Mine tour a splendid splurge for spelunkers

Aug. 19, 2007

Chris Gillow/Frontiersman

HATCHER PASS - As the sun shined down Saturday at Independence Mine State Historical Park, a lucky group of tourists experienced an adventure that happens only once a year in the Mat-Su Valley. Led by mining engineer Alan Renshay, visitors entered the Independence Mine on half-mile underground tours ready to dredge up the history still waiting to be mined.

Hard-rock mining was initiated in the area in 1906 by Robert Lee Hatcher, Renshay said. As a hard-rock miner, Hatcher and many others like him would drill exploratory holes into the granite, place an explosive charge inside and then follow quartz veins in which gold could be found. During the 1920s, the area became heavily mined, but techniques used to remove rock and bring in supplies led to a slow turnout. To speed the process, miners eventually bored a main tunnel into the side of a mountain, which became the Independence Mine visitors see today.

Without internal lighting, tour participants experienced a dimly lit tour by head lamp and flashlight, giving a sense of what miners had to deal with in the haydays of gold mining. With up to 8 inches of water covering the old mining cart rails and planks walking was tricky, but participants cooperated well, shouting &#8220dip” or &#8220hole” as they came upon the impediments.

&#8220I think it's interesting,” said Jimmie King, an outdoors enthusiast touring the underground cavern Saturday. &#8220I've been coming up here for 50 years and I've always wanted to take a mine tour.”

Organized and executed by Alaska State Parks, Friends of State Parks, Mat-Su and local miners, the tour was created for several reasons, said Mary Anderson, president of Friends of State Parks, Mat-Su.

&#8220One reason is to let people know what state parks have to offer,” she said. &#8220Also, it's a fundraiser to help enhance state parks.”

Friends of State Parks, Mat-Su is a nonprofit organization anyone can join, Anderson said. With minimal registration fees, Friends relies on fundraisers to help support state parks in the Mat-Su area.

Similar to Anderson, Alan Renshay said he enjoys helping the state park in any way he can.

&#8220We're all friends here,” Renshay said.

Renshay isn't just friends with park rangers and volunteers, he's the closest neighbor they have. As owner of Goldcore Mine, which is located above Independence Mine, he also lives there part-time.

&#8220I'm a third generation miner up here,” he said. &#8220I grew up in these mountains and I know these mines.”

With Renshay as the guide, the most interesting part of the tour was learning about the history of the mine and his family's involvement with the area, said Charles King, a tour participant.