THE ALASKAN ADVENTURE Day 73 July 27, 2009 Juneau, AK Panning for Gold

Well, we are back. Today was the day we were going to make our fortune. Although I don’t know what we would do with a fortune as we are pretty fortunate just to be here.

However, that didn’t stop us from trying. So we headed down to Mt Roberts Tram where we were picked up by the small tour bus and our driver and guide. This authentic prospector and guide is from Idaho for the summer earning money for school. He had to grow his beard to get the job and he can hardly wait until summer is over just so he can shave.

The drive up to the mine included a narrative about the early mining days in Juneau. In 1880 a local inhabitant, Chief Kowee, revealed to prospectors Joe Juneau and Richard Harris the presence of gold in what is now named Gold Creek in Silver Bow Basin. The city of Juneau was founded there that year.

The strike sparked the Juneau gold rush which resulted in the development of many placer and lode mines including the largest gold mines in the world at that time. The Treadwell complex of lode mines on Douglas Island and the AJ lode mine, in Juneau itself. The Treadwell mine was built down and most of it was underwater. It flooded and all operations ceased in 1922. As the Treadwell mines declined and closed, the AJ mine rose in prominence. After years of losses and labor problems, the mine became profitable in the mid 1920's. It employed 600 workers and was setting production records. Through the decade, it was the main economic engine of Juneau.

In the 1930's, with 1000 workers, it was an important factor in softening the impact upon Juneau of the Great Depression.

Economic pressures of WWll lead to the closure of the AJ in 1944, all the miners were drafted. This was the end of the dominance of mining in the Juneau economy.

We arrived at Gold Rush Creek and were given a lesson on how to pan for gold. We were given pans that already had dirt in them and "a panning we did go". Everyone found gold in the first pan. Those of us who then dug for another pan had little or no success. Hmmmmm just maybe those first pans were doctored just a little. Yah Think.

There were prospectors, families and other residents who came up to the creek and panned for gold on a regular basis. I talked to a fellow who came up there all the time. His name was Prospector Pete and he was 71 years old. He was using a Canadian gold pan and was able to push through alot of dirt. He did okay.

We had a lot of fun and I enjoyed the time. It was a good thing we did have fun as our total return from both of us came to a whopping total of about $ 0.40. Yes, forty cents and a deed to a portion ( 1 Square inch ) of the gold mine. We will have it framed the minute we get back to Dallas.

Once we had finished panning we headed back down the mountain to the Tram Parking Lot. We walked around town for awhile and headed home for any early dinner and then called it a night.

No fortune, just good memories.