Regional Geochemical Survey site 5125 is located approximately 30 kilometres north of Knight Inlet and 5 kilometres east of the Klinaklini River on a north-flowing tributary of Dorothy Creek. Access to the drainage is provided by helicopter.
The upper half of the watershed consists of a cirque drained by three tertiary tributaries. Much of the cirque is underlain by a siliceous granitoid gneiss of the Cenozoic-Mesozoic Coast Plutonic Complex (Granitoid Gneiss unit). Exposed in the western ridge of the watershed is a unit of iron-stained black pyritic schist. These schists overlie the siliceous granitoid gneiss and are dissected by numerous barren quartz-feldspar veins which grade into the surrounding intrusive. Active glaciers ring the upper part of the drainage whereas a thick layer of boulder-rich talus and drift covers the cirque floor.
The Darlene showing was discovered on August 25, 1992, by Steve Sibbick of the EMPR Geological Survey Branch while following up a Regional Geochemistry Survey in the mapsheet. It consists of a 50-metre long, 0.3- to 0.5-metre wide vein striking 358 degrees and dipping vertically within a narrow ridge of siliceous granitoid gneiss near the contact with a unit of altered pyritic schist at an elevation of 1850 metres. Vein material (sample RX-09) consists of heavily altered and silicified wallrock whose original textures have been destroyed; no sulphides are visible. A grab sample of this vein contained 0.5 per cent lead and 0.15 per cent zinc (Fieldwork 1992, page 458). Weathered open spaces are lined with limonitic material. Limonite and iron-manganese staining is also prevalent along fractures and weathered surfaces.
Numerous angular clasts and cobbles of galena-sphalerite- chalcopyrite bearing vein material were found less than 50 metres away and immediately downslope of the vein at the foot of a small glacier (samples RX-07, RX-08, RX-10). These samples are characterized by veins or stringers of galena and/or sphalerite containing occasional grains of chalcopyrite. Assay of sample RX-10 at the Analytical Sciences Laboratory revealed that it contained 0.36 per cent copper, 4.58 per cent lead and 15.3 per cent zinc. Similar fragments were observed over a distance of several hundred metres down ice (north) of the glacier. A boulder of galena-bearing, brecciated vuggy quartz (sample RX-01) was found on the crest of a lateral moraine approximately two kilometres down ice of the vein. Samples of pyritic schist taken along the western ridge of the cirque contained from 1 (samples RX-03, RX-05) to 10 per cent (sample RX-04) pyrite and elevated concentrations of copper.
Stream sediment samples collected from four locations all reported anomalous values of lead, zinc and gold. Data from these samples compares very favourably with the results from the Regional Geochemical survey site located approximately two kilometres downstream. In this case, the Regional Geochemical Survey program has effectively detected a new area of mineralization. The proximity of mineralization at the Hoodoo North occurrence (092N 029) approximately 2.5 kilometres south, suggests that these occurrences may be related. Hoodoo North is a Tertiary age copper-molybdenum porphyry prospect with spatially associated chalcopyrite-sphalerite- galena bearing quartz veins hosted by Mesozoic gneisses.
Lead isotope values were calculated from galena acquired from samples RX-01 and RX-08. Unfortunately, these values cannot be used to define a unique date (C. Godwin, personal communication, 1992); a Mesozoic age is obtained based on similarity to lead from the Iskut area (Fieldwork 1990, pages 235-243), whereas a Tertiary age is interpreted when compared to lead from the Silver Queen and Equity Silver lead isotope data (EMPR Paper 1988-4) or to Tertiary gold veins on Vancouver Island (Fieldwork 1988, pages 75-79).
In 1993 Teck Exploration staked the area as the Dorothy claim group, including the Glacier and Snow claims. They conducted a program of prospecting, geophysical and geochemical surveys, and rock (whole rock and assay) sampling. Galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and pyrrhotite mineralization was confirmed at the showing. Mineralogy of samples includes chlorite-epidote, garnet and diopside, and indicates that the genesis of the mineralization is a retrograde zinc skarn. Results of fluid inclusion work were consistent with this interpretation. Five talus boulder samples with the highest zinc assays were analyzed for thallium, gallium and germanium. A high value for thallium is a strong indicator for Kuroko and other types of volcanogenic massive sulphide mineralization. The samples returned low values for thallium, indicating that they were unlikely to have formed in a VMS environment.
WORK HISTORY
The DOROTHY, GLACIER and SNOW mineral claims were located in 1992 to cover an area with anomalous stream sediment samples from the July 7, 1992 RGS release. The anomalous samples are located in southern tributaries to Dorothy Creek and in Hoodoo Creek. The claim group covered about 900 hectares on the southern slope of Dorothy Creek. Thirty-four stream sediment samples were collected from the creeks on the claim group. The samples returned up to 345 parts per billion gold, 6 parts per million silver, 1,328 parts per million zinc, 248 parts per million copper and 156 parts per million lead. Ninety-three soil/talus fine samples were collected from grid and contour lines on the claim group. The samples assayed up to 1,920 parts per billion gold, 25 parts per million silver, 7,054 parts per million arsenic, 5,596 parts per million zinc, 1,020 ppm copper, 4,090 parts per million lead and 70 parts per million cadmium (Assessment Report 23051). Prospecting located boulders of semi-massive to massive sphalerite-pyrite plus chalcopyrite in Glacier Cirque and quartz-pyrite plus/minus sphalerite veins in Glacier Creek. One hundred and twenty-seven rock samples were collected from the claim group. Samples yielded up to 2.14 grams per tonne gold, 1,029 grams per tonne silver, 2,450 parts per million arsenic, 17.0 per cent zinc, 1.28 per cent copper and 45 per cent lead (Assessment Report 23051). Magnetometer surveying was completed on 12.275 km of grid lines in Glacier Cirque, Glacier Creek, Glacier Saddle and along the South Ridge.
In 2002, Saxony Explorations Ltd. has entered into an option agreement with Dauntless Developments Ltd. and Metamin Enterprises Inc. to acquire up to a 100 per cent interest in Hoodoo 1 to 4, Lancers 1 & 2 and Saffron 1 to 5 mineral claims. Limited prospecting and rock chip sampling was completed to evaluate previously discovered gold mineralized float and bedrock occurrences found in 1993 by Teck. Sampling comprised 31 rock ship samples over the Hoodoo claim group and the Lancer and Saffron groups which are located several kilometres to the southeast of the Hoodoo claims.
In 2021, Goldplay Mining Inc. conducted prospecting and rock and soil geochemical in the area as the Big Frank Property.
