General Information
Primary Commodities: gold, silver
Secondary Commodities: lead, copper
Aliases: Gopher Vein
Deposit Type(s): Epithermal Au-Ag-Cu: High Sulphidation
Location(s): 60.253060 N, -135.036670 W
NTS Mapsheet(s): 105D06
Location Comments: .5 Kilometres
Hand Samples Available at YGS: No
Capsule
Work History
Staked as Silver King #2, Acme & Comstock cl (8740) in Aug/06 by C.I. Burnside, L. Belney, J. Perkins and others, who explored with trenching and a 6 m shaft until 1912. The property was taken to lease in 1915.
Restaked as Alta cl 1-100 (Y8085) in May/66 by Silver Pack Mines Ltd, which performed mapping and sampling. Restaked as Not cl 1-2 (YA78958) and Wheaton cl 1-7 (YA81535) in Nov/83 by Tally-Ho Exploration Ltd, which carried out mapping, sampling and trenching in 1984 on behalf of Wheaton River Joint Venture (Tally-Ho, Euro-Petroleum Corporation and Wesclift Resources Ltd). Wesclift's interest was transferred to Permian Resources Ltd in 1985 when the joint venture performed geochemical sampling and bulldozer trenching. The Wheaton River JV claims were transferred to Academy Resources Ltd, which carried out bulldozer trenching and drilling (4 holes) in 1987 and trenching in 1988 and shipped a small bulk sample in 1989. In 1990 Academy added the Willie cl 1-10(YB21941) and carried out further bulk sampling and drilling. Metallurgical tests were conducted on four 227 kg bulk samples. Academy carried out trenching and rock geochemical sampling on the Wheaton, Tony and Willie claims in Jul/93.
The adjoining Era cl 1-20 (YA82063) to the east were staked in Jun/85 by Barker Creek Placer Exploration Corporation and Silver Mountain Resources Ltd and sold to New Era Developments Ltd and Havilah Gold Mines Ltd, which carried out geochemical sampling in 1985 and prospecting and a magnetometer surveying in 1986 before forming a joint venture with Shogun Development Corporation. Other adjoining claims staked during this period include Fanin cl 1-6 and 13-24 (YA86164) 3 km to the north by McCrory Holdings Ltd and subsequently optioned to Newhawk Gold Mines Ltd. Newhawk carried out geological mapping, and geochemical sampling of the Fanin claims in 1985.
J. Magrath tied on Mag cl 1-10 (YB07703) to the northeast in Aug/87 and transferred them to Mepremundo S.A. in 1988. Magrath staked Rath cl 1-12 (YB08308) to the east in Oct/89. In Oct/90, Magrath partially re-staked the Rath claims as Rath cl 1-10 (YB35427) for Camas Resources Ltd and staked Jaycee cl 5-6 (YB35439) to the west at the same time.
K. Malchow tied on the Quimet cl 1-17 (YB27333) to the north in May/90 and carried out prospecting, trenching and shafting in Apr/91.
Magrath staked Jaycee cl 7-8 (YB36971) in Aug/92. P. Plicka staked New cl 1-12 (YB37679) on the east side of Mt Wheaton in Dec/92, and D. Pack staked Pac cl 1-4 (YB36973) 1 km further east near the Wheaton River in Aug/92. Merlin Resources Inc restaked the Rath claims as Rath cl 1-6 (YB37981) in May/93 and Rath cl 7-12 (YB38013) in June/93. In June/93, the Mike cl 1-6 (YB38051) and Max cl 1-12 (YB38039) were staked by to M. Lindner. A trenching and sampling program was conducted on the Willie cl 1-10 (YB21941) in Sept/93.
In Dec/96 Daley Resources Ltd restaked the MR claims as Buf cl 1-16 (YB96999), the Tony claims as Alo cl 1-16 (YB97015) and the Willie claims as Tag cl 1-8 (YB97047). Daley Resources carried out prospecting and geochemical sampling in 1997 and 1998 and grid soil sampling in 1999.
Capsule Geology
The early work located a quartz vein with galena and chalcopyrite in a shaft on the MacDonald Fraction on the west side of the summit. Samples collected by the GSC in 1915 assayed less than 1.7 g/t in Au and Ag combined. A similar vein containing an irregular quartz lens up to 2.1 m wide was found cutting greenstone on the Gopher claims. On the Silver Queen claim, at the north end of the summit, a 10 m quartz vein contains galena and pyrite. Sampling by Silver Pack Mines Ltd gave assays of 28.8 g/t Au and 17.1 g/t Ag from a specimen taken from the Silver Queen Showing and 5.5 g/t Au and 435.5 g/t Ag from a specimen off the MacDonald Fraction shaft dump.
