|
El Dorado Gold Mine
Your adventure at El Dorado Gold Mine
begins with a ride on a replica of the Tanana Valley Railroad near some of
the original rail routes. You'll board at the train station and enjoy a
short narrated journey to the mine. Your regular conductor and commentator
is Earl Hughes, who provides lively commentary as you learn about mining
from actual working hands at sites along the way.
The original Tanana Valley Railroad served over two dozen gold camps
scattered throughout Interior Alaska in the early 1900s. Supplies arrived
in Alaska on vessels that traveled from Seattle to the mouth of the Yukon
River. Freight was then transferred to sternwheelers, which hauled it up
the Yukon and Tanana Rivers to Interior Alaska. From there the Tanana
Valley Railroad carried supplies to the gold camps.
At El Dorado Gold Mine, you'll ride a
replica of the Tanana Valley Railroad through the original gold fields of
Interior Alaska. Your journey takes you through a permafrost tunnel where
a miner with a head lamp and pick-axe gives a thorough explanation of
underground mining in days gone by. While inside the tunnel, you'll see
the kinds of mineral and rock formations that tend to produce the most
gold. You'll also have the opportunity to view prehistoric bones up to
30,000 years old. This part of the tour is only one of the reasons that
NBC Nightly News featured El Dorado Gold Mine on its national news
program.
 One
of the gems of the El Dorado Gold Mine is the husband and wife mining team
of Dexter and "Yukon Yonda" Clark. They have operated successful small
mines in Interior Alaska for more than a quarter century. They provide a
good humored and insightful look at prospecting, panning, and
placer/sluice box mining. You'll see how gold is recovered using
modern day techniques typical of family operations in Interior Alaska.
Dexter and "Yukon Yonda" will show you how to work a sluice box-the
slanting wooden box that miners use to shovel dirt into, and then wash
with water. The riffles on the bottom catch the gold concentrate, and
after that it's up to you! Your poke is filled with pay dirt fresh from El
Dorado's sluice box, and your newly acquired skills will help you discover
your own gold. |
