Alaskan Winter Mineshaft: Gold Mining/Prospecting in the Interior of Alaska - Part 3

We're finally back for Part 3! The weather eventually shifted in our favor, which allowed us to take our first pans of material from the shaft and make more progress digging. Enjoy and stay tuned for Part 4!
Keywords: Gold, Gold mining, Mineshaft, Alaska, Prospecting, Gold Rush, Digging, Excavating, Permafrost, Tundra, Winter, Mine, Alaska Interior, Off Grid
Hashtags: #gold #goldmining #mineshaft #goldrush #alaska #miners #jackhammer #digging #prospecting #permafrost #tundra #winter #offgrid

[@Askjeffwilliams]

keep up the great work and ..... " Yeah ...you're gonna get wet " and frozen .

[@907pikealaska5]

only when they thaw out Jeff lol

[@donaldfitzgerald8950]

Maybe they will also find some Red Worms 🪱 Lol! 🐁👍⚖️💪🤙🤠

[@AlaskaUnderground]

You got that right!

[@davidpatriot1082]

dudes, The legendary Jeff Williams himself is watching your channel! Im super jealous! I Dont even mine but I want to just to say Jeff watched a video of me mining! its the ultimate compliment!

[@MW-nOttawa]

it's a small community @@davidpatriot1082 - People don't realize that 99% of what was common knowledge in 1850 is lost on todays generation. You'd lose sleep at night if you knew the whole story. Most people drive over enough gold to retire tomorrow, without knowing it. Some do this occasionally, some do it every day on their way to work. Gold can be found where-ever gold has been found. Books are a useful tool from the past to tell you where exactly to go and how exactly to do it. It's a huge risk, takes hard work, but there are very few people actually DOING it. I've found most people want gold but don't want to do the work for it. They'll actively try to discourage you from trying to do it yourself. It's the strangest phenomenon. I've tried to tell Dan and Jeff and others, but it gets passed off like any other piece of internet noise. Would love to share the mother-lode with someone but I guess I'll have to mine it myself...

[@Blaaake]

2 guys digging a hole. THIS IS IT!

[@LivingGoodAlaska]

This is great!

[@adzoutnabout8666]

Tip for digging deeper faster. Always start your day by digging a foot deep in one corner. The ground breaks away more easily if your removing a ledge rather than working on the flat.

[@sixfigureskibum]

I like the center... but exactly the same as you say...go deep in one spot then spread out by cutting next to it and the ground has a place to break and release too.. just like blasting starts with one or 3 center shots then the next round blows in to the first shot

[@okanaganlakeman7384]

the ground is hard enough withoutt winter. batt or two of insulation to stuff in the hole while youre gone. it would help keep the frost out of the ground. then maybe you wouldnt have to chip as much ice. ideally youd want 30" worth r60

[@marcozwarionato3509]

dynamite

[@paulblack1811]

@@okanaganlakeman7384 was thinking the same thing, I wonder how deep the frost gets in fair banks. I wouldn’t have thought it would be much deeper than 6-7 feet especially with the snow cover.

[@tanner882]

Dude, actually excited to see a new episode 👍

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Appreciate it!

[@brodrick3164]

So far this is what I want to see. I have read about how they winter placer mined in the 1890 into the 1900’s by digging down to pay and following the best gold. Now it looks like you two are doing it about how they did. I look forward to seeing anything you choose to share. Thank you for everything so far. Two thoughts. First I hope you are grabbing your wood on the way in. Second thing is that it looks like Jeff has commented on your channel be prepared for a huge jump in views and subs. ( I hope )

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Appreciate the comment, glad you enjoy it!

[@augustlindow1162]

I live on the Kenai peninsula and dredge during the summer. I’ve always thought about trying what you guys are doing. Pretty awesome. Hope you guys hit it big.

[@AlaskaUnderground]

That's awesome, thank you and you as well.

[@excitedbox5705]

If you hang the jackhammer from a rope + a bungie cord on the end you can offset the weight of the jackhammer while still giving you some stretch. It will make it much easier when you don't need to lift the hammer all the time.

