News from Vault Creek

[Geowizard]

Very true, Jim,

So many times, your prospecting buddy wants you to pick him up in the morning. You get up early put on your boots, get gas and grub and stop to pick up your buddy...

Momma answers the door... Well, Dick went out partying last night and has a hangover...

- Geowizard

[Flintgreasewood]

First day of February and maybe the coldest day I've worked at least a good portion outside. Fortunately the work was finishing the insulating and interior sheathing of my hoist shack. Measure, go outside, cut plywood piece, quick get back inside, screw piece on wall, step over to propane heater to warm hands, repeat. When I left the shaft at 6pm the thermometer showed -39. The wind chill from the snow machine ride back up to the highway was brutal, but I've gotten somewhat hardened to the cold; we haven't got above -20 for over a month. It is close to being the coldest winter on record in Fairbanks. Of course Fairbanks is well known for temps of -65 or worse in years past, but the extreme, unrelenting cold is actually abnormal. But today may be the last of the bitter cold. We may actually see 0 to 10 above for highs all of next week and hopefully on into spring. We can dream, can't we?
I continue messing with a remote control wireless setup for the man lift and bucket hoist. Three different types of controls I have ordered so far are not workable, so I found a source of old commercial overhead door openers and I'm in process of adapting the controls from them to my hoists. So far it looks like they will work. I've also completed the latest iteration of my heat probe and it looks to be working just fine.In anticipating the employment of the heat rods this spring down in the drifts, I am planning on experimenting with an air leg [as that used in a jack leg drill] along with a larger electric demolition hammer drill. It's going to be fun. More to come.

[Jim_Alaska]

Thanks for the update Flint, I may miss Alaska, but I don't miss that cold at my age. I remember many mornings when trapping beyond Livengood, when I passed by that low area between Fox and the Chatanika, when the temps were -40 or colder.

Back then I was young and a day on the trap line at those temps were no big thing. There was one exception though; we had a creek to trap that was beyond Livengood, we, my partner and I, would not run the creek on snow machines if it was lower than -40. Then we would stick solely to our Marten lines along the ridges.

I have fallen through the creek ice at -40, it is not nice.

[Joe S (AK)]

Jim,

Also in my youth ('66-'67) I spent a few deep winter months on the Glen Hwy at Mendeltna Creek (now just the fly speck known as "Mendeltna" but still at mile 153), where the actual air temperature really did get colder than cold for one week. At night one evening the real temp got down to -81 F. which was really something to be out, cautiously, doing things in. Of course, at 20 years old Ph'ffftt - what did it matter to the invincible?

This past summer in the drought it got up to 95 F. for about 2 or 3 weeks and that continual dry heat was rather unbearable to the folks who had acclimated themselves to cooler temperatures. A handful of years ago it got up to about 100 F. one summer - but then two years later the temp hit a summer high of 40 F. in the rain every day --- and so I just explain to folks in the lower 48 who ask that "Every year is completely different than any other".

Now, fgw - For a variety of personal reasons and choices I leave every bit of that drift mining 'stuff' all to you ----- and wish you the very best of fortune with it.

Just remember -- "Safety Third!"

What? You never heard that before? Here, try clicking on this and you'll be the wisest one around:

https://martechnical.com/safety-3rd/

C'mon Spring!!!

Joe

[Geowizard]

Kurt,

Having lived in North Pole during a prior record cold period, I can identify with the challenge.

I am considering a shaft also and am watching this thread with interest to learn about how you are doing this work.

What do you recommend for a demolition hammer? Larger electric? Brand? Power requirements?

- Geowizard

[Flintgreasewood]

Chuck, Glad to hear you are considering drifting. The system I have developed and continue to develop allows for one man operation. I strongly suggest you come to Fairbanks to check it out as it is rather involved. The hammers I am looking into are the Dewalt D25951 and the Bosch DH1020VC. These are the largest SDS Max hammer drills from the two companies and should work well with the air leg I will incorporate to make an air/electric jackleg drill.
I'm within a day or two of hoisting material from the old shaft. Exciting.

[Jim_Alaska]

Kurt, please keep us updated, this is getting interesting.

[Flintgreasewood]

Today we began a drilling program with a BE 21W cable tool rig. These are the first holes drilled on the claims since a local miner put one hole down a few decades ago. The results of that hole are sketchy at best. The depth is fairly certain but other than that all we know is that it was a “good hole”. Needless to say it’s going to be pretty exciting to get some concrete figures.
Over at the shaft I got the self dumping bucket in operation and solved a wiring puzzle for my reversing motors and switches. It was a good day and warm to boot

[Jim_Alaska]

The progress sounds promising Kurt. Go for it!

[Joe S (AK)]

Kurt,

Go for it - but be really, really careful.

Joe