ODDS’N’SODS — A history of Windy Craggy (1)

When I (B.W. Downing) was given that “golden opportunity” of working in the mountains in 1974, I departed from the east quite quickly to work for geologist Jim McDougall in Vancouver. From time to time, Jim would describe the Windy Craggy Mountain of sulphides and I wondered when I would get the opportunity to visit this remote place, situated where British Columbia joins Alaska and the Yukon. Jim, you see, originally found and staked Windy Craggy. I became involved through participating in various reports and finally visited the mountain briefly in 1981 and 1982. It was not until some seven years later that I became more fully involved, as the project geologist. I have since come to know the mountain literally inside-out.

Exploration of Windy Craggy (geologically known as a copper-gold-silver-cobalt volcanogenic massive sulphide) began in 1957. At the time, McDougall, a geologist with Ventures Ltd., was involved in aerial prospecting and reconnaissance surveying of the rugged St. Elias mountain range. The area lay between the Kennecott copper-rich deposits to the northwest and St. Eugene’s Maid of Erin silver-copper mine near the Haines Highway.

The exploration targets were Upper Triassic (+200-million-year-old) massive sulphide deposits within volcanic-sedimentary environments. The area was designated as “unmapped” and the existing charts were essentially blank. McDougall found evidence of such rocks along the projected trend and drew up plans to investigate those sites accessible to float aircraft during the following season.

Most of the smaller lakes and glaciers were unnamed and little was known of the geology. High-level photographs taken in the late 1940s were available, but the forest survey maps created from the photos were were not released until 1959. Unfortunately, the flight line covering the Windy Craggy property was offset and of little value until an eventual fill-in photo survey was completed many years later.

In July, 1958, McDougall and pilot-prospector Stan Bridcut landed a Piper Supercub and camped on an unnamed lake near the terminal moraine of an unnamed 8-mile-long glacier whose tributaries appeared to contain rock types related to the geological environment of interest. The lake was referred to as Tats Lake and the glacier as Tats Glacier (Tats being short for Tatshenshini).

The moraines were prospected, and mineralized boulders of volcanic and sedimentary origin were found both above and below the glacier. Initial follow-up work led to the “Tats showing” two miles to the north of Tats Lake, which was then staked. Further aerial reconnaissance along Tats Glacier led them to Windy Craggy where a red gossanous creek had just broken through the winter snow cover.

Prospectors Bill Wilkinson and Meade Hepler were sent out to investigate this area. A small, 2-man camp was set up near Red Creek and, as the snow melted, the prospectors discovered patches of copper-bearing sulphides immediately above the creek. Red Creek, which has a pH (hydrogen ion concentration) of 3.2, provided all of the drinking water for the mountain campsite. Fourteen 2-post claims, composing the “Windy” and “Craggy” groups, were staked following a visit to the discovery by Alex Smith, western exploration manager. (11 of these claims are still in good standing). Despite the ice cover, surface sampling was undertaken, followed by 12 short packsack diamond drill holes (including several through the ice). The goal was to establish continuity along the partially exposed western margin of the main sulphide mass on the Windy claims.

In 1958, packsack drilling on the Windy showing, along with two holes on the Tats copper showing, was completed. This was followed in 1965 by three drill holes, one of which was drilled through the ice.

Early geological mapping was done by Jim McDougall, assisted by Mike Donahue and John Peterkin. Earl Dodson, Ernie Smith and Dave Kimball assisted with regional and some local exploration. Expediting support was provided for many years by Dezadeash resident Bun Beloud and Haines resident Josephine Jurgeleit.

— This is the first of a 3-part series.