[@MW-nOttawa]

great idea. Thanks!

[@nickendymian1]

You could get a 6" aluminum liner and pump the cabin air through with a 12v fan into the hole, or plastic cover your open space.

[@MW-nOttawa]

I'll be doing the same thing as you guys - except on the Canadian side. Would be cool to meet up with you at Fortymile or where-ever but I don't think the Yukon will be free of ice by then so I won't be able to get onto the Top of the World. Ill be in-around Dawson though! Love watching your content - you're the very first crew of guys that have a close idea to what i've been planning since Dec 2023. I came across a book that tells exactly where to go, how far down to go, exactly how to pan it out in the winter. Only thing I'm not doing is the mercury amalgam, hopefully I don't need it and find a nice coarse spot. Good luck homies!

[@hannable3871]

Looking forward to the next episode always wanted to try this.

[@minerjim1531]

If you don't timber that shaft won't the spring thaw collapse that upper material into shaft creating a lot of future work? Thanks for videoing what your doing, best of luck to you both. Hope there's great gold down there!

[@tylernelson276]

Hi Jim, thanks for watching. We are not timbering this shaft. It is just a prospect shaft and should be completed before spring. Stay tuned, we are almost to gravel.

[@michaelbyrnes1822]

I dug with Jack Hammers my whole life concrete and dirt try the pointed bit. Start in the center of the wall and hammer 2 holes 3in or so deep, 6in apart in a honey comb 2 Holes then off set 6in back do 3 holes 6in back, then 2 again. Use the pointed bit and drive it in at least 3in per hole. Then work right towards the corner and then dig right again how ever deep you can get leaving a shelf for the bucket on the left. Just a thought

[@tylernelson276]

Hello Michael, thanks for watching. The material at the current depth is mostly frozen silt and a pointed bit tends to drive and stick. It's not at all like digging in concrete. We did a test today and the chisel bit is working the best at the moment. We might use the bull point again when we are in pure gravel.

[@chrismitchell5012]

Looking forward to watching your progress. May your pans be heavy!

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Thank you! You too!

[@victorjado3404]

Hiiii from Spain 🇪🇸 great work 🤟🏽🤟🏽

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Thank you!

[@geraldingram9351]

Thanks guys for sharing your time with us all, great stuff love it ,keep digging. G.Ingram. New Zealand.

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Thank you, we're glad you enjoyed it!

[@jdl.1234]

I just found your channel. I love it. Best of luck in this adventure, I'll be closely watching....

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@MW-nOttawa]

I'm gonna tell you a trick that will speed up your digging x10. Dig a hole with your jackhammer about 10 inches by 10 inches, and go down about a foot by hammering inside that 10x10 all over the place. Let the jackhammer work its way down and then pull it up and out and hammer the spot beside it right down again. Go down at least 1/3 or more of the bit. Pull out and repeat until you've smashed that 10x10 and broken it up. Shovel out the 10x10 hole you've just created. Now you can break large chunks of dirt Into that hole you've just created. By freeing up the space of that 10x10 hole, you'll find you can jackhammer out chunks of dirt much bigger than before. You always want to create a space for your dirt to go into - this will make your life a lot easier and you'll find the dirt and rocks will break after 2-4 whacks instead of having to hammer each and every spot for 20-30 whacks to get 4 inches of dirt broken up. This is from experience digging thousands of post holes into bedrock and every other material on the Canadian shield. It's a puzzle to work in the space you have to work in - and there are tricks to doing it better. Hope this helps!

[@dizzious]

Can't wait to see the gravel! Looks like you have a lot of work to get there though, if it's 27 feet down.

[@530GoldMining]

Looking forward to the next videos. Good work!

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Thank you!

[@giggitygiggitygoofg6069]

You may want to consider cutting down trees and dragging the whole tree back with you. Cut down half a dozen tie them all together then drag them all. Cutting 1 down then cutting it up to fit your trailer means you can only collect a small amount where as dragging trees back saves on fuel and the amount of times needed to go hunting down trees.looks like your gonna need bracing in that hole shortly anyway .

