We expect some of the artifacts we find to be gold!

Looking ahead to summer ... an update.

There has been a change of plans since the last "Looking ahead to summer" post. We recently spent a week in Yuma, Arizona with Jim Crabb, owner/operator of Nugget Gulch. We reviewed our plans for this coming summer and decided not to have four digs.

We are going on one dig this summer in the Circle Mining District, established in 1893.

This dig is for everyone who:

• can get to Nugget Gulch or Central Corner (see locations below),
• has or has a ride on a 4-wheeler-ATV,
• and has registered,
  

Please note: There will be a small registration fee (yet to be determined) to help us to keep track of the registered participants when we are out in the bush.

Couple of items still in the planning hopper: when and where.

• We will announce when the dig will be held as soon as Jim decides. The announcement will be before May 1st if everything lines up. We are planning to hold the dig over a weekend from Saturday morning to Monday evening.
• Where is another matter. It won't be announced until the participants are ready to start out on the first morning of the dig. It should be obvious that announcing the location of the dig beforehand simply invites others to get there first and take the "low hanging fruit."

Each morning Jim will lead the "expedition" from Nugget Gulch, located at Circle Hot Springs—7+ miles up the Circle Hot Springs Road from Central on the Steese Highway. Central is just past 127 Mile. He will gather the remaining participants from Central Corner, at the corner of the Steese Highway and Circle Hot Springs Road, where folks can get breakfast for themselves and gas for their 4-wheelers.

Each evening the group will return to Nugget Gulch or Central Corner for the night.

The dig itself will be over three days and two nights. Participants can join for any part of the dig: one, two, or all three days, and in the nighttime activities at Nugget Gulch and Central Corner.

Participants in the dig will search for artifacts left behind by the gold rush miners in Interior Alaska's Circle Mining District from the late 1800's on. Besides gold, bottles, tools, and coins are some of the items we expect to find. In the process we will be guided by archaeological methods as much as practical. Please Note: You can read about Archaeology and its methods in: Wikipedia.

Jim will make a "go or no go" decision by March 31st. We will announce his decision here.

If you are interested in going on the dig if it's a "go", please contact us at hglindquist@gmail.com. We'll put up direct contact info when and if it's a go. We would encourage and welcome any inquiries from anyone interested in archaeology and its methods, such as students, amateurs, professionals, and simply those eager to learn more about it.