Gold Rush TV Show

[tomkc1]

I must admit that I do like the Gold Rush tv show. Does anyone know if any of the camps are open to tourists? If they are, would they be accessable from where the cruise ships dock? How about excursions from the cruise ships?

 

Thanks. Tom

[Budget Queen]

None of those extensive gold mining operations are anywhere near the cruiseship ports. (that operate).

 

Last Chance Mine is interesting out of Juneau, walkable= with no mobility limitations.

 

You can do panning at Crow Creek Mine- also interesting between Anchorage and Whittier.

[PennyAgain]

Gold mines that are producing well are very high security locations. Gold miners are really touchy about their sites being 'invaded' by anyone much less tourists.

 

The gold mines are also dangerous places due to all that is going on.

 

Stick with the ones that are open to the public (see BudgetQueen's remarks) and forget the drama of the tv shows.

[Budget Queen]

Gold mines that are producing well are very high security locations. Gold miners are really touchy about their sites being 'invaded' by anyone much less tourists.

 

The gold mines are also dangerous places due to all that is going on.

 

Stick with the ones that are open to the public (see BudgetQueen's remarks) and forget the drama of the tv shows.

 

Yes, very true. The Knox mine north of Fairbanks was like a fortress with security. :)

[Smitty251]

Here's the tour your looking for located in Haines.

 

Rainbow Glacier Adventures

http://joeordonez.com/tours/gold-rush-tour-to-porcupine/

[cellyml12]

Thanks Smitty for posting this. I was wondering the same thing as the OP, because I noticed some "gold panning" place in Skagaway had gold from Porcupine Creek. My soon to be DH LOVES Gold Rush & he would LOVE this tour.

[AKman2495]

Keep in mind that some of the guys you see on those shows are total idiots. Most real gold mines are serious business that are not interested in tourists. In fact the last thing they want is tourists hanging around.

 

I recently saw a story up here that some of the mines on that show were fined by the Mine version of osha for operating under dangerous conditions.

 

There are gold mining excursions for tourists, as others have pointed out. Look for those and enjoy them.

[cellyml12]

Keep in mind that some of the guys you see on those shows are total idiots. Most real gold mines are serious business that are not interested in tourists. In fact the last thing they want is tourists hanging around.

 

I recently saw a story up here that some of the mines on that show were fined by the Mine version of osha for operating under dangerous conditions.

 

There are gold mining excursions for tourists, as others have pointed out. Look for those and enjoy them.

 

You're right about them getting fined & they were shut down for a bit & things like that. For the soon to be DH, it is his favorite show. I think it would be more about that, then anything else. Whether they are considered "real" or not, they are televised, so that opens them up to a fan base, like any other show. In fact it seems from reading CC a real popular excursion is in Ketchikan with The Deadliest Catch boat. It's the same thing. It is an excursion opened up to the public. People watch these shows and want to say they were on the boat, or at the mine. Just like when people visit my fabulous state of California, they want to see the "stars", or where they hangout, or where they tape their shows. While we are planning on visiting Crow Creek Mine, I think the novelty of going to Big Nugget Mine will be fun for My soon to be DH.

[PennyAgain]

The Last Chance mine in Juneau (for the able bodied) is an interesting visit.

 

Keep in mind that a great deal of Juneau has had gold at one time or another. Tourists have found nuggets in gravel parking lots!

 

Look down! Keep the soon-to-be DH happy and active. Have him read up on it.

 

I always keep my eyes open when in Alaska. Just never know what you will find.

 

The Crow Creek at Girdwood is a sincere effort at making the experience happen for tourists.

[AKman2495]

You're right about them getting fined & they were shut down for a bit & things like that. For the soon to be DH, it is his favorite show. I think it would be more about that, then anything else. Whether they are considered "real" or not, they are televised, so that opens them up to a fan base, like any other show. In fact it seems from reading CC a real popular excursion is in Ketchikan with The Deadliest Catch boat. It's the same thing. It is an excursion opened up to the public. People watch these shows and want to say they were on the boat, or at the mine. Just like when people visit my fabulous state of California, they want to see the "stars", or where they hangout, or where they tape their shows. While we are planning on visiting Crow Creek Mine, I think the novelty of going to Big Nugget Mine will be fun for My soon to be DH.

 

The first season was just about the first group of what I deem to be real idiots. In the second season they made it more interesting by bringing other operations that were truly serious.

 

Such is the state of TV these days :rolleyes:

[cellyml12]

Thanks for the advice Penny. We'll look into it. I agree with you Akman, about the group from season one. In fact, the only thing I find interesting about the show at all is Big Nugget Mine. I like seeing the different generations of the family at the mine. So, yes, I think it would be an interesting excursion. But we're going a year from now, & who knows if this will even be an option by then. We just keep exploring all the things to do & hope to have made final decisions by the holidays. At this point fishing in Mat Su Valley & The Shrine of St. Therese in Juneau are the only sure things.