The 1984-88 work was directed toward the Silver Queen Showing on Wheaton 5 and 6 claims. Several parallel veins 0.2 to 4.3 m wide are associated with Eocene rhyolite, andesite breccia and tuff over a width of 50 m. The best assays obtained were 294.9 g/t Au and 143.9 g/t Ag from a specimen of quartz and minor chalcopyrite from the centre pit; 180.8 g/t Au and 185.1 g/t Ag from a specimen of float uphill from the south pit; and 34.9 g/t Au and 37.9 g/t Ag across 3.1 m from Hole 87-2. Trenching in 1988 exposed a 13.2 m length of vein from which three large chip samples averaged 24.3 g/t Au and 37.7 g/t Ag.
Academy recalculated the reserves (in 1989) as 4 536 tonnes grading about 17.2 g/t Au and 34.3 g/t Ag. The 1989 drilling on the Wheaton claims intersected silicified, brecciated andesite and a 3.7 m zone of green chalcedony breccia containing fine-grained pyrite, pyrrhotite and galena. Samples of vein quartz exposed in a bulldozer trench assayed up to 106.4 g/t Au over 0.8 m. The 1990 work traced a zone of greenish chalcedonic quartz veins and chlorite-clay alteration over a vertical extent of 1 069 m. Sampling in 1993 of the Gopher vein returned assays as high as 38.6 g/t Au over 0.62 metres.
On the adjoining Rath claims, mineralized quartz veins occur in andesite breccia, close to the faulted contact between granodiorite and a porphyry dyke.
Havilah discovered a new vein cutting granodiorite on the Era claims in 1986. The vein strikes east-west, dips 25 to 80° south and contains galena and pyrite with minor chalcopyrite and sphalerite. Specimens assayed up to 35.3 g/t Au and 6171 g/t Ag.
Prospecting by Daley Resources in 1997 and 1998 located mineralized quartz float that returned high Pb (up to 48.2 %) and Ag (up to 2 950 g/t) and granitic float containing chalcopyrite. No source for either float type was determined and soil sampling was undertaken in 1999 in an attempt to locate a source. Analysis of the samples for Cu and Au returned only a few spotty Au values and the claims have since been allowed to lapse.
References
ACADEMY RESOURCES LTD, Sep/89. Assessment Report #092749 by G. MacDonald.
ACADEMY RESOURCES LTD, Feb/94. Assessment Report #093166 by J.A. vanRanden.
BARKER CREEK PLACER EXPLORATION CORPORATION, Apr/87. Assessment Report *#091939 by J. Devlin.
DALEY RESOURCES INC, Jun/98. Assessment Report #093838 by G.C. MacDonald.
DALEY RESOURCES INC, Aug/99. Assessment Report #094002 by G.C. MacDonald.
DALEY RESOURCES INC, Jun/2000. Assessment Report #094142 by W.G. Timmins.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, 1907. Summary Report, 1906, Part A, p. 27.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, 1910. Summary Report 1909, p. 53.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, Memoir 31, p. 108; Memoir 312, p. 122-123.
GEORGE CROSS NEWSLETTER, 23 Nov/90; 4 Dec/90; 22 Mar/91.
MERLIN RESOURCES LTD, Nov/91. Assessment Report #092985 by P. Plicka.
NEWHAWK GOLD MINES LTD, Nov/85. Assessment Report *#091662 by G.S. Davidson and R. Robertson.
SILVER PACK MINES LTD, Nov/66. Assessment Report #017504 by W.B. McCrindle.
Staked as Silver King #2, Acme & Comstock cl (8740) in Aug/06 by C.I. Burnside, L. Belney, J. Perkins and others, who explored with trenching and a 6 m shaft until 1912. The property was taken to lease in 1915.
Restaked as Alta cl 1-100 (Y8085) in May/66 by Silver Pack Mines Ltd, which performed mapping and sampling. Restaked as Not cl 1-2 (YA78958) and Wheaton cl 1-7 (YA81535) in Nov/83 by Tally-Ho Exploration Ltd, which carried out mapping, sampling and trenching in 1984 on behalf of Wheaton River Joint Venture (Tally-Ho, Euro-Petroleum Corporation and Wesclift Resources Ltd). Wesclift's interest was transferred to Permian Resources Ltd in 1985 when the joint venture performed geochemical sampling and bulldozer trenching. The Wheaton River JV claims were transferred to Academy Resources Ltd, which carried out bulldozer trenching and drilling (4 holes) in 1987 and trenching in 1988 and shipped a small bulk sample in 1989. In 1990 Academy added the Willie cl 1-10(YB21941) and carried out further bulk sampling and drilling. Metallurgical tests were conducted on four 227 kg bulk samples. Academy carried out trenching and rock geochemical sampling on the Wheaton, Tony and Willie claims in Jul/93.
