Gold mining – past and present

Today we spent a lazy afternoon driving up Bonanza Creek Rd. First stop was at Dredge No. 4 where we viewed the outside of the dredge used for mining gold in Dawson beginning in the 1910s. It was the largest wooden-hulled dredge in North America and was in production on the Klondike River for 30 years before being moved to Bonanza Creek where it spent another 18 years before sinking to its current location. The dredge’s function was to dig out and sift through the dirt and rock to free up the placer (loose) gold that was found in many of the hills throughout the Klondike. It needed both water and electricity to operate so location was critical.

As we drove further up the road, we saw many examples of current day gold mining. Huge sides of hills have been dug out and are being put through a tumbler looking for placer gold. It certainly leaves behind an eyesore. We met a modern-day miner in the laundromat. He has been working his mine for 5 years, having been told he was getting “too old” to drive truck any more. So he headed north to Dawson, bought himself a gold mine and spends his day mining. I don’t know if he is getting rich, but he is enjoying himself.

Tomorrow the “Top of the World”!