11/13/2023 0 Comments Can you use a small dredge in alaska![]() ![]() Then we went over to the troughs, dumped the pouch of dirt into a pan, and began the panning. We were each handed a small pouch of dirt that contained the small amount of gold. ![]() Then the train arrived at the dredge area to do our gold-panning. The same guide rode on the train and presented information about the history and operation of Gold Dredge 8. ![]() We then boarded a small open-air train that would travel through the dredge area. Our tour guide, who is a teacher specializing in Alaskan history at a local university, gave a presentation about the history and operation of the pipeline. We arrived at a section of the Alaskan oil pipeline, which was the first part of the tour. The tour site is not far from the Princess Riverside Lodge where we were staying. We did this excursion as part of a Princess landtour, along with the companion Riverboat Discovery (later in the afternoon). The whole operation is structured to moving large numbers of tourists and maximizing tourist season profits (if that's your thing we were there toward the end of the season and many items were deeply discounted) but we enjoyed the relaxing pace and imagining the area as it must have been during it's gold mining days. This property has a sizable gift and souvenir area but we were content to enjoy some free coffee and cookies, sit in the warming morning sun and to freely explore the inside workings of the dredge. Yes the goal is to sell you a locket with your panned gold flakes but we didn't feel any pressure to purchase. Following the pipeline guests are herded onto a small gauge open air railroad for a short narrated ride around the property past the dredge to a contrived but admittedly fun gold panning opportunity. A popular photo op is to appear to be holding up the pipe aka Leaning Tower of Pisa. The tour begins with about a twenty minute presentation on the construction and operation of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline near and under a section of the pipeline. The ladder dredge operated from the mid 1920s through 1959 and produced about 7.5 million ounces of gold. Gold Dredge 8 is a privately operated fee accessible National Historic District and Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |