Admin nuggethunting Posted February 6, 2012 Admin Report Share Posted February 6, 2012 Hello All, Found this video browsing around on Youtube. It's two good friends, Rich L. and Steve H. from Alaska Mining & Diving. Sure wish I could have been there with you guys working that dredge. I remember the stories you told me about Cow Creek and dredging Steve. I was in Alaska in 96', but not on Cow Creek. How much you guys end up taking out of there?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyeD_P52IRY&feature=relatedTake care,Rob Allison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam Posted February 6, 2012 Report Share Posted February 6, 2012 I have to give some serious props to the guys in the video....I mean , couldnt you wait till it was summer time?....Thats hard core....I could never do it.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldies1955 Posted February 6, 2012 Report Share Posted February 6, 2012 Hello All, Found this video browsing around on Youtube. It's two good friends, Rich L. and Steve H. from Alaska Mining & Diving. Sure wish I could have been there with you guys working that dredge. I remember the stories you told me about Cow Creek and dredging Steve. I was in Alaska in 96', but not on Cow Creek. How much you guys end up taking out of there?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyeD_P52IRY&feature=relatedTake care,Rob Allison Good Lord! Thats crazy... I can remember dredging in the 80s in the bradshaws and working in snowmelt. Would work about a hr. and then go up to the fire and burn my legs...then back into the hole. Those guys are deffinetly tough!Tom H. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paratrooper Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 February 8th, 1965 myself, Steve H.'s dad and a few hundred others (American and Canadian) jumped into Operation Polar Strike in Alaska. -54 on the ground. It eventually got down to the -70's during the week and a half we were there. That state gets REALLY cold. The water will fool you. It is very often warmer than the air. Just think about it, if it were under about 30 degrees it wouldn't be water. Having accidentally experienced a "dip" into that type of water two things happened. One: Even though I was only 18 years old I honestly believe my heart stopped for a second. Two: The cold seems to shoot straight to your bones almost crippling you. I think those two are just plain STUD to be there doing that. They deserve about 200 pounds of gold ....... EACH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted February 7, 2012 Author Admin Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 Hey Guys, I have a huge passion for dredging, one reason I bought another dredge at the last GPAA Gold Show is Mesa. Worked out a deal with Rob @ 49'ers on a loaded 4-inch Keene dredge with air. Only got to use it a few times, as the water is so limited now here in Arizona. When I first started prospecting back in the early 90's, I had like 4 dredges, biggest was a Gold King 5-inch. I loved this dredge and dredged holes where I could bury several vehicles. I would dredge all Winter in ice cold water in just shorts, no wetsuit at all. People thought I was crazy, but I loved it. Not sure I could do that anymore. I had some pretty good claims on Turkey and Humbug creek back then. On Turkey I had one of my best dredge day ever. On another note, shot Steve H. a private message, maybe he will tell us more about the days on Cow Creek. Talk with you later,Rob Allison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Herschbach Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 Hi Rob,Got the message, will fill in some details soon (sort of busy right now). But the main thing I can add at the moment is Crow Creek not Cow Creek.Must be a down south thing. Everyone wants to call Ganes Creek Gaines Creek and Moore Creek Moore's Creek.Steve HerschbachSteve's Mining Journal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burta Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 The reason they dredge in the winter, Adam, is because when the ice starts to melt it is so milky you can not see. I've done that with a 5" dredge on Resurrection Creek south of Anchorage. Let me tell you its for young men, which I was way back then. Got some nice gold but it was only worth around $300 a oz. Thought I was doing good. Might have had something to do with the young thing. But you can bet if I was twenty again I'd be right back in there. Thanks Rob for sharing the video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Herschbach Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 I was averaging two ounces a day at that time! But gold was only $300 an ounce - not bad but no big deal. Now it would be $3000.00 a day! Holy &!?@&?!. The problem is I and others got it all, pending another mega-flood, the likes of which occurred in1995 in that part of Alaska. There is nothing left there but our left-overs. If I could get into 2 ounce a day stuff now I would not be typing this. I would be out there getting it.More photos at http://www.detectorp...-crow-creek.htmAnd yeah, I was younger then!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted February 9, 2012 Author Admin Report Share Posted February 9, 2012 Hey Steve,Thanks for shooting back an reply. Tried to call you several times in the last couple months, they always say you're out (probably prospecting!) Sure wish I could have been with you guys back then. I truely miss the dredging. Some partners and I just picked up a decent claim in a good nugget area along a gulch, but waiting for water. I'm excited to drop my Keene 4-inch down in there. Two ounces per day would be a great place to have now. My best dredge location was about 1/2 per day if you killed yourself (one man running the nozzle, other tossing rocks the entire time). Wishing you well up there,Rob Allison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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