[melodyina]

I must admit that I do like the Gold Rush tv show. Does anyone know if any of the camps are open to tourists? If they are, would they be accessable from where the cruise ships dock? How about excursions from the cruise ships?

 

Thanks. Tom

 

Here's a bit from an article in the Anchorage paper last February.

 

City manager Josie Bahnke said that the volume of calls from Lower 48 prospectors has been overwhelming. Kerwin Krause with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources said that DNR offices have received a call every five minutes, especially on Mondays following the Friday-evening shows.

[Krause] said that he warns newcomers to mining in the north that it is not as easy as it looks on TV. "We're telling people that there are no leases available now," Krause said.

Recreational miners can work on West Beach, but they have to be standing in water up to their knees and they can use small dredges with suction hoses less than 6 inches in diameter and rocker sluice boxes, Krause said.

Krause worries that Nome newcomers will blow all their cash on their gold fantasies and have no way to support themselves or get home

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/02/21/2329083/is-nome-ready-for-a-tv-inspired.html#storylink=cpy

[PennyAgain]

Yes, I do recall that write-up. I'm old enough to remember when every Tom, Dick and Harry tried to get up to Alaska to work the The Pipeline. Gads!

 

Then they saw the rising fast cost of living in Alaska especially rent and food and ended up sleeping in someone's garage ...if they were lucky.

 

Family was building a house at the time and every time they saw a window for sale even if it didn't match anything they would buy it and haul it to the construction sight. House ended up with a variety of weird windows, but any Alaska who remembers those boom Pipeline days can date the house.

 

Now with all these tv shows about getting rich in Alaska, I really hope that it doesn't end up like that again. Life in Alaska can be hard, expensive and dangerous. Sleeping rough is an excellent way to die a nasty death.

 

Yes, I have family members who prospect gold. They never talk about it. Not a word.

 

Ever.

 

I sure do have a couple nice nugget rings.

[cellyml12]

So, I called on this excursion, so if anyone is interested, it's $250.00 per person from Skagway (about $179.00 from Haines). It is a minimum of 2 people Monday thru Friday & a 6 person minimum on the weekends. Just wanted to put that out there because this info is not on the website.

[bonvoyagie]

As far as the TV show Gold Rush is concerned - the Big Nugget mine as well as the Porcupine Creek site is somewhere in AK north of Haines and from the shows, hard to get to. The other set of miners are in the Yukon Ter somewhere around Dawson City. Since no tours exist to these locations, you would have to try and find them on your own - good luck.

 

The tour in Ketchikan is called the Fisherman's Crab Adventure - and is not called the Deadliest Catch even though the boat used is one that was featured in season one.

[karatemom2]

The tour in Ketchikan is called the Fisherman's Crab Adventure - and is not called the Deadliest Catch even though the boat used is one that was featured in season one.

 

Actually the tour is called the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour and they promote the relationship to the Deadliest Catch quite prominently on the website:

 

http://56degreesnorth.com/

[Northern Aurora]

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, our local paper, has had several articles about the reality TV show regarding gold mining. Columnist Dermot Cole in particular has done several articles, and I suspect they can be found on the News Miner website (http://www.newsminer.com). Folks who enjoyed the show may find the articles interesting, and the show not so interesting after reading them.

[cellyml12]

As far as the TV show Gold Rush is concerned - the Big Nugget mine as well as the Porcupine Creek site is somewhere in AK north of Haines and from the shows, hard to get to. The other set of miners are in the Yukon Ter somewhere around Dawson City. Since no tours exist to these locations, you would have to try and find them on your own - good luck.

 

The tour in Ketchikan is called the Fisherman's Crab Adventure - and is not called the Deadliest Catch even though the boat used is one that was featured in season one.

 

I don't know how hard it is to get to Big Nugget, but there is an excursion to get to it. This excursion doesn't include the other guys in the Yukon. Also,sorry for any misunderstanding, but I didn't call it The Deadliest Catch excursion, but said the excursion with the Deadliest Catch boat.

[cellyml12]

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, our local paper, has had several articles about the reality TV show regarding gold mining. Columnist Dermot Cole in particular has done several articles, and I suspect they can be found on the News Miner website (http://www.newsminer.com). Folks who enjoyed the show may find the articles interesting, and the show not so interesting after reading them.

 

I can only imagine. I treat it like any other reality show, meaning the term reality is subjective. I think Discovery Channel finally found a way to get guys interested in reality tv. LOL. And thanks for your post Karatemom!I try to be careful with what I post as far as getting info right. I knew it wasn't called the Deadliest Catch excursion, but I knew they used one of their boats.