Prospects are visible, if at all, only late in season in low snow years. The area probably could be drilled from east side of the vein area, with holes directed west-southwest. The area is in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and appears to be inactive.
Location: The Highland Chief prospect area is about 2.1 miles southeast of Mt. Parker at an elevation of about 2700 feet. The coordinate location is of the main and northernmost series of veins that can be traced southeasterly for about 2000 feet. The prospect is in a gully that drains into Reid Glacier. In some years the prospect remains snow-covered. It is location number 24 of Cobb (1972). The location is accurate within 0.1 mile.
Geology: The Highland Chief vein area is near the west contact of the same cataclastic-pendant zone that is the host of the LeRoy mine (MF022). Some veins are in the granodiorite of Cretaceous age; others are in amphibolite, graphitic schist, marble, and strongly sheared schistose granodiorite of the pendant (Rossman, 1959, B 1058-B, pl. 4; Kimball and others, 1978, fig. C52) . The vein system is adjacent to and may be part of a north-northwest fault zone that projects under a local glacier and extensive snow field to the main (east) fork of Ptarmigan Creek. The area contains a complex series of quartz veins of north to north-northwest strike. Maximum thickness of veins is reported to be 6 feet. Rossman (1959, p. 54) thought the veins were thicker and more continuous than those closer to Reid Inlet. He also found widespread visible free gold in the veins of the area. Studies of the area have been handicapped by extensive snow cover. In August 1976, the Bureau of Mines found better than usual exposures and were able to map and sample a large part of the area. The Bureau found a maximum gold content of 3. 49 ounces of gold per ton, along with 1.25 ounces of silver per ton, 2700 ppm lead, 980 ppm zinc, and greater than 1 percent arsenic. Of a total of 40 samples (Kimball and others, 1978, fig. C52, table C43), thirteen contained more than 0.1 ounce per ton gold.
Workings: The area was discovered by Joe Ibach, probably in 1936. In 1937, the claims were leased by Newmont Mining Co. and explored for several months. 'The company gave up its lease after it was decided that the veins were too inaccessible to permit possible mining'--Rossman ( 1959, p. 38). In August of 1976 and October of 1977 the area was nearly snow free, and was mapped and sampled by the Bureau of Mines (Kimball and others, 1978, fig. C52, table C43, and p. C222-230). Although the original and largest vein may not have been recovered, forty samples contained from nil to as much as 3.49 ounces per ton gold. The higher grade samples were of selected narrow veins. The veins also contained arsenic to greater than 1 percent; lead and zinc were commonly anomalous. In 1976, the area had been restaked as Joe's Dream claims.
Age: Late Cretaceous or younger.
Reserves: No reserves, but probably one of the best prospects in the district.

Commodities (Major) - Au; (Minor) - Ag, Pb, Zn
Development Status: No
Deposit Model: Low-sulfide gold-quartz vein (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 36a).

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Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.

ⓘ Lead

ⓘ Silver

ⓘ Zinc

Mineral List

6 valid minerals.