The Lode 3 showing is located about 10.2 kilometres north-northwest of the confluence of American Creek with the Bear River, 32 kilometres north of Stewart. It lies on a small creek (Baseline Creek), approximately 1.1 kilometres west of American Creek.

The area is underlain by north striking, west dipping fragmental andesites, volcanic breccias, volcanic conglomerates, sandstones and siltstones of the Lower Jurassic Unuk River Formation (Hazelton Group) (Bulletin 58; 63). These rocks lie on the west limb of the north-northwest trending American Creek anticline. West trending dacitic dikes intrude these rocks in places (Assessment Report 21244). A north-northwest trending fault is associated with the showing. Large gossan zones, 0.5 to 3.0 kilometres long and 100 to 500 metres wide, occur along the fault. The fault appears to be a branch of a fault along American Creek.

The showing consists of a 0.2 to 1.0 metre wide quartz vein or stockwork in the fault(?), trending north-northwest and dipping 80 degrees west. The quartz contains sparse (average 3 per cent) pyrite and chalcopyrite and 1-5 per cent chlorite. The vein can be traced for about 60 metres and is immediately north of a 700 metres long by 100 metres wide gossan zone.

In 1990, an 80 centimetre chip sample assayed 3.21 grams per tonne gold and 3.4 grams per tonne silver; copper, lead and zinc values were negligible (Assessment Report 21244). A grab sample from nearby float assayed 4.54 grams per tonne gold, 71.8 grams per tonne silver, 7.92 per cent copper, 0.05 per cent lead and 0.04 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 21244).

The area was covered by the Kelly Girl claims in 1988 when Cremonese flew a heli-borne VLF-EM and magnetometer survey over the area. The following year, White Channel Resources Inc. staked the Lode 1-8 claims over the area and carried out some geological mapping, prospecting and silt sampling. In 1990, White Channel discovered the showing and conducted further geological mapping, sampling and a geochemical soil survey in the area. In 1992, White Channel Resources Inc. conducted geological mapping and a Genie-EM geophysics survey over the Rich 1,3,4,5 and Lode 1,2,3,4 claim group. During 2005 through 2010, Auramex completed programs of prospecting, geological mapping, geochemical sampling and airborne geophysical surveys on the area as the Bear River-Surprise Creek property.