[@cliffbo5671]

its not that deep

[@IBRAKEFORBEDROCK]

Maybe you said it in the video. How deep are you thinking the bedrock is?

[@AlaskaUnderground]

We're thinking it could be between 20 and 30 feet, hopefully the former though!

[@toddrodgers5108]

I love Alaska. Wish I was there with you . Blessings

[@user-ne8mf7yn9i]

I checked the Internet, yes metalldetectors do Alarm after measured gold !

[@isickofit]

Great TV.

[@trashandtrail]

Start writing the date and measurements somewhere on the shack!

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Good idea!

[@dodgygoose3054]

Just found your channel, very cool ... subbed!

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Awesome, thank you!

[@jonnycarrick7552]

Maybe a spade end for the drill when you’re edging the pit

[@user-gq4ge9fl3k]

Spørger efter en nummer plade hos Georges og Jeremy....det har hundredvis af dem...!?🤔🤔 Blegning of you Mayor and to your man...❤

[@juliedouglas2888]

Keep up the good work guys................

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Thank you! Will do!

[@colinlovelace5983]

Hey just found you channel, good luck…..I hope you guys do well. Sucks that the mud will eventually thaw and fill the shaft. Take care…I’ll be waiting for your next episode.

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Appreciate it, hopefully we'll have reached bedrock before then. New video soon!

[@riptwan]

Great series, I love it. As a non miner; watching you guys put your backs into the jackhammers; I thought why don't they drill and blast it instead?

[@sixfigureskibum]

Cool project!!! I lived on Ft Wainwright in 2000. I think if you covered the bottom and the hole with a few loose folds of blue tarp it would be less frozen after a week of full open. GOOD LUCK

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Very cool, thank you!

[@uktamtashkentk.3001]

Very good , thanks for video , my dream is to go in Alaska for prospects gold

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Thank you, you can do it!

[@donaldfitzgerald8950]

Checking your project out, seen J W thought it was worth it.... good luck on the new job......⚒️💪⚖️🤔🤠

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Awesome thank you!

[@davidpatriot1082]

found the channel around 500 subs or less, now almost at 1000. thats a nice pace

[@d.andysprospecting]

Loving it!

[@user-dz8zk4bf2i]

I would buy a regular chain saw.

[@robbob5318]

It's got to be electric so he don't kill the planet

[@walkitalki5197]

I would by a regular wife, yours is to used

[@907pikealaska5]

like to see a build on your heater set up, so handy up here

[@libertyninja9158]

keep trying guys...I dredged in chicken for about 4 years always wondered about underground like your doing..I will be watching.

[@AlaskaUnderground]

That's awesome, we appreciate it!

[@peterrabbit7443]

Where's part 5? been looking forward to it all week

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Posting it soon, most likely on Wednesday 👍

[@jarlestenstad7273]

Dont you need to make the shaft a little wider for making the bracing of the wall?considering you also need your space to work with to. If im not misstaken that layer around there wil turn to mud when it melts in the summer ?

[@MrLeadghost]

Man I wish I was up there diggibg with you guys instead of panning dust down here in washington

[@davidpatriot1082]

"too hot in here" WHAT?!?! lol that is not something I expected to hear.

[@bearbait2221]

lol panning at -50f never tried it:0 Good luck boys!!!

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Haha it's cold! Thank you!

[@KulKlas]

Makita! Why not ”Hilti 2000-AVR” its a beast! But price is 5K usd but its a real beast!

[@beaumershon3066]

looks crazy cold from Costa Rica

[@user-ne8mf7yn9i]

Hope u do Not forget bear Security ! Yours night light makes curios from a far distance straight to u , bears half Frozen and hungry are to much agrassive . 😢

[@Evergreenprospectors]

Do you think the hole will fill up with water during the spring? Or is it rocky enough to drain

[@dannywhite8057]

Would it help if you could heat the ground? I'm an opal miner in Australia. I'm glad our ground isn't frozen. Good luck finding the gold. 👍

[@AlaskaUnderground]

We've found that it's easier to jackhammer the material while it's frozen because it tends to break into larger chunks, which are easier to remove from the hole, compared to digging thawed material with a shovel only. Thank you, and good luck to you as well!

