The Cliff (Spitfire No. 2-Sonny Boy No. 7 Fraction) occurrence is located at an elevation of approximately 1250 metres on a northeast-trending ridge, southeast of Nicola Lake and approximately 10.5 kilometres east-southeast of the community of Nicola.

The area located immediately south of Nicola Lake is underlain by a belt of green to red porphyritic andesites and basalts of the Upper Triassic Nicola Group which strike north-northwest and dip steeply to the west. To the north of Nicola Lake is the Lower Jurassic Nicola Batholith, a quartz-diorite intrusive believed to be the source of quartz-carbonate veins carrying gold, silver and copper mineralization in a number of nearby deposits (Guichon, MINFILE 092ISE048). Trending north-northwest across the area is the Quilchena fault, a regional near-vertical shear zone with an apparent strike-slip displacement of 3 kilometres. Associated with this fault are numerous northeast and some northwest-trending fractures.

The occurrence is located where northwest-striking porphyritic microdiorite dikes cut through altered (chlorite, epidote) andesitic and basaltic lavas and breccias. Subparallel to the intrusive are several 5- to 35-centimetre wide quartz veins containing variable sulphides, mainly pyrite, minor chalcopyrite and galena. Visible gold occurs as plates and blebs up to 3 millimetres across and as delicate filigree of scales in quartz froth from the Master vein. Other associated minerals are malachite, limonite and jarosite. The Master vein system strikes approximately 300 degrees and dips 80 degrees north and has been exposed intermittently over a strike length of at least 300 metres. Another mineralized vein, referred to as the Gary vein, is located a short distance southeast of the Master vein, while other unnamed veins are reported to the north of the Master vein.

In the mid 1960s, a select sample from the Cliff (Master) vein yielded 216.8 grams per tonne gold, 27.4 grams per tonne silver and 0.85 per cent copper, while sampling along 15 metres of the vein yielded and average of 28.7 grams per tonne gold and 0.15 per cent copper (Property File - 810696).

In 1973, 14 samples of mineralized quartz vein material, taken over a strike length of approximately 500 metres along an east-southeast trend, yielded an average of 122.6 grams per tonne gold, with up to 481.5 grams per tonne gold (sample 9; Assessment Report 5091). Later in 1973, further sampling yielded up to 1730 grams per tonne gold and 95.8 grams per tonne silver over 0.15 metre from the east end of a trench, and another sample from a trench, located approximately 300 metres west of the previous sample, yielded 89.6 grams per tonne gold and 75.2 grams per tonne silver over 0.21 metre (Assessment Report 5092). The weighted average of sampling over a 300-metre strike length is reported to be 134.7 grams per tonne gold over an average width of 0.17 metre, or approximately 17.1 grams per tonne gold over a width of 1.5 metres (Assessment Report 05092).

In 1986, a channel sample (KRAL#1) of rusty material with visible gold from the Master vein assayed 1458.9 grams per tonne gold, whereas a nearby channel sample (CV and WRS) of wallrock and vein yielded 29.6 grams per tonne gold over 0.8 metre (Assessment Report 15966). Also at this time, two grab samples (GV1 and GV2) from the Gary vein yielded 3.5 and 7.7 grams per tonne gold and 10.3 and 14.7 grams per tonne silver with 0.58 and 0.38 per cent copper, respectively (Assessment Report 15966).

In 1987, a sample from the Master vein yielded 2680 grams per tonne gold over 0.25 metre (Property File - 884264).

In 1989, a grab sample (89-IRC-003) from the Master vein yielded 42.5 grams per tonne gold, 14.9 grams per tonne silver and 0.369 per cent copper (Assessment Report 18887).

In 2007, six samples of quartz vein material from the Master vein yielded from 6.70 to 480 grams per tonne gold with an average of 115 grams per tonne gold, whereas a sample (77705) from a silicious granite dike(?) yielded 6.30 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 29488).

In 2009, a chip sample (AJO-16) from a limonitic quartz vein exposed in a historic trench yielded 64.5 grams per tonne gold over 0.1 metre (Assessment Report 30978).

Work History

During the 1960s, Quilchena Mining and Development Co. Ltd. is reported to have completed programs of trenching, drilling and some geophysical surveys on the area.

In 1966, Rameda Mines completed a 61.7 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey on the area immediately south of the occurrence as the Ester and Ruth claims.

In 1970, Quilchena Mining and Development Co. Ltd. completed a program of soil sampling and a 15.0 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey on the area as the Sunnyboy claims of the Quilchena property.

In 1973, Telstar Resources completed a program of prospecting, geological mapping and rock sampling on the area as the Telstar property.

In 1979, Leonard Peckham completed a program of rock sampling on the area as the Sunny Boy property.

In 1983, a ground electromagnetic and magnetic survey was completed on the area as the Sunny Boy and Guy mineral claims.

In 1986, Iota Explorations Ltd. completed a program of trenching and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling on the area as the Iota property. In 1989, a program of rock sampling and a 20.8 line-kilometres ground magnetic and electromagnetic survey on the area.

In 2005, the area was prospected by David Javorsky. In 2007, Commerce Resources Corp. completed a minor program of rock and soil sampling on the area.

In 2009, a program of prospecting and sampling was completed on the area by Julia Wang as the Iota property.

In 2014, Tech-X Resources Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping and rock sampling on the area as the Augusta claims of the Nicola Lake property. The following year, a 12.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey was completed.