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Cripple Creek

Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities Gold, Silver
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10308975
MRDS ID A015006
Record type Site
Current site name Cripple Creek
Alternate or previous names Fox Gulch, Slug Gulch
Related records 10002571

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -156.05781, 63.54756 (WGS84)
Relative position Cripple Creek is a northwest-flowing headwater tributary of Graham Creek. Mining took place for approximately 3 1/2 miles of Cripple Creek; on a bench between Cripple Creek and Bear Creek (OP003); and near its junction with Graham Creek. The coordinates are for the approximate midpoint of 3 miles of tailings on Cripple Creek marked on the U.S. Geological Survey Ophir C-1 topographic map. This location is accurate. Cripple Creek corresponds to localities 6 and 8 of Cobb (1972 [MF 367]. Fox Gulch is at the head of Cripple Creek.
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Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Stibnite Ore

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 119
USGS model code 39a
BC deposit profile C01. C02
Deposit model name Placer Au-PGE
Mark3 model number 54

Nearby scientific data

(1) -156.05781, 63.54756
ListMap

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = The bedrock at the head of Cripple Creek consists of sandstone and shale; the lower portion of Cripple Creek is underlain by serpentinized greenstone in fault contact with the sandstone and shale (White and Killeen, 1953; Chapman and others, 1985). Cretaceous or Tertiary monzonite intrusions occur at the head of Cripple Creek (Chapman and others, 1985), and may be the source of placer gold in Cripple Creek (Bundtzen and others, 1987). The gravel in Cripple Creek includes chert, greenstone, andesite, basalt porphyry, sandstone, slate, and granitic rocks (White and Killeen, 1953). Placer gold was mined for 3.3 miles along Cripple Creek; on a bench between Cripple and Bear creeks (OP003); and near the mouth of Cripple Creek just upstream from its junction with Graham Creek. Both creek and bench placers were mined (Cobb, 1973 [B 1374]). Near the mouth, 5-6 feet of gravel were under 2-12 feet of muck (Mertie, 1936). The average gold fineness at Cripple Creek is 908 (Smith, 1941). Holzheimer (1926) reports stibnite at the head of Cripple Creek. Mining of stream and bench placers at Cripple Creek began in 1913 and continued until 1947; additional mining occurred in 1967, and intermittently from 1978(?) until the present (2001) (Eakin, 1914; Brooks, 1915; Smith, 1926; Smith, 1930; Smith, 1932; Smith, 1933 [B 836]; Smith, 1933 [B 834-A]; Smith, 1934 [B 857-A]; Smith, 1934 [B 864-A]; Mertie, 1936; Smith, 1936; Smith, 1937; Smith, 1938; Smith, 1939 [B 910-A]; Smith, 1939 [B 917-A]; Smith, 1941; Smith, 1942; White and Killeen, 1953; Cobb, 1973 [B 1374]; Bundtzen and others, 1987; Bundtzen and others, 1992). In 1933, Cripple Creek was the largest non-dredge operation in the district (Smith, 1934 [B 864-A]). In 1936, drag-line mining began along Cripple Creek. A conservative estimate of production from Cripple Creek is 38,542 ounces of gold and 401 ounces of silver; these totals do not include modern production (Bundtzen and others, 1987). A small, northwest-flowing headwater tributary to Cripple Creek, called Slug Gulch was also mined during the 1970's by Steve Nerod (Ron Rosander, oral commun., 2001). Slug Gluch is a small valley immediately south of the Porphyry Knob prospect (OP031).
  • Age = Quaternary. The source of the gold at Cripple Creek may be the meta-aluminous alkali-calcic to quartz-alkalic monzonite plutons at the head of the creek (Bundtzen and others, 1987).

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Active

Mining district

District name Innoko

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = A conservative estimate of production from Cripple Creek is 38,542 ounces of gold and 401 ounces of silver; these totals do not include modern production (Bundtzen and others, 1987).

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Mining of stream and bench placers at Cripple Creek began in 1913 and continued until 1947; additional mining occurred in 1967, and intermittently from 1978(?) until the present (2001) (Eakin, 1914; Brooks, 1915; Smith, 1926; Smith, 1930 [B 810]; Smith, 1932; Smith, 1933 [B 836]; Smith, 1933 [B 834-A]; Smith, 1934 [B 857-A]; Smith, 1934 [B 864-A]; Mertie, 1936; Smith, 1936; Smith, 1937; Smith, 1938; Smith, 1939 [B 910-A]; Smith, 1939 [917-A]; Smith, 1941; Smith, 1942; White and Killeen, 1953; Cobb, 1973 [B 1374]; Bundtzen and others, 1987; Bundtzen and others, 1992). In 1914 there were 5 underground placer mines, and about $15,000 worth of gold was produced (Brooks, 1915). In 1933, Cripple Creek was the largest non-dredge operation in the district (Smith, 1934 [B 864-A]). In 1936, drag-line mining began along Cripple Creek. By 1937, Cripple Creek had a post office, a 2200-foot landing field, and a radio station (Roehm, 1937). More recent production has occurred in the 1970's, 1980's and 1990's.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Alaska Resource Data File ARDF OP005
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS A010750
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS A015006

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Eakin, H.M., 1914, The Iditarod-Ruby region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 578, 45 p.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1915, Mineral resources of Alaska in 1914: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 622, 238 p.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1926, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1924: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 783-A, p. 1-39.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1930, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1927: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 810-A, p. 1-64.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1932, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1929, in Smith, P.S., and others Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1929: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 824-A, p. 1-81.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1930: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 836, p. 1-83.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1931: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 844-A, p. 1-82.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1932: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 857-A, p. 1-91.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1933: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 864-A, p. 1-94.

  • Deposit

    Mertie, J.B., Jr., 1936, Mineral deposits of the Ruby-Kuskokwim region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 864-C, 115-245.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1936, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1934: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 868-A, p. 1-91.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1937, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1935: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 880-A, p. 1-95.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1938, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1936: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 897-A, p. 1-107.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S. 1939, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1938: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 917-A, p. 1-113.

  • Deposit

    White, M.G., and Killeen, P.L., 1953, Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in the lower Yukon-Kuskokwim highlands region, Alaska, 1947: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 255, 18 p.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Ophir quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-367, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction material) in the Iditarod and Ophir quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-576, 101 p.

  • Deposit

    Chapman, R.M., Patton, W.W., and Moll, E.J., 1985, Reconnaissance geologic map of the Ophir quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 85-203, 1 sheet, 1:250,000 scale.

  • Deposit

    Bundtzen, T.K., Green, C.B., Deagen, J., and Daniels, C.L., 1987, Alaska's mineral industry, 1986: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, Special Report 40, 68 p.

  • Deposit

    Roehm, J.C., 1937, Summary report of mining investigations in the Innoko, Mt. McKinley, Knik, and Talkeetna precincts: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Itinerary Report 195-17, 16 p.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1930, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1928: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 810, p. 1-64.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1930: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 836-A, p. 1-83.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1931: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 844-A, p. 1-81.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1941, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1939: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 926-A, p. 1-106.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1942, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1940: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 933-A, p. 1-102.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Cobb, 1976 (OFR 76-576)

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 07-AUG-01 Cameron, C.E. Northern Associates Inc.