Prospectors Meeting

Adam snapped  some pictures at a  get together last week with Greg, Daryl, and a couple of their friends. They met to talk about gold and treasure and showed their harvest of 2010--evidence it seems  that there is gold up there and not just a little. Click here to see the pictures. 

Terrarosa Glacier 12-day Expedition

Click here for a day-by-day video record  of the 2010 expedition into the Terrarosa Glacier area, home of the beautiful Fire Spire peaks and legends of lost gold.  The area is as beautiful as it is mysterious.

Full trip: Evan (Sydney, Australia),  Kevin (Rosedale, BC),  Adam (Agassiz, BC).

Day support by Kerry (Chilliwack, BC)
Three day support Ron (Chilliwack, BC)

Lennartz 2010 moved to Web site

Recent posts about Lennartz's 2010 expedition and also Rob Nicholson's "defence" writing have now been combined in a pdf file on the Slumach Web site. Click here to have a look.

More explorations in Them Thar Hills

From Daryl Friesen come two interesting videos about his 2010 explorations in the wild country in company of persons known or unknown, It seems that he hit paydirt! Click on the titles to go to the links: Seekers 2010 and Secret Diggings

Terrarosa Videos

Adam and Evan put together the following two videos of their 2010 Terrarosa expedition. Writes Adam: "This is what a Terrarosa Expedition is supposed to look like...rather than playing in the lowlands and bush [and] then getting [too] tired to walk out." Click on the following links to see the videos.
Part 1 -- Terrarosa Glacier Expedition; The Fire Spires
Part 2 -- The Lost Gold Mine

Liberty

Google "Slumach" on the Web site and you'll find a posting dated 11 November offering for sale Liberty - Canada's Young Family Magazine of July 1956" Containing an article with the title ... "The Gold Mine Murders of Nine British Columbian Women - John Slumach, a full -blooded Salish Indian, was hung for the crimes." 
The asking price for the old magazine is $149.95 CDN. For one moment I thought to have found something new though the price was prohibitive. Fortunately the text of the article written by C.V. Tench is already part  of the collection. You can read the gruesome details when you click here. 

G. Stuart Brown's Quest for the Lost Canyon

Rob Nicholson, Don Waite and Daryl Friesen kindly agreed to have letters they received from Stu Brown and the text of other letters Brown wrote combined in an e-book. Click here to read, download a print a copy for your own use.
If you have a letter or a copy of a letter missing from the collection please share and let me put it in the book as well.
A printed copy of this book found its way into the Terrarosa area, See photograph above.

Lennartz 2008 expedition report

Anton Lennartz's "Verluchtes Gold"  appeared on the Slumach Web site quite some time ago, Now, thanks to Rob Nicholson, a new chapter could be added, this one dealing with Tony's 2008 expedition and disputable rescue. Click here to read the German version or else click here for a translation in English. Note that the pictures are only on the German version. These stories and other references to his Canadian exploits are no longer available on Tony's own Web site.

Rick and Brian Antonson at COLES in Abbotsford

Saturday December 4th

WARNING:  Rick and Brian Antonson will be signing the Slumach AND Timbuktu books at Coles in Sevenoaks Mall in Abbotsford on Saturday December 4th from 1pm-4pm !!!  Writes Brian "We'll see how many folks might still want a bit of "gold" for Christmas stocking stuffers!!!!"

Note: More than 8,000 copies of Slumach's Gold sold so far.

Use and misuse of the back country

Quads may not be everyone's favourite toy to explore the back country but read THIS and be impressed. I was!

there is gold in them thar hills!

This summer's exploring of the area behind Harrison Lake did produce some interesting quartz samples hacked straight from a vein in the rock face of the Terrarosa. Adam Palmer and Evan Howard allowed taking a picture of one of the most promising pieces but for obvious reasons they are not ready to tell where they found it until they have made a solid survey of this promising area next year. Hope springs eternal in the human breast...  Click on the picture for a closer look.

Brian Antonson at Mission

Today, at the Mission library authors from Mission presented many golden tales but none of their stories was as tall as what Brian Antonson had to tell. The picture shows Brian just minutes before he shared everything he knows about tent-shaped rocks and where to find the the gold! In the crowd were the faces of Donald, Sheena, Adam, Helmi and Fred. Sadly missed were Daryl and Greg and of course (as always) the enigmatic Rob Nicholson.

... a little stream...

A veteran explorer of the area, now beyond climbing mountains, sent me a map with the note: "I marked a little stream that I noticed came out from under ground and also disappeared under ground again..."
Click on map to enlarge and see the marked area. The creek is just west of Terrarosa Lake. Has anyone been there? Any ankle-deep gold?

