Best Chance/Retribution
Index:
The Best Chance claim straddles the Copper Haul Road immediately south of the Empress of India area. The Grafter Mine is actually in the Best Chance area.
The Best Chance mine never reached production although it has been the subject of much exploration interest over the years. The same goes for the adjacent Retribution claim area.
Best Chance chronology
- 1899: 7 July, staked by Angus McKinnon as "Last Chance"
- 1900: 16 July, renamed "Best Chance"
- 1904–1905: no work done at all due to low copper prices
- 1906: work resumed
- 1907: owned by same company as Grafter
- 1907: three shallow shafts; one was 35 ft (11 m) with an easterly drift of 19 ft (6 m) at the bottom
- 1912: belonged to Atlas Mining Company, who also owned LeRoi, War Eagle, Pueblo, Grafter, and Valerie
- 1956: magnetometer survey conducted by Imperial Mines and Metals Ltd. gave discouraging results
- 1971: resistivity testing took place, also induced polarization testing
- 1990: two magnetometer surveys conducted by Aurora Gold Ltd who optioned the property from Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting; also some drilling
- 1991: induced polarization testing took place
- 1994: self potential survey took place
Retribution chronology
- 1902: claim area surveyed
- 1905: Crown grant issued to miners Robert Fenwick Stowe, Vancouver and George Morgan So Relle (Sorel?), Whitehorse
- 1907: two shallow adits
Access
The Copper Haul Road runs right through this area. You can park on the road adjacent to POI 1. In one trip, you might also consider visiting the Grafter area, which is right across the road, and the Empress of India area, which is immediately to the north. POI 1 for this area is only a short walk from POI 1 for Grafter. Spring Creek is in the same area.
Points of interest
The map below shows some points of interest (POIs) in the Best Chance/Retribution area. The table that follows gives more info for each POI.
| POI | Description | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best Chance Mine | 60.67319 -135.12070 493405 6726393 |
The Best Chance Mine is hidden behind a rock outcrop that is right on the east side of the Copper Haul Road. On top of the outcrop is a large grey concrete pillar that is a geodetic survey point. Walk around the left-hand (north) side of the outcrop to see the water-filled Best Chance mine shaft and colourful rock wall. Then, keep walking clockwise around the outcrop and you will discover another adit, this one filled in but still with impressive green malachite wall above. |
| 2 | Best Chance pit 2 | 60.67330 -135.12056 493413 6726405 |
This is a small exploration pit. There is evidence of diamond drilling in the area: at least two drill casings embedded in the grouund. |
| 3 | Best Chance pit 3 | 60.67343 -135.12034 493425 6726419 |
Small exploration pit just outside the Best Chance claim area. There is an old survey post in the vicinity that marks the edge of the Best Chance claim. |
| 4 | Retribution pit 2 | 60.67441 -135.12136 493369 6726529 |
This is a small dry exploration pit in the Retribution claim area. |
| 5 | Retribution trenching cut into hill | 60.67437 -135.12181 493344 6726524 |
This trench (or was it an adit?) in the side of the hill was probably not very deep judging by the amount of waste material around. It is filled in. |
| 6 | Retribution pit 3 | 60.67449 -135.12172 493349 6726538 |
This is a small wet exploration pit in the Retribution claim area. |
| 7 | Retribution Mine | 60.67497 -135.12085 493397 6726591 |
This is the main (post-1907) Retribution Mine area complete with substantial wooden cribbing. It never went to production. WARNING: Do not enter this mine. |
| 8 | Retribution adit 1 | 60.67546 -135.12134 493370 6726646 |
This adit is in the steep bank of McIntyre Creek. WARNING: Even though it is mostly collapsed, do not enter this adit. The waste rock downhill from this adit is covered with moss. It is somehwat unstable and potentially dangerous. |
| 9 | Retribution adit 2 | 60.67504 -135.12236 493315 6726599 |
This collapsed adit is in the steep bank of McIntyre Creek. WARNING: This area is very steep and difficult to access; it is potentially dangerous. |
Downloads
| POIs for GPS | map for GPS |
|---|---|
| file of POIs in GPS format for this project and all others in the Whitehorse Copper Belt that you can download | GPS map for this project that you can download |
Photos and more info
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POI 1. You have to walk around to the far side of the rocky outcrop from the road to find the main Best Chance shaft. |
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POI 1. The Best Chance shaft is full of water. |
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POI 1. Collapsed Best Chance adit farther clockwise around the outcrop from the water-filled shaft |
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Video that starts over the Best Chance shaft (POI 1) and lifts to show the outcrop in which the mine was excavated. At the end of the sequence you can see the large concrete pillar, a geodetic survey point. This video © 2020 Elizabeth MacDonald. |
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POI 2. Pipe on the left with the tin can on top is a drill casing from diamomd drilling next to the older exploration pit. There is another drill casing in the ground a short distance north of this location. |
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POI 6. Small, wet pit in Retribution claim area. |
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POI 7. Retribution main work area. |
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POI 8. Retribution adit 1 in the bank of McIntyre Creek, collapsed. |
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POI 8. Retribution adit 1 in the bank of McIntyre Creek, collapsed. |
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POI 9. Retribution adit 2 in the bank of McIntyre Creek, collapsed. |
TimmiT History Exploration Notebook