The adjoining Era cl 1-20 (YA82063) to the east were staked in Jun/85 by Barker Creek Placer Exploration Corporation and Silver Mountain Resources Ltd and sold to New Era Developments Ltd and Havilah Gold Mines Ltd, which carried out geochemical sampling in 1985 and prospecting and a magnetometer surveying in 1986 before forming a joint venture with Shogun Development Corporation. Other adjoining claims staked during this period include Fanin cl 1-6 and 13-24 (YA86164) 3 km to the north by McCrory Holdings Ltd and subsequently optioned to Newhawk Gold Mines Ltd. Newhawk carried out geological mapping, and geochemical sampling of the Fanin claims in 1985.
J. Magrath tied on Mag cl 1-10 (YB07703) to the northeast in Aug/87 and transferred them to Mepremundo S.A. in 1988. Magrath staked Rath cl 1-12 (YB08308) to the east in Oct/89. In Oct/90, Magrath partially re-staked the Rath claims as Rath cl 1-10 (YB35427) for Camas Resources Ltd and staked Jaycee cl 5-6 (YB35439) to the west at the same time.
K. Malchow tied on the Quimet cl 1-17 (YB27333) to the north in May/90 and carried out prospecting, trenching and shafting in Apr/91.
Magrath staked Jaycee cl 7-8 (YB36971) in Aug/92. P. Plicka staked New cl 1-12 (YB37679) on the east side of Mt Wheaton in Dec/92, and D. Pack staked Pac cl 1-4 (YB36973) 1 km further east near the Wheaton River in Aug/92. Merlin Resources Inc restaked the Rath claims as Rath cl 1-6 (YB37981) in May/93 and Rath cl 7-12 (YB38013) in June/93. In June/93, the Mike cl 1-6 (YB38051) and Max cl 1-12 (YB38039) were staked by to M. Lindner. A trenching and sampling program was conducted on the Willie cl 1-10 (YB21941) in Sept/93.
In Dec/96 Daley Resources Ltd restaked the MR claims as Buf cl 1-16 (YB96999), the Tony claims as Alo cl 1-16 (YB97015) and the Willie claims as Tag cl 1-8 (YB97047). Daley Resources carried out prospecting and geochemical sampling in 1997 and 1998 and grid soil sampling in 1999.
Capsule Geology
The early work located a quartz vein with galena and chalcopyrite in a shaft on the MacDonald Fraction on the west side of the summit. Samples collected by the GSC in 1915 assayed less than 1.7 g/t in Au and Ag combined. A similar vein containing an irregular quartz lens up to 2.1 m wide was found cutting greenstone on the Gopher claims. On the Silver Queen claim, at the north end of the summit, a 10 m quartz vein contains galena and pyrite. Sampling by Silver Pack Mines Ltd gave assays of 28.8 g/t Au and 17.1 g/t Ag from a specimen taken from the Silver Queen Showing and 5.5 g/t Au and 435.5 g/t Ag from a specimen off the MacDonald Fraction shaft dump.
The 1984-88 work was directed toward the Silver Queen Showing on Wheaton 5 and 6 claims. Several parallel veins 0.2 to 4.3 m wide are associated with Eocene rhyolite, andesite breccia and tuff over a width of 50 m. The best assays obtained were 294.9 g/t Au and 143.9 g/t Ag from a specimen of quartz and minor chalcopyrite from the centre pit; 180.8 g/t Au and 185.1 g/t Ag from a specimen of float uphill from the south pit; and 34.9 g/t Au and 37.9 g/t Ag across 3.1 m from Hole 87-2. Trenching in 1988 exposed a 13.2 m length of vein from which three large chip samples averaged 24.3 g/t Au and 37.7 g/t Ag.
Academy recalculated the reserves (in 1989) as 4 536 tonnes grading about 17.2 g/t Au and 34.3 g/t Ag. The 1989 drilling on the Wheaton claims intersected silicified, brecciated andesite and a 3.7 m zone of green chalcedony breccia containing fine-grained pyrite, pyrrhotite and galena. Samples of vein quartz exposed in a bulldozer trench assayed up to 106.4 g/t Au over 0.8 m. The 1990 work traced a zone of greenish chalcedonic quartz veins and chlorite-clay alteration over a vertical extent of 1 069 m. Sampling in 1993 of the Gopher vein returned assays as high as 38.6 g/t Au over 0.62 metres.
