Fairbanks to Denali
After a quick driving tour of Fairbanks, we were off to Denali National Park. We stopped at Gold Dredge #8 to learn more about gold mining in Alaska and pan for gold. It was a very interesting tour as the various mining techniques were demonstrated from panning to dredging. The dredge was a massive piece of equipment that literally dug to bedrock as it meandered down rivers and streams pouring tons of gravel and rocks onto huge spoil piles as it moved along. Dredge #8 operated between 1928 and 1959. Millions of ounces of gold were extracted by the dredge during this 31 year period. We panned for gold after the tour. With a little coaching by our bus driver, we were able to pan out 30 grains of gold which at current gold prices would fetch about $30. Collectively, our bus departed with about $700 in gold as a result of our panning efforts. There is no plan to reopen commercial gold recovery using the dredge due to strict environmental regulations which make operating the dredge unprofitable.
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Gold Dredge #8 - Fairbanks
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| Carla Panning for Gold - Recovered About $10 Worth |
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| Gold Flakes in the Pan |
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| No Nuggets This Big Found During the Tour |
The Trans Alaska Pipeline runs adjacent to the site of Gold Dredge #8. The pipeline carries about 15 per cent of the oil produced in the United States and runs about 800 miles from the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field to Valdez where the oil is transferred to ocean going oil tanker ships. The oil flows through a 48 inch pipe which is insulated and designed to be able to survive an earthquake as severe as the worst recorded quake in the area. The pipeline runs both above and below ground. It is inspected on a regular basis and is the most technologically advanced oil pipeline in the world. Revenue from the pipeline makes up a significant portion of the State government's income and Alaskan residents get a check each year from the State as compensation for the depletion of the oil resource. The oil industry provides thousands of jobs for Alaskans.
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| Trans Alaska Pipeline - Alyeska |
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