Barren and mineralized quartz and quartz-barite veins occur in an area of intense sericitic alteration extending approximately 3500 metres along an east-west trending ridge situated between Mitchell and Freegold Glaciers. Host rocks are difficult to recognize due to alteration but include andesitic pyroclastics and subordinate immature sedimentary rocks assigned to the Lower Unuk River Formation (Hettangian to Pliensbachan) of the Hazelton Group.

The main area of mineralization consists of narrow (1 centimetre to 1.5 metres thick) discontinuous quartz veins and stringers that can be traced for 1 to 15 metres laterally. Mineralization in the veins consists of pyrite, minor argentite, pyrargarite and tetrahedrite with rare specks of electrum in one high grade vein (276 grams per tonne gold; 16457 grams per tonne silver). More typical assays range from 0.3 to 3.0 grams per tonne gold and 17.0 to 35.0 grams per tonne silver (Lomenda, 1983). Pyrite is widely disseminated in the altered host rocks and comprised up to 15 per cent of the rock.

The alteration and mineralization are typical of an epithermal system. On the south side of the Mitchell-Sulphurets ridge, the altered zone grades into fresher rocks approximately 250 metres below the ridge where the best mineralized veins have been located. The fresher rocks may represent the base of the epithermal alteration zone. Barite-bearing quartz veins are locally mineralized with silver; sphalerite and galena-bearing float has been reported near the western limit of the alteration zones.

The eastern end of Mitchell-Sulphurets Ridge was also examined and was named the Josephine zone. A quartz stockwork was sampled with resulting assays as high as 6.48 grams per tonne gold and 2880.37 grams per tonne silver over 3 metres (Newhawk Gold Mines Ltd., News Release, Oct.6, 1988).

The Josephine Zone consists of a series of en echelon quartz and quartz-barite veins trending northeast and dipping 60 to 70 degrees northwest over a 50 by 340 metre area. The veins are massive, pale grey to pink and carry up to l-2 per cent pyrite, trace to 2 per cent tetrahedrite, and rare pyrargyrite. Individual veins are typically 0.30 to 2.0 metres wide and up to 30 metres long. The veins are hosted within a broader zone (10 to 50 metres wide) of pervasively silicified and possibly potassium feldspar altered quartz-sericite- pyrite schist carrying 5 to 10 per cent barren quartz veinlets. Only the mineralized quartz veins carry significant precious metal values.

Work in 1993 by Newhawk Gold Mines consisted of detailed mapping and sampling west of the Snowfield Gold Zone and on the Josephine zone, three drill holes on the Snowfield Gold Zone, and three drill holes on the Josephine zone. Only one of the Josephine drill holes, 93-425, was filed for assessment. The best intersection was reported to be 9.57 grams per tonne gold and 781.72 grams per tonne silver over 6.1 metres (Assessment Report 23172).

The Josephine zone appears to be on the southern edge of the most recently defined Snowfield zone (104B 178) boundary, as recently defined by Pretium Resources (Figure 10.1, Technical Report on the Snowfield Zone for Pretium Resources Inc, March 4, 2011).

Refer to West (104B 193) and Snowfield (104B 178) for details of related mineralization and work history.