The Elm occurrence is located on a sharp bend in Criss Creek, approximately 12.5 kilometres northeast of its junction with the Deadman River.
Regionally, the area is underlain by fine clastic sedimentary rocks of the Lower to Middle Jurassic Ashcroft Formation and basaltic volcanic rocks of the Upper Triassic Nicola Group, which have been intruded by late to early Jurassic granodioritic rocks. These are overlain by volcanic rocks of the Eocene Kamloops Group and Miocene to Pleistocene Chilcotin Group.
Locally, three zones of mineralization (Gold-Silver, Molybdenum and Quartz zones) are spatially associated with a small, probably Triassic or Jurassic, diorite plug that is intruded into Upper Triassic Nicola Group volcanics.
The Gold-Silver zone, located along Criss Creek, is hosted in a small listwanite unit (carbonate-quartz-mariposite schist) at the faulted contact between Nicola volcanics and Jurassic Ashcroft Formation conglomerate. The listwanite unit varies from 35 to 100 metres wide and isolated outcrops trace the unit over a strike length of 400 metres. Some narrow bands of unaltered peridotite were mapped nearby. There is also an unusually high concentration of fine- grained, dark- coloured trap dikes adjacent to the diorite plug, cutting listwanite, conglomerate and Nicola volcanics. Variable amounts of pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite, malachite and azurite occur in quartz-carbonate veins and stringers within shear zones and the listwanite unit. The veins pinch and swell from mere stringers up to 0.9 metre. Alteration minerals include chlorite, hematite, serpentinite and biotite.
In the 1940’s, the two best samples assayed 6.8 grams per tonne gold and 727.7 grams per tonne silver across 38 centimetres, and 4.4 grams per tonne gold and 534.7 grams per tonne silver across 76 centimetres (Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 249). Most of the open cuts, stripping and tunnelling and other surface work dating from the early 1900’s was performed on this showing.
In 1967, a sample (no.6) from mineralized exposures along the creek assayed 7.5 grams per tonne gold, 824.2 grams per tonne silver, 0.27 per cent lead, 2.37 per cent zinc and 2.13 per cent copper, while a sample (no.10) from one of the adits assayed 1.4 grams per tonne gold, 348.9 grams per tonne silver, 39.78 per cent lead, 6.29 per cent zinc, 0.67 per cent copper and 0.01 per cent molybdenum (Property File - P.A. Philipchuk [1967-09-25]: Geological Report The Chess Claims Kamloops Mining Division, BC).
In 1984, a grab sample (no.151) from a 15-centimetre shear mineralized with sulphides analysed 0.55 gram per tonne gold, 624 grams per tonne silver, 0.27 per cent lead and 1.92 per cent copper (Assessment Report 13624). Also, at this time eight chip samples, taken across an aggregate width of 6.7 metres from a total mineralized width of 38 metres, yielded an average of 0.132 per cent lead and 11.2 grams per tonne silver (Property File - J.D. Murphy [1985-04-22]: Summary - Elm Mineral Claims).
The Molybdenum zone, located approximately 500 metres east and upstream of the Gold-Silver zone, consists of a strong shear zone exposed in talcose clastic and volcanic (Nicola Group) rocks in contact with a granitic stock. The zone hosts heavy pyrite mineralization and numerous quartz veins and stringers with strong but spotty molybdenite mineralization and trace amounts of galena, sphalerite and tetrahedrite. The quartz veins or boudins measure up to 0.9 by 3.6 metres. The veins strike north 72 degrees west and dip 78 to 88 degrees south west.
In 1967, four samples (no.1 to 4) yielded up to 3.4 grams per tonne silver, 0.28 per cent lead, 0.10 per cent zinc, 0.02 per cent copper and 0.10 per cent molybdenum (Property File - P.A. Philipchuk [1967-09-25]: Geological Report The Chess Claims Kamloops Mining Division, BC).
In 1984, chip samples yielded up to 0.105 per cent molybdenum over 61 centimetres and 0.215 per cent molybdenum over 30 centimetres, while a continuous chip sample across part of the zone yielded 0.07 molybdenum over 7.1 metres (Property File - J.D. Murphy [1985-04-22]: Summary - Elm Mineral Claims).
The Quartz zone, located approximately 400 metres north of the Gold-Silver zone and on strike of the Molybdenum zone, consists of an oxidized quartz vein, up to 10 metres wide, striking north west and dipping north east at 60 to 65 degrees. The vein hosts pyrite with variable amounts of molybdenite, galena, sphalerite and tetrahedrite.
In 1967, four samples (no.11, 12, 13 and 15) from adits and open cuts yielded up to 0.35 gram per tonne gold, 20.5 grams per tonne silver, 0.51 per cent lead, 1.06 per cent zinc, 0.04 per cent copper and 0.13 per cent molybdenum (Property File - P.A. Philipchuk [1967-09-25]: Geological Report The Chess Claims Kamloops Mining Division, BC).
In 1901, a shaft was sunk for 6 metres and a drift run for 3.6 metres on one vein. Another vein was stripped for 24 metres and drifted upon for 3 metres; several open cuts were also made. This work was performed on the 'Gold-Silver zone'. Other open cuts and adits are reported along the 1- kilometre strike length of the shear zone (Molybdenum zone) exposed in McGee Creek and crossing Criss Creek to the north east along a north west trend.
The Diamond S. group of claims covered both showings and was owned by J. Smith of Red Lake, and W. Smith and W.J. Moffatt of Kamloops (ca. 1940’s). The claims are restaked on older prospects; from the descriptions, it is believed that they may be the claims referred to in the Minister of Mines Annual Reports 1899-1902 under the names Mersey, Humber and Afton. In the late 1930’s or early 1940’s, the gold-silver showings along Criss Creek were prospected by D.B. Sterritt, of Kamloops, and associates.
In 1967, Newconex Canadian Exploration Ltd. conducted soil geochemical sampling on the Bo claim group, which included the Bo, Crik and Alf claims. In the same year, Silver Summit Mining Co. Ltd. dug five trenches totalling 157 metres on the adjoining Colin and Art claims. In 1968, North Slave Exploration Ltd. conducted a preliminary geological and geochemical survey and trenching over the Ches and Les claims. In this same year, by purchase from Silver Summit Mining Co. Ltd., Criss Creek Mines Ltd. performed geological mapping on the Art and Colin claims, 10 trenches totalling 1524 metres were bulldozed, six pits were excavated, and 2.4 kilometres of access road was built. In 1969, Criss Creek Mines Ltd. carried out a soil geochemical and geological survey, 457 metres of trenching and 40 hectares of bulldozer stripping on the Les and Roy claims.
In 1975 and 1976, Craigmont Mines Limited conducted geological mapping, 30 kilometres of magnetic and EM-16 surveys and eight percussion- drill holes, totalling 625 metres. In 1978, the Elm claims covered the property, and geological mapping and rock and soil sampling were carried out by Noranda Exploration Company, Ltd. on behalf of J.D. Murphy. In 1983 and 1984, a 350-metre induced polarization survey, rock and soil sampling, and detailed geological mapping was performed. In 1986, geological mapping and rock sampling was conducted by J.D. Murphy. During 1990 through 1994, geological mapping was performed by J.D. Murphy on the Elm claims. A soil sampling survey was completed in 1995 by J.D. Murphy.
