The Ped occurrence is located east of Colgrove Creek, a north-flowing tributary of Hixon Creek, and approximately 500 metres north of the north end of Pedley Lake.
The area is underlain by volcaniclastic rocks of the Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic Witch Lake Formation (Takla Group) and mudstone, siltstone, shale and fine clastic rocks of the Middle to Upper Triassic Takla Group. These are locally overlain by conglomerate and coarse clastic rocks of an un-named Oligocene to Pliocene formation. Basaltic volcanic rocks of the Triassic Nicola Group outcrop to the southeast.
Locally, scattered outcrops of andesitic volcanics with small exposures of coarser grained gabbroic rocks are reported to be interspersed in the volcanics. Irregular hydrothermal alteration zones appear to occur mainly in the coarser intrusive rocks. The alteration zones are accompanied by variable quartz veinlets and stringers filling fractures that have a slight predominance for a northeast orientation. The veins are up to 3 centimetres wide and have been exposed over a 12-metre area by trenching. Mineralization observed within the veinlets consists of sporadic minor pyrite, trace chalcopyrite and some specks of visible gold. The wallrock mineralization contains minor mariposite and up to 10 per cent disseminated cubic pyrite.
In 1987, sampling of quartz veins exposed in a trench yielded from 0.23 to 109.85 grams per tonne gold (Property File - Hixon Gold Resources Inc. [1988-11-18]: Prospectus - Hixon Gold Resources Inc.).
In 1996, Samples assayed up to 23.69 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 25000).
The area has been explored since the 1880s in conjunction with the nearby Quesnel Quartz (MINFILE 093G 015) past-producing mine. In 1971 Bethlehem Copper staked 84 claims over the Pedley Lake to Buckley Creek area and conducted grid mapping and soil sampling over the entire claim block. This work was followed by four diamond drill holes, totalling 448.6 metres. In 1979, the HQ 1-6 and Hixon Quartz claims were optioned from prospectors Vic Guinet and Andrew Harman by Esperanza Explorations Ltd., during which time further claims were added. A limited quantity of rock analyses was subsequently undertaken.
During 1980 through 1984, Golden Rule Resources held the HQ and Hixon Quartz claims and completed various geological, geophysical and geochemical surveys over an area similar to the Bethlehem work, including the area south to Pedley Lake. Golden Rule concentrated their efforts around the workings in Hixon Creek area, where they completed trenching and diamond drilling programs. In 1987, Hixon Gold Resources examined and sampled the area.
In 1996, the Ped 1 and claims were staked by Guinet Management. This was followed by a program of soil sampling (301 samples), rock sampling (35 samples) and silt sampling (16 samples). During 2004 through 2007, Cayenne Gold Mines Ltd. completed programs of prospecting, geochemical sampling and geological mapping on the area.
