This is a collection of frequently asked questions about Moore Creek.
"Can I find enough gold to pay for my trip to Moore Creek"? Probably not. It is hard enough to make a buck gold mining, and to expect to be able to pay the additional costs incurred in having room, board, all equipment and permits provided plus travel expenses in only a week is unrealistic. People have indeed found enough gold in a week at Moore Creek to have paid for their trip, but they are the exceptional few. What we are offering is an Alaskan adventure, not a money making venture. Frankly, if any location had that much gold it would not be open to the public! We are looking for people who want to have a good time. If you measure a good time strictly by the amount of gold you find them perhaps Moore Creek is not for you.
Now, if we have not already scared you off, the fact is quite a few people have found more than enough gold to pay for their trip and them some. With gold prices tripling in the last couple years the odds have certainly gotten better.
"So how much gold can I expect to find"? That depends on several factors. Foremost is prior experience. A great deal of expertise is involved in being a successful prospector, especially prospecting with a metal detector. Mining is also very labor intensive, and so a persons ability or desire to work long, hard hours is also a factor. Finally, luck does make a difference! In general, experienced detectorists find gold daily, novice detectorists are doing good finding a nugget or two in the week. The size of the nuggets can vary from a 20th of an ounce to several ounces so even one nugget can be a lot of gold. Dredging and highbanking is hard work, and so people who want to do it slow and easy or for just a few hours a day can expect to measure their gold in pennyweights, not ounces.
The truth is some of the people who have not found all that much gold at Moore Creek report having some of the most fun. They are there for the overall experience and not looking to make it into a week of hard labor. For most novices the gold found at Moore Creek is the most they have ever found or the biggest nuggets they have ever found and so they are very satisfied.
The top ten nuggets found at Moore Creek by visitors so far have weighed 24.79 oz, 6.63 oz, 6.54 oz, 5.18 oz, 5.13 oz, 3.74 oz, 3.47 oz, 3.15 oz, 3.13 oz, and 3.03 oz respectively. Several people have made cumulative finds of over a pound of gold.
Do you bulldoze the tailing piles? We have not in the past but new in 2008 will be on-going work with the bulldozer and newly acquired mini-excavator. The bulldozer will be used to slowly mow down tailing piles for detecting. The excavator will be used to support both the dredging and highbanking operations by removing overburden and exposing new areas. We are excited by the new opportunities that using the heavy equipment will provide our visitors.
"What do I have to bring"? The bare minimum would be a good sleeping bag (good to 30F), clothing, and personal effects. Be prepared for rain. We have all the mining gear a normal individual might want. If you goal was to strictly run a dredge all week than bringing your own chestwaders is advisable. If you are a serious detectorist, than bringing your own Minelab SD/GP detector is advisable. We do have detector picks available so no need to pack those. See http://www.moorecreek.com/what_to_bring.htm for other suggestions.
"Are children welcome"? Absolutely! The youngsters that have visited the mine have had a great time. Just be realistic about their desire to be cut off from TV, cell phones, etc. No, cell phones do not work in the middle of nowhere Alaska.
"What about bears"? Bears are a fact of life in Alaska, and in fact are a common sight in Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. Brown bears are very rare at Moore Creek, with only one reported sighting in the last five years at the mine. Black bears are fairly common, with one being seen at the mine every couple of weeks. Bears are wild animals due respect but realistically pose more of a threat to camp equipment than to people. How you decide to handle bears is dependent on what it takes to make you feel comfortable. Most people in Alaska do not carry guns around all day to protect themselves from bears and Moore Creek is no exception in that regard. Other people feel a need to carry bear spray or a weapon to feel safe. Ultimately it is your own decision. We ask that you study the information at http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=bears.bearfax to become more familiar with how to travel in bear country. If you do choose to carry a weapon, be sure you are proficient in its use. Bears are due respect, but there is no reason to be overly fearful of them.
"What about bugs"? Mosquitoes and flies should not be treated lightly. At times Moore Creek can be nearly bug free; at other times you can't breath without a headnet. Some people have allergic reactions to Alaska's biting flies, and being bit often and early can make for a miserable stay. So be sure and protect yourself. In general, if bugs are thick, treat your clothing with DEET, wear long sleeve shirts, gloves, and a headnet. You do not have to put DEET on your skin if you do not expose your skin to the bugs! You can find lots more info about insect protection at http://www.travmed.com/thg/thg_pdf_2001/07-Insect-Bite%20Prevention-0.pdf Wasps (yellow jackets) are not uncommon at Moore Creek so if you have allergies to bees or wasps have medication with you.
"What about sanitation"? Our camp cook has an Alaska Food Worker card, our kitchen is ADEC (Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation) permitted, with the facility overseen by a Certified Food Protection Manager. Our drinking water supply is stream water that goes through a 20 micron filter followed by a 5 micron filter followed by a .5 micron carbon filter and then subsequently treated in an ultraviolet light chamber. We do not advise drinking untreated water at Moore Creek. We have an old-fashioned wringer washing machine to wash clothes and a clothes line to dry them. We have a full shower with hot and cold running water and a wash station also with hot and cold running water to wash your hands and face. We have two ADEC approved outhouses - sorry, no flush toilets!
Is alcohol allowed? We do not prohibit alcohol at the mine. The key thing is responsibility. We all want to have fun and having an obnoxious drunk in camp is no fun. Safety is the prime consideration. We are a long way from medical facilities and so anything that might increase a person's risk of injury is something not to be taken lightly. Be responsible! We can and will ask people to leave Moore Creek at their own expense with no refunds if we must. Note that we do not provide soda drinks at the mine. All flavored drinks are mixed products like Tang or lemonade, etc. Be aware also that the cost of soda or alcohol in McGrath is about twice what you'd pay anywhere else.
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