[@user-ne8mf7yn9i]

😮 i do think to See gold easy IT Takes a better lamp above because the gold IS reflections , Stones dont .

[@cliffbo5671]

get some eyes dummy supid face

[@robbob5318]

Im courses why did you pick that spot too build your mine ?

[@wayneiona]

Another great video, I was wondering how deep do you have to go for bedrock and why you picked that spot to sick the shaft? Cheers

[@AlaskaUnderground]

We are thinking it could be 20-30 feet deep. Thanks for watching!

[@Calgold49]

How deep is the pay? Or do you know?

[@tylernelson276]

We have an 'educated guess'. I know it's not at 15ft because we already dug that deep with an excavator and bedrock was deeper still. Thanks for watching, more to come.

[@AlaskaUnderground]

We don't know for sure, but we suspect that it will be 20 to 30 feet down where bedrock is.

[@jd-vq5pt]

Is the ground frozen in the hole? Could you light a fire in it?

[@jdl.1234]

I thought about that too...I think it might make it muddy though🤷‍♂

[@tylernelson276]

We are trying to keep the hole frozen. We are digging below the water table. If it thaws the water comes rushing in. Thanks for watching 😊

[@duaneklein7390]

Just put all the pay dirt in the tub let it set for an hour. Lol

[@carlgruver695]

Looks like a augur would work better and faster

[@cliffbo5671]

no it wouldent

[@Stevesbe]

How did you decide where to start digging

[@jimbennett2795]

How well did the birds nest at the top of the tree you cut burn?

[@AlaskaUnderground]

No birds or bird's nests were harmed in the making of this film!

[@alaynabrabham]

it must be hard being stupid enough to think birds are nesting at -50° ❤️

[@walkitalki5197]

i bet you like kids

[@arlenesauder1913]

What made you guys pick that spot?

[@jessewilson8676]

Why not enclose the porch area it would make it a lot warmer

[@walkitalki5197]

there just better than you

[@nathandean1687]

why arent u fellows going with solar panels and thermal electric generators.

[@cliffbo5671]

shut the heck up

[@Horizontreecare]

21:45 I dont see any gold...

[@user-gb4uz7ww3x]

странно а где металлоискатель?

[@adamhorton7972]

I got to ask, why start up on a hill?

[@adamhorton7972]

Seems like it would be better to start in a valley?

[@walkitalki5197]

get a job

[@adamhorton7972]

@@walkitalki5197 I have one thank you!

[@brianredban9393]

What are you guys looking for? A gold seam ? Why are you mining this way?

[@adzoutnabout8666]

They are looking for the ancient river bed. The gold will be in amongst the river wash sitting on bedrock.

[@brianredban9393]

@@adzoutnabout8666 Won't that only be a tiny bit of gold in that spot? Unless they hit some kind of pocket

[@adzoutnabout8666]

@@brianredban9393 true mate, it is fairly hit and miss. They would do well if they bottomed on an inside bend, a series of rock bars, a big boil hole ect.

[@d.andysprospecting]

@@brianredban9393 first you dig down vertically to paylayer then tunnel along the paylayer horizontally.

[@tylernelson276]

We are targeting an ancient placer depost known as a paystreak. In this area they were incredibly rich, in some places yielding several ounces of gold to the pan. We are trying to determine if there might be enough gold to justify the removal of the overburden at this location. If so, we will begin mining with heavy equipment. We do not plan on tunneling at all as it is extremely difficult and can be very dangerous. Thanks for watching!

[@Horizontreecare]

if you dig it wider and deeper it could be used for a shitter

[@markmayer2029]

Throw in a sump pump, and you have a bidet.

[@needwindinmysails6349]

here's a trick for you always put a bit of dish soap in the water for panning, so the oil off your hands does not float the fine gold away. Cheers from Australia

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Definitely a good trick, thanks for tuning in!