The Wind 1, Silver Fox and Le Croy mineral claims are located along Pinkut Creek, approximately 40 kilometres north of Burns Lake.

The geology of the region consists of: 1) a Mississippian to Triassic Cache Creek Group oceanic volcanic and sedimentary assemblage 2) the Upper Triassic dominantly mafic volcanic Takla Group 3) the Lower to Middle Jurassic Hazelton Group mafic to felsic volcanic and sedimentary rocks 4) the Upper Cretaceous to Lower Tertiary Ootsa Lake Group sedimentary and volcanic rocks and 5) the 0ligocene and Miocene Endako Group. The region has been intruded by the Lower Jurassic quartz monzonite to granodiorite Topley Intrusive Suite, Upper Jurassic plutons of the Francois Lake Suite and plugs and stocks related to Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary volcanism.

The Silver Fox and adjacent showings occur along Pinkut Creek within metamorphosed Cache Creek Group rocks. These consist of carbonatized and silicified andesitic greenstone and some graphitic schist. These rocks have been intruded by granodiorite and quartz monzonite stocks of the Francois Lake Intrusive Suite.

A stockwork of quartz veins striking predominantly to the northeast and east cuts Cache Creek Group rocks. Mineralization, consisting of galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite and pyrite, occurs mainly in the northeast striking vein set. These veins are irregular in shape, ranging in width from 5 centimetres to 1.2 metres. The best showings occur within 30 metres of a 60-metre-wide tongue of granodiorite. Other showings in the area occur within andesitic roof pendants in the intrusive rocks.

Work in the 1980s indicated the veins are hosted in a shattered and faulted contact zone between Cache Creek Group volcanic rocks and a siliceous hydrothermally altered sulphide-bearing quartz monzonitic intrusive.

Another zone of mineralization is reported to the southeast of the Le Croy (L.4098) Crown grant and comprises an outcrop of andesitic volcanic rock with quartz veining and copper (malachite?) staining. On the Sunrise claims, to the east of the previous zones, a mineralized, 3-metre wide, north-striking body is reported.

Work History

The Taltapin Mining Company was formed in 1919 to explore the Silver Fox and six adjoining mineral claims.

In 1920, at least two adits/tunnels (Anderson and Wood) were started and a 21.2-metre deep shaft was sunk on the ‘High-grade vein’, which subsequently filled with water, and in 1921, 2.7 tonnes of sorted ore were shipped from this occurrence. In 1925, a sample of adit dump material returned 123.5 grams per tonne silver, 1 per cent copper, 3 per cent lead and 27 per cent zinc (Property File Rimfire Windflower Mining Ltd., 1985).

In 1926, the shaft was extended 27.3 metres and intersected a previously unidentified 0.90-metre wide vein. A 3.62 tonne shipment of hand-sorted material from the High-grade vein was produced. Reject or cullings from the hand sorted material from the shipment are reported to have returned 1.37 grams per tonne gold, 548.80 grams per tonne silver, 1.5 per cent copper, 9 per cent lead and 16 per cent zinc (Property File Rimfire Windflower Mining Ltd., 1985).

In 1927, a drillhole was completed on the ‘High-grade’ vein and at depths of 64.8 and 90.9 metres the drill intersection two 2.1-metre sections yielding 1.03 and 1.03 grams per tonne gold, 430.9 and 2646.9 grams per tonne silver, trace and 1.9 per cent copper, 7.8 and trace per cent lead with 2.4 and 5.1 per cent zinc, respectively (Annual Report 1928, p.177). Also in 1927, a sample from the Le Croy (L.4098) Crown grant, to the southeast, is reported to have yielded 0.5 per cent copper with trace silver and gold (Assessment Report 11584).

In 1928, a shaft was reported to have been extended for 43.9 metres before being abandoned due to water seepage. The vein(s) were reported to pinch and swell and yielded assays including 12.3 grams per tonne gold, 2320 grams per tonne silver, 1.2 per cent copper, 17.5 per cent lead and 13.8 per cent zinc over 0.48 metre at a depth of 36.0 metres and 5.5 grams per tonne gold, 8800 grams per tonne silver, 11.6 per cent lead and 12.5 per cent zinc over 0.38 metre at a depth of 42.0 metres (Assessment Report 11584). A second shaft, of unknown age, is reported to the west of the previous shaft and at a higher collar location, likely to lessen the water issues identified in the first shaft.

Prior to 1964, the claims covering the area were acquired by R.H. Bates. In 1966 and 1967, Kleanza Mines Ltd. examined the claims. A sample (71152) from the dump of the Silver Fox shaft yielded 1.4 grams per tonne gold, 527 grams per tonne silver and 0.94 per cent copper (Property File - 800790).

In 1970, the Silver Fox claim was jointly held by Myrna Paul, C. Shank, R. Coombs and R. Therrien. A small quantity of mineralized material was reported to have been shipped to Cominco Ltd. in Trail and yielded an average of 6.7 grams per tonne gold, 6300 grams per tonne silver, 6.8 per cent lead and 9.8 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 11584).

Windflower Mining Limited held the property in 1982 and conducted reconnaissance geochemical stream silt and soil surveys. A sample collected around this time is reported to have assayed 6.5 grams per tonne gold, 6300 grams per tonne silver, 6.8 per cent lead and 9.8 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 10647).

In 1983 and 1984, Windflower Mining Ltd. completed programs of prospecting and minor sampling on the Wind property. Two collapsed shafts were identified at this time. A sample (no. 1) of mineralized quartz assayed 15.5 grams per tonne gold and 20.6 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 13201).

In 1985, Windflower Mining Ltd. completed a 26.8 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the area.