Cripple Creek

Site Name

Primary: Cripple Creek
Secondary: Fox Gulch
Secondary: Slug Gulch

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Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Silver

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Location

State: Alaska
District: Innoko

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Land Status

Not available

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Not available

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Ownership

Not available

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

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Physiography

Not available

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Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Placer Au-PGE

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Orebody

Not available

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Structure

Not available

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Alterations

Not available

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Rocks

Not available

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Stibnite

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Comments

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Cobb, 1976 (OFR 76-576)

Comment (Production): Production Notes = A conservative estimate of production from Cripple Creek is 38,542 ounces of gold and 401 ounces of silver; these totals do not include modern production (Bundtzen and others, 1987).

Comment (Geology): Age = Quaternary. The source of the gold at Cripple Creek may be the meta-aluminous alkali-calcic to quartz-alkalic monzonite plutons at the head of the creek (Bundtzen and others, 1987).

Comment (Exploration): Status = Active

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The bedrock at the head of Cripple Creek consists of sandstone and shale; the lower portion of Cripple Creek is underlain by serpentinized greenstone in fault contact with the sandstone and shale (White and Killeen, 1953; Chapman and others, 1985). Cretaceous or Tertiary monzonite intrusions occur at the head of Cripple Creek (Chapman and others, 1985), and may be the source of placer gold in Cripple Creek (Bundtzen and others, 1987). The gravel in Cripple Creek includes chert, greenstone, andesite, basalt porphyry, sandstone, slate, and granitic rocks (White and Killeen, 1953). Placer gold was mined for 3.3 miles along Cripple Creek; on a bench between Cripple and Bear creeks (OP003); and near the mouth of Cripple Creek just upstream from its junction with Graham Creek. Both creek and bench placers were mined (Cobb, 1973 [B 1374]). Near the mouth, 5-6 feet of gravel were under 2-12 feet of muck (Mertie, 1936). The average gold fineness at Cripple Creek is 908 (Smith, 1941). Holzheimer (1926) reports stibnite at the head of Cripple Creek. Mining of stream and bench placers at Cripple Creek began in 1913 and continued until 1947; additional mining occurred in 1967, and intermittently from 1978(?) until the present (2001) (Eakin, 1914; Brooks, 1915; Smith, 1926; Smith, 1930; Smith, 1932; Smith, 1933 [B 836]; Smith, 1933 [B 834-A]; Smith, 1934 [B 857-A]; Smith, 1934 [B 864-A]; Mertie, 1936; Smith, 1936; Smith, 1937; Smith, 1938; Smith, 1939 [B 910-A]; Smith, 1939 [B 917-A]; Smith, 1941; Smith, 1942; White and Killeen, 1953; Cobb, 1973 [B 1374]; Bundtzen and others, 1987; Bundtzen and others, 1992). In 1933, Cripple Creek was the largest non-dredge operation in the district (Smith, 1934 [B 864-A]). In 1936, drag-line mining began along Cripple Creek. A conservative estimate of production from Cripple Creek is 38,542 ounces of gold and 401 ounces of silver; these totals do not include modern production (Bundtzen and others, 1987). A small, northwest-flowing headwater tributary to Cripple Creek, called Slug Gulch was also mined during the 1970's by Steve Nerod (Ron Rosander, oral commun., 2001). Slug Gluch is a small valley immediately south of the Porphyry Knob prospect (OP031).

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Mining of stream and bench placers at Cripple Creek began in 1913 and continued until 1947; additional mining occurred in 1967, and intermittently from 1978(?) until the present (2001) (Eakin, 1914; Brooks, 1915; Smith, 1926; Smith, 1930 [B 810]; Smith, 1932; Smith, 1933 [B 836]; Smith, 1933 [B 834-A]; Smith, 1934 [B 857-A]; Smith, 1934 [B 864-A]; Mertie, 1936; Smith, 1936; Smith, 1937; Smith, 1938; Smith, 1939 [B 910-A]; Smith, 1939 [917-A]; Smith, 1941; Smith, 1942; White and Killeen, 1953; Cobb, 1973 [B 1374]; Bundtzen and others, 1987; Bundtzen and others, 1992). In 1914 there were 5 underground placer mines, and about $15,000 worth of gold was produced (Brooks, 1915). In 1933, Cripple Creek was the largest non-dredge operation in the district (Smith, 1934 [B 864-A]). In 1936, drag-line mining began along Cripple Creek. By 1937, Cripple Creek had a post office, a 2200-foot landing field, and a radio station (Roehm, 1937). More recent production has occurred in the 1970's, 1980's and 1990's.

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References

Reference (Deposit): Bundtzen, T.K., Green, C.B., Deagen, J., and Daniels, C.L., 1987, Alaska's mineral industry, 1986: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, Special Report 40, 68 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1931: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 844-A, p. 1-81.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1941, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1939: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 926-A, p. 1-106.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1942, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1940: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 933-A, p. 1-102.

Reference (Deposit): Chapman, R.M., Patton, W.W., and Moll, E.J., 1985, Reconnaissance geologic map of the Ophir quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 85-203, 1 sheet, 1:250,000 scale.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1930: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 836-A, p. 1-83.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1930, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1928: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 810, p. 1-64.

Reference (Deposit): Roehm, J.C., 1937, Summary report of mining investigations in the Innoko, Mt. McKinley, Knik, and Talkeetna precincts: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Itinerary Report 195-17, 16 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1938: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 917-A, p. 1-113.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S. 1939, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1938, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1936: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 897-A, p. 1-107.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1937, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1935: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 880-A, p. 1-95.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1936, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1934: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 868-A, p. 1-91.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1933: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 864-A, p. 1-94.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1930: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 836, p. 1-83.

Reference (Deposit): Mertie, J.B., Jr., 1936, Mineral deposits of the Ruby-Kuskokwim region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 864-C, 115-245.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1932: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 857-A, p. 1-91.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1931: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 844-A, p. 1-82.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1932, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1929, in Smith, P.S., and others Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1929: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 824-A, p. 1-81.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1930, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1927: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 810-A, p. 1-64.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1915, Mineral resources of Alaska in 1914: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 622, 238 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1926, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1924: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 783-A, p. 1-39.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction material) in the Iditarod and Ophir quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-576, 101 p.

Reference (Deposit): Eakin, H.M., 1914, The Iditarod-Ruby region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 578, 45 p.

Reference (Deposit): White, M.G., and Killeen, P.L., 1953, Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in the lower Yukon-Kuskokwim highlands region, Alaska, 1947: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 255, 18 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Ophir quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-367, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p.

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