A significant honour for Slumach's Gold

Alan Twigg’s latest book The Essentials: 150 Great BC Books and Authors (Ronsdale Press) identifies authors, such as Alice Munro, Earle Birney and Eric Nicol who have enjoyed outstanding careers but it also included numerous other authors and books that have played an important role in BC's history, and among these is Slumach's Gold. 
Last week Rick Antonson received a note from Alan Twigg saying “you're one of the 150, and 100 of them are deceased...".
Writes Rick: “..and sure enough there it is: "Rick Antonson et al" is the heading and then it has all three of our names (each of which is in the index as well, along with Slumach's Gold). Fred's website is referenced (but not given). He [Twigg] writes that while there are many books about 'gold' and British Columbia, "one of the most venerable is Slumach's Gold..." It is about the 1972 edition though he mentions the redone 2007 book too. Very nice.”

Lennartz Rescue

Lennartz Rescue 2010

From a anonymous admirer

Twas dat lure of duh Slumach’s Gold

Dat made ol’ Lennartz so Mighty and Bold

A Mighty and Fearless Survival Instructor was HIS claim

As he headed out in search of riches and fame

Up the mountain to where he had been BEFORE

But das fear set in AN-DUH he couldn’t go anymore

Complaining and whining, “Mine feet’s is so sore

I is so scared and just can’t go on anymore”

”I are wet and tired and so very very cold

I can’t remember what I should have NO-DUH “

” HELP ME!! – HELP ME!! “; The Rescue call went out

Indiana Lennartz AGAIN needed help to get out 

Search and Rescue helicopters came in just like before

In 2008 when das wilderness man’s feet’s GOT-DUH sore

Visions of riches and fame may have danced in his head

But the CRAZY ol’ bugger should have just stayed in bed



Guiding Service -- Click on image to enlarge

Meet Brian Antonson!

Authors Celebration
Saturday, Oct 23rd
1:00pm-4:00pm
Celebrate creative words and the wizards who write them - authors! The Mission Library invites you to meet our talented Mission writers. All are welcome to this free event.

Brian Antonson, co-author Slumach's Gold, will be one of the authors celebrated at this event. Entrance is free. Grab your chance to rub shoulders with celebrity! 

You can not miss it!

I found the Tent shaped rock just about were everybody said it would be: just north of the head of Pitt Lake. Probably a two or three day walk, just like  Jackson describes it in his letter. So exact that I am surprised that no one has discovered it before. It is a huge rock about the size of a smaller home standing all by itself in a field of rubble that must have been a landslide long ago. The area now is covered with vegetation on top of the loose boulders making it a very hazardous climb to the tent shaped rock. I can see why Jackson would have picked this rock. You simply can't miss it. I know people always say that but you can not miss this if you are in the right area. (The discoverer, a veteran in the field, prefers to remain anonymous until he has had a chance to do some more exploratory work in the area. )

I found Slumach's Lost Gold Mine....on Vancouver Island

Rick Antonson, alerted through Google found the following conversation on the treasurenet forum starting with a message by Hmmm telling about his find and much more. Hmmm may have found gold, says Brian Antonson but he doubts that it could be Slumach's because it's "...an awful long paddle from Vancouver Island says he. Click here for the link and judge for yourself.

Back from Sasquatch Country

Evan and Adam are just back and already the pictures and a report are on clubtread telling us about their fabulous 12-day trek. They explored the north-west and south-east headwall of the Terrarosa Glacier, the Sloquet Valley, Stanford Creek, climbed all the Fire Mountain spires and the reconnoitred the upper and the lower reaches of Terrarosa Lake.

Adam writes: "12 days on the Terrarosa Glacier is as good as gold for me.."

Evan: "It was a heck of a trip. but we didn't find any gold. What we did find was some of the most beautiful country anywhere in the world and that was worth more then anything to me."

Although both Evan and Adam deny finding any gold, it's clear that if they have found anything, they'd rather not tell us.

Authors of Mission

The Fraser Valley Regional Library in Mission BC has invited the authors of Slumach's Gold to be part of their celebration of the Authors of Mission. Brian Antonson has accepted the invitation also on behalf of his co-authors Mary Trainer and Rick Antonson. The event is scheduled for October 23. Details to follow!

Five intrepid explorers had a great get together yesterday to discuss the next step in the quest for Slumach's Gold but could not agree on where to find it. From left to right Don, Greg, Fred, Adam, and Evan. Thanks to our wonderful hosts: Sheena (who took the picture) and Adam.

New Videos by Daryl Friesen

In the last few months Daryl Friesen has been very busy creating videos. It was a ton of work, so please look at them all, leave a comment here or send a message to Daryl's e-mail: dfriesen@direct.ca. Just click on the following titles: 

Gold Diggings in the Golden Mountains 

The B25 Bomber Expeditions 

A Mad Search for Something

A Search for Adventure 

Glimpses

PROPOSED HYDROELECTRIC PROJECTS

STAVE RIVER, LAMONT CREEK, FIRE LAKE/UPPER FIRE CREEK and TIPELLA CREEK, SOUTHWESTERN B.C.

