Unknown what might be found if someone would prospect (skunked/bonanza?)

P.S. I know there's good potential still at Moore Creek, this is one reason I'm returning. I have some different plans and thoughts this year. I'm real surprised you still have 17 spots left, people are really missing out on this venture.

Talk with you later,

Rob Allison

[fredm]

Thanks Steve; If i did come back I would want to prospect those hilltops away from the alders....maybe next year...Rob, if I was going this year I would have the 3500 I just traded the Gs5 ( and some cash) for...now I need to get lots of time on the gold fields...

Fred

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi Rob,

I'll totally disagree with you on one point. I'll bet more gold gets found this year than last. I went detecting after everyone left and had no problem pulling nuggets out of already hunted areas. I saw very little careful detecting going on last summer. It was all rush, rush, rush. Got to get on that hill before the next guy! Dan Judd went out to the island in the pond that you would swear everyone had hammered and pulled up some more nuggets.

There was a big cobble pile this side of the one Dean and Rich scored all the nuggets on. The one before the pond you have to go around to get to the pile they found nuggets on. Lots of people hit that pile as it looked really good. Nobody found nuggets on it that I know of. I figured that made no sense, and so after everyone left I went down and gave it a spin... and pulled three nuggets off it. I also went to the hill where the 25 oz nugget was found. That sucker got hammered after that find, of course. They even dug away part of the hill. But I pulled a 2.47 oz piece off the hill.

People need to slow the heck down and concentrate on technique and digging those faint signals that often turn out to be hot rocks... but sometimes end up being gold.

Now by the time 80 people get done with the place this summer it will no doubt be pretty thinned out nugget wise. But I do not think we are near to that point yet. It takes some time to detect out an area two miles long by a half mile wide.

But we will see for sure in just a very few weeks! One thing for sure... those nuggets are getting to be worth more every day it seems!!! I'm not one to tell people they can pay for a trip like this in gold, but at over $700 an ounce it sure makes things look sweeter.

Steve Herschbach

Moore Creek Mining LLC

[nuggethunting]

Hello Steve,

I have to agree that most hunted sloppy the first couple of days. However, after that I know Glenn and I hunted very slowly searching some of the more promising piles for faint nuggets. The last 4-5 nuggets I found were all deep and very faint.

Last year Glenn and I found (32) nuggets total. I sure hope you're right and we find more gold this year. I would be happy with 15-20 nuggets this year from Moore Creek.

Most of the guys going on my first week are all very experienced with Minelab detectors. It's going to be very interesting to see what turns up the first week with all the "Big Studs" swinging.

Regardless, for the guys that haven't seen Moore Creek, it's going to be an experience they will never forget. There is much more than gold to be found at Moore Creek. Think about the memories, friendships, wildlife and all the other great things to be seen and found at Moore Creek besides those big nugget/specimens!

Going to be another excited year,

Rob Allison

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi Rob,

The absolute most exciting best thing for me about Moore Creek is just being there rather than here at work! I like what I do, but it has been hectic to the max as of late, and so getting where there are no phones for awile will really be nice.

I think somebody is going to find something larger than Jesse's 25 ouncer at Moore Creek this summer.

Steve Herschbach

[nuggethunting]

Hello Steve,

I can't wait to get back on those tailing piles. Just for some of the people that have never been there, the picture below will give you an idea of the size of some of the piles. Look closely and you can see two people standing on them, I believe the middle person is Bob (AK) and the one over towards the right is Keith.

I think it would take days to hunt a pile(s) like this to the point where you would feel confident there is nothing left near the surface.

Take care,

Rob Allison

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi Rob,

The Minelab guys need to get to work. We can't have it keep being said that the largest nugget found at Moore Creek with a metal detector so far has been with a Garrett Infinium! Here is what you have to beat at 24.79 ounces...

Steve Herschbach

[nuggethunting]

Hello Steve,

That's one hell of a find regardless of the detector used. Congrats to Jesse (I hope that's the correct finder)! Gold nuggets like that are very rare when they are that size, so that is a life time find for even the best detectorists.

I'm sure there are bigger, so if I'm lucky enough maybe one will get under my coil. I would much rather be real "Lucky" than "Good" anyday.

Thanks for posting the picture. That's a great moment there with the nugget, hole and facial expression.

Congrats once again,

Rob Allison

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi,

I've made some additions to the Moore Creek Questions & Answers thread at http://bb.bbboy.net/alaskagoldforum-viewth...um=2&thread=754 but in general there have been few questions. So everyone is happy and knows all they need to know?

Steve Herschbach

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi,

Not leaving town until Thursday morning now so there are a few more days left if anyone has last minute questions for me.

Steve Herschbach

[nuggethunting]

Hello Steve,

Going back and looking at the 25 ounce picture, it kind of looks like the piece was found in the flats, not on the pile. Just curious if the big nugget was found on a pile?

P.S. Someone asked me if you will have Soda Pop at camp? I told them if you didn't you could purchase some at the McGrath Store and toss it on the bush plane.

Talk with you soon,

Rob Allison

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi Rob,

All sorts of mixed drinks but no soda in the planning. We might have some but no promises. Weight is a big issue in bush Alaska!

The 25 ozer came off near the top of a very large pile. You can make out the slope of the pile over Jesse's shoulder.

Steve Herschbach

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi,

Delayed again. Now not leaving until Saturday morning. So a bit more time for questions.

Steve Herschbach

MooreCreek Mining LLC

[nuggethunting]

Hello Steve,

Sorry to hear about the delay heading into Moore Creek. Not sure if you have the entire trip now booked, but after the first week is done you will sell the remainder slots that are open. I strongly suggest anyone that hasn't seen the Alaskan outback and loves to prospect to take this trip. Moore Creek is remote and the country is beautiful if you like the outdoors! Hell, you might just get lucky and get a few nice gold nugget/specimens to take home with you. The experience will last a lifetime. I enjoyed it so much last year I'm returning to see it again.

Also, you will never get a guide like Steve H. at Ganes Creek or any other Alaskan trip. Steve's not going to hold your hand, but he will answer all the questions you might have and point you to where the gold has been found and places that might hold potential that haven't been hunted. Also, the food is great for an Alaskan Bush Camp.

Take care,

Rob Allison

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi Rob,

Oh, whether we sell all the slots or not really does not matter. Booked over double of last year, so can't complain regardless. And it has always been a sideline of my main intent at the mine anyway. The way we have it structured it does not matter if we book 20 or book 100. But sure nice of you to throw in a kind word. Thanks!

It is late Friday night, and I'm finally leaving work. We shipped a ton or two... literally... of gear to McGreath today. I'm headed home for my final packing and off in the morning I go. It sure wil be nice to finally be on the way.

There is a lot to do before you guys arrive. More trail work, setting up camp, dozer repairs, etc. I want to move the dredges around a lot and maybe do some work with the 6" if I get time. Any spare time I get this summer while you guys are around will be spent dredging. And I should have more time to relax with you all now that I'm not cooking!!!!!!!

I'm also lucky in that most of the first two weeks people are returns from last summer so most know the program already. John will have more work in the latter weeks as the people are all new to the mine. So all in all I get the best part of the deal, and get to see all my friends from last summer. Can't beat that!

See you in 11 days Rob...

Steve Herschbach

Moore Creek Mining LLC