On the adjoining Rath claims, mineralized quartz veins occur in andesite breccia, close to the faulted contact between granodiorite and a porphyry dyke.
Havilah discovered a new vein cutting granodiorite on the Era claims in 1986. The vein strikes east-west, dips 25 to 80° south and contains galena and pyrite with minor chalcopyrite and sphalerite. Specimens assayed up to 35.3 g/t Au and 6171 g/t Ag.
Prospecting by Daley Resources in 1997 and 1998 located mineralized quartz float that returned high Pb (up to 48.2 %) and Ag (up to 2 950 g/t) and granitic float containing chalcopyrite. No source for either float type was determined and soil sampling was undertaken in 1999 in an attempt to locate a source. Analysis of the samples for Cu and Au returned only a few spotty Au values and the claims have since been allowed to lapse.
References
ACADEMY RESOURCES LTD, Sep/89. Assessment Report #092749 by G. MacDonald.
ACADEMY RESOURCES LTD, Feb/94. Assessment Report #093166 by J.A. vanRanden.
BARKER CREEK PLACER EXPLORATION CORPORATION, Apr/87. Assessment Report *#091939 by J. Devlin.
DALEY RESOURCES INC, Jun/98. Assessment Report #093838 by G.C. MacDonald.
DALEY RESOURCES INC, Aug/99. Assessment Report #094002 by G.C. MacDonald.
DALEY RESOURCES INC, Jun/2000. Assessment Report #094142 by W.G. Timmins.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, 1907. Summary Report, 1906, Part A, p. 27.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, 1910. Summary Report 1909, p. 53.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, Memoir 31, p. 108; Memoir 312, p. 122-123.
GEORGE CROSS NEWSLETTER, 23 Nov/90; 4 Dec/90; 22 Mar/91.
MERLIN RESOURCES LTD, Nov/91. Assessment Report #092985 by P. Plicka.
NEWHAWK GOLD MINES LTD, Nov/85. Assessment Report *#091662 by G.S. Davidson and R. Robertson.
SILVER PACK MINES LTD, Nov/66. Assessment Report #017504 by W.B. McCrindle.
Location Map
Last Updated: Jun 24, 2014
Work History
| Year | Work Type | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Geochemistry: Soil | |
| 1998 | Geochemistry: Rock | |
| 1998 | Other | |
| 1997 | Geochemistry: Rock | |
| 1997 | Other | |
| 1993 | Geochemistry: Rock | |
| 1993 | Trenching | |
| 1989 | Other | |
| 1988 | Trenching | |
| 1987 | Drilling: Diamond | Number of holes drilled: 4 |
| 1987 | Trenching: Mechanical | |
| 1985 | Other | |
| 1985 | Trenching: Mechanical | |
| 1984 | Geology: Bedrock Mapping | |
| 1984 | Other | |
| 1984 | Trenching | |
| 1966 | Geology: Bedrock Mapping | |
| 1966 | Other | |
| 1906 | Other | Amount of work done: 6 METRES |
| 1906 | Trenching |
Regional Geology - Terrane
Group: Intermontane
Affinity: W Laurentia
Name: Stikinia
Realm: peri-Laurentian
Regional Geology - Bedrock
Supergroup:
Group/Suite: Casino?
Formation:
Member:
Terrane:
Period Max: Cretaceous
Age Max: 79 MA
Period Min: Cretaceous
Age Min: 74 MA
Rock Major: quartz monzonite/granite/alaskite/granodiorite
Rock Minor:
Reference: Hart & Radloff (1990) - YGS OF 1990-4
Geological Unit (1M): LKC
Geological Unit (250K): LKqC
Assessment Reports that overlap occurrence
| Report Number | Year | Title | Worktypes | Holes Drilled | Meters Drilled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 093699 | 1996 | Geological Mapping and Geophysical Survey Program on the Dickson Hill and Mineral Hill Properties | Rock - Geochemistry, Bedrock Mapping - Geology, EM - Ground Geophysics, Magnetics - Ground Geophysics, Prospecting - Other | ||
| 091662 | 1985 | Prospecting and Geochemical Sampling, Fanin 1-6,13-24 Claims | Rock - Geochemistry, Soil - Geochemistry, Detailed Bedrock Mapping - Geology, Prospecting - Other | ||
| 017504 | 1966 | Report on the Geological and Diamond Drill Programs on the Tally-Ho Gulch, Alta and Car Claim Groups | Diamond - Drilling, Drill Core - Geochemistry, Drill Cuttings - Geochemistry, Rock - Geochemistry | 5 | 459.94 |
