The Golden Fleece area is underlain by argillites and siltstone of the Helikian Aldridge Formation (Purcell Supergroup) which has been subjected to complex faulting, probably related to the Lewis Creek fault system immediately to the north. The rocks have been intruded by syenitic dykes and sills which locally may or may not be coincident with mineralized zones. In many cases the syenites have suffered later stage shearing. The Aldridge Formation conformably overlies the Fort Steele Formation on the Loose Leg and Jacleg portions of the Rockies claim block. The Fort Steele Formation comprises predominantly cross-bedded and massive quartz arenite, quartz and feldspathic wacke and siltstone,
Mineralization appears as sulphides associated with quartz veins or stringers and within zones of silicification associated with shearing. Within the quartz stringers, blebs and masses of chalcopyrite, galena, pyrite, and minor sphalerite and pyrrhotite occur. These veins and stringers seem confined predominantly to the argillaceous horizons. In addition, shear zones, either crosscutting or complimentary to bedding plane orientations, have been selectively silicified. The strongly silicified zones host disseminated chalcopyrite, pyrite, and galena. Secondary malachite and azurite are developed locally.
A highly chloritized, massive, and highly sheared greenstone (Moyie Intrusions diorite sill?) has been reported near the Wanda B occurrence (082GNW046). Mineralization is characteristically spotty and of low grades. Copper is the dominant metal with traces of gold, silver and lead reported.
In 2007, trenching on a quartz vein breccia zone on the Golden Fleece crown-grant was found to strike approximately north-south and dip moderately easterly at about 30 to 35 degrees (Figures 3 and 5, Assessment Report 29808). Trenching exposed the zone over a strike length of about 67 meters. It is developed within a fault zone which separates underlying Fort Steele Formation quartzites from overlying unit Ale (Aldridge Formation) (graphitic argillites and siltstones). The upper part of the Fort Steele Formation and units Ala and Alb are missing, indicating displacement of at least 200 meters. Most of the rock samples were collected from the quartz vein breccia zone and a few from syenite and altered wallrock. The quartz vein breccia zone is anomalous in gold, copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum, silver and arsenic and is locally anomalous in strontium, cobalt, and bismuth. Late cross-cutting quartz veins, some of which are sub-parallel to the quartz vein breccia system and some of which cut the system at high angles, are similarly anomalous in gold, molybdenum, copper, and lead. Syenite 'dikes' parallel the quartz vein breccia system, occurring discontinuously along both hanging wall and footwall contacts. A few samples of the syenite indicate that it too is anomalous in gold, molybdenum, and lead. This quartz vein breccia system (and the similar one drilled by DDH's LL-07-1 and 2 at the Emily-Tiger zone (082GNW045) are considered to be distal emanations from the intrusion system, possibly from the Estella stock (Assessment Report 29808).
WORK HISTORY
The Ehlinger Group consisted of twenty-two Crown-granted claims located near Lewis Creek, about 11 kilometres east of Wasa. Prior to 1939, work was done on eight of these claims: the Golden Fleece (L.6354), Stanley (L.6355), Tiger (L.4827), Wanda B (L.14295), Larchwood (L.14294), Emily (L.15293), Minnie M (L.4828), and Little Johnny (L.3044).
In 1898, the Tiger claim was owned by J. Conklin and associates and was reported to be under bond to the Fort Steele Development Syndicate, Limited. During 1899, 82 metres of adits and drifts were driven on this and the Minnie M claim. This latter claim was owned by J.W. Arthur in 1898 and was Crown-granted to John E. Humphreys.
In 1899, 55 metres of adit was driven on the Golden Fleece claim; the following year an additional 30 metres of adit was driven on this and the Stanley claim. The Golden Fleece was part of the Homestake Group in 1925.
In 1901, the Little Johnny claim was Crown-granted to Nils Hansen and Peter Jensen.
By 1939, there were two adits, 19.5 and 27 metres long on the Golden Fleece claim and several small workings and open cuts on the Stanley claim. On the Tiger claim, there were several open cuts and two adits, one being 63 metres long. The Wanda B had a vertical shaft sunk 23 metres and an adit driven 65 meters. On the Emily claim there was a drift 50 metres long and on the Larchwood claim there were three adits totalling 113 metres in length.
In 1939, Mr. and Mrs. John J, Ehlinger of Spokane, Washington, acquired these and fourteen other claims. They incorporated Spokane-Kootenay Mines, Limited, to carry out further exploration work on the property. No further work was reported, and the charter was surrendered in 1946.
In 2007, Ruby Red Resources Inc. collected seventy-seven grab and chip samples along newly constructed access trails, from trenches and from areas of geologic mapping. A total of 301 metres was drilled in four diamond-drill holes, two holes on the Emily-Tiger occurrence (082GNW045) and 1 hole on the Lewis Creek Fault zone near the Lazy 19 occurrence (082GNW059). A series of trenches were excavated near 598900E 5517250N (Figures 3 and 5, Assessment Report 29808) to expose a structurally controlled quartz vein breccia zone for detailed sampling. This UTM plots on the Golden Fleece crown grant. Two small soil grids were completed on the Rockies claim block in 2007: one in the Loose Leg area (southeast of Emily-Tiger) and one in the Jacleg area crossing Lewis Creek, mostly south of Lazy 19 and Lazy 32 (082GNW061).
In 2012 to 2019, PJX Resources Inc. conducted geological mapping and rock geochemistry sampling on the Dewdney Trail Property (Assessment Reports 33811, 36112, 36649, 38859).
Refer to Emily-Tiger (082GNW045) and Wanda B (082GNW046) for related information.
