Dawson City – The town, Dredge No. 4, Midnight Dome, and More Food?

July 22, 2013

We started the day with a walking tour of the town by a very dapper young man from the Tourist Center. Hopefully the pictures will tell the story better than I can in words.  Taking the Tour from the Visitors Center has the added benefit of access to buildings that are normally locked and unavailable to other tourists. The resident ghosts at the Red Feather Saloon did not wish us to remain present, as the fire alarm sounded just after our guide started his talk. As the last of us left the building, it stopped! Draw your own conclusions.

My partner in crime, Jeff Jeffries and Donna

Our tour guide and some of the crew.

Downtown Hotel - Note the crud on the car all our vehicles look similar or worse.

 

Inside the Bank  - with Gloria Lombardi

Paradise Alley with the Crib Houses Last "House" closed in 1965. The Madame was a highly respected and liked member of the Community.

Inside the Red Feather Saloon before the Ghosts chased us out? Where are Ghostbusters when you need them Rebecca?

 

 

Our next stop for the day was Dredge No. 4. All I can say is wow! This is one huge machine for dredging gold. Its final location is about 8 miles up Bonanza Creek. The dredge ate its way up the entire creek spewing the rock and detritus behind it. The last year of operation was 1959. In 1960, a hydroelectric dam up stream burst, flooding the valley, swung the dredge 270 degrees and sank it in the mud. The dredge was raised, almost intact 40 years later.  There are many amazing facts about this monster: it was operated by 4 men; none of the functional parts were lubricated; it screeched like a banshee and could be heard 30 miles away; the best 3 day run was about 800 ounces of gold.Do not miss it if you come up here.

The sluice boxes where the gold was separated using coconut weaved matting to trap it.

 

Afterwards we attempted to drive the Upper Bonanza Creek Road on a circular trip to King Solomon Dome and back along Hunker Creek, but found ourselves unsure of the route so we wimped out. That gave us chance to drive up to the top of Midnight Dome that offers magnificent overlooks of the entire area for miles around. I stayed back at the campground while Donna and Katherine went back to the Commissioner’s Residence where they were served formal tea to honor the birth of the new prince.



Yukon River and Dawson City from Midnight Dome - note inflow from the Klondike River, a Clearwater river.



Looking up Bonanza Creek towards Dredge No. 4 and Discovery Claim

 

 

Panoramic look east towards Chicken, AK from Midnight Dome

 

Panoramic view north and east following the Yukon River

Commissioner's House

We finished the day back at the campground with heavy hors devours provide by all. That was afeast that left everyone stuffed!