Evan H., who lives in Australia, writes me as follow:

I have just been reading some things on then net and came across plans by the company Cloudworks. They want to put in a intake station for hydro power on the Upper Stave River.
What I was reading is the AOA (archaeological overview assessment)  of the area. It list the culturally significant site in the area that they are proposing to build this. The areas are give a medium to high  archeology rating. Click here to read the assesment.
I do not at this time know all of the facts, but from what I can make out is that some capitalists want to destroy some pristine and stunningly beautiful wilderness to capture and sell energy that I believe can be obtained without this destruction. (wind, solar etc.)
I wanted to see you know of anyone I could contact who may know the area from a historical/cultural standpoint. 

I don't know anyone. If you do. please leave a comment? Evan will be back in BC roaming through the mountains in July.

PS: Someone has suggested that ALL of these proposals will disappear because of Gordon Campbell's announcement that the Site C dam in the Peace country is going to be built because Site C will provide so much surplus power for British Columbia for the long term forseeable future there will be need anymore for smaller hydro projects. 

Please vote for Bruce (Tiller's Folly songwriter/singer) in Vancouver Seeds 10 Contest

Tiller's singer/songwriter Bruce Coughlan has entered 3 songs in the Vancouver Seeds 10 Contest.

Bruce was a finalist in Vancouver Seeds 4 back in 1988 (please, don't do the math) and appeared on the compilation under the name "Romeo" (who was he kidding?).

This years contest has reached its primary voting stage. Please take a moment to show your support (you can vote once a day).  Visithttp://cfox.supernova.com/ and look under "B" for Bruce.

Thanks

The Ghost of Louis Bee -- In Search of Slumach's Gold

Click here for the lyrics of the great “Chatham Reach” song of Tiller’s Folly, virtuosic ambassadors of song, kindly supplied by Laurence Knight. 

The B.C. Prospector Magazine

With R.W. Nicholson's Web sites gone you may wonder how to get an archival copy of an issue of Rob's classy B.C. Prospector Magazine. All three issues are now ready for download at the site. CLICK HERE to go to the page where you can find the link to the pdf files of the magazines! Here is also where you'll find issue No. 4, that's bound to come some time soon!

Plans for a Pitt Lake Documentary

Scott Nicholson is planning to do some documentaries on prospecting and mining in the Pitt lake area. He has convinced his father R.W. (Rob) Nicholson to go with him--if Dad is feeling well enough--to film on the actual sites Rob refers to in his book Lost Creek Mine.
They hope to get to the Fire lake mine area and some other spots too. Writes Rob: "Actually looking forward to doing that as it will be done via chopper and not on foot. It should be a fairly good documentary. The finished product will probably not be ready until the fall sometime as editing does take more time than the filming itself.”

Chatham Reach -- Lower Pitt River

Thanks to Sheryl MacKay, host of CBC's North by Northwest I could at last find that elusive song about Slumach's mysterious gold. The song is called Chatham Reach and it is on Tiller's Folly's latest  CD "Stirring Up Ghosts."  Click CBC Radio 3Go and in the right-hand colums MUSIC  you'll find the song. Thanks also to Ron Sutherland who took the trouble to tell  me that the song was played on North by Northwest a few weeks ago.

R.W. Nicholson

On March 5th Dean Russell let us know that he'd been in contact with Rob and now the man himself sent me an e-mail telling me that he is "not feeling well at all and is misssing the "energy to do much right now" but that he hopes "to make a comeback soon." 

Brian Antonson in Maple Ridge

The Maple Ridge Historical Society invited Brian Antonson to reveal the secrets of Slumach's gold for their members.  His talk tonight -- witty and informative as always -- attracted a full house of listeners eager to learn more about the mysteries of the lost gold mine of Pitt Lake. The picture taken this evening shows Brian in the centre with  Don Waite on his right side and Fred Braches to his left.

CanadaSpace Videos

Click here and you'll find that CanadaSpace offers the following videos!
Seekers of Gold Part I and II

Terrarosa Exploration Trek 2009

Nazi Gold and the B-25 bomber part I and II

Bushwhack Adventures in BC-Introduction

The Lost Mines of the Stave part I, II and III

Wreckage of the Crashed B-25 bomber Part I

Gun for Hire - Waite Gold Escorts Inc.

Donald E. Waite has taken up a new career. He figures that at today's gold prices (heading for $1200 US) anyone finding the gold will need protection. We've heard of at least three expeditions heading in next summer so he might be right...it will be found!