Underground adventure

Valley Life editor

On Aug. 14, people will be able to turn back the clock on Independence Mine and go underground in search of gold.

The Friends of State Parks Mat-Su and the Alaska State Parks are offering "one-time" tours of the historic tunnels of Independence Mine on Aug. 14. While the event is spendy -- a tour costs $100 -- all the money goes to helping with Alaska State Park improvements.

It is the major fund-raiser of the year for the Friends of State Parks, Mat-Su, a group dedicated to enhancing parks and recreational resources.

"Last year we had a raffle and we raised enough money to build a public-use cabin in Denali State Park," said Toby Riddell, the president of Friends of the State Parks, Mat-Su.

On the tour, people can learn of the challenges and hardships that faced miners in their hunt for gold in the Hatcher Pass area. The tour winds it way under the Talkeetna Mountains in the same tunnels the miners used.

"There are about 26 miles of tunnels down there. The tour will go about a mile in to a roundabout. I can't imagine the working conditions those miners faced," Riddell said. "At some spots, there are acres cleared. They had to slide around on their bellies in these tiny little areas. It's really amazing.

"This is the first time the state has allowed us to go down in there and do an underground tour," Riddell said. "It'll be an exciting tour."

Still in the mine are old pieces of mining equipment and tools, Riddell said.

The tour includes a buffet lunch. A $50 mill tour of the Gold Cord "Bail" Mill is another option for people wanting to visit the area.

The first tour will begin at 11 a.m., with the last tour starting around 3:30 p.m. There will be five tours of 20 participants each. The mill tour includes three groups of 12 people each.

Participants should bring rubber boots, a flashlight or headlamp and rain gear, organizers said. At the tour, organizers will have a few extra flashlights and will provide hard hats to all tour participants.

"It gets dark totally down there. If they don't bring a flashlight, we'll only charge them $20," Riddell said with a laugh.

Tour participants are also eligible to win a night's lodging for two at the Denali or McKinley Princess lodges, including round-trip rail transportation from Anchorage or Fairbanks.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, interested people can call Teri at 745-8931. The tour is limited to 100 people.