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Groundhog Creek Silver Property
The Groundhog Creek property lies within the St. Cyr Range of the Pelly Mountains in south central Yukon. The region is served by a 10 km all weather road, which connects to the South Canol Highway at Lapie Lakes, 50 km south of Ross River. The area lies within the Seagull Creek Uplift, a domed assemblage of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks that are deformed above an unroofed Mid-Cretaceous intrusion.
Silver-lead-zinc mineralization was first discovered in the region in 1956, and since then, sporadic exploration has outlined two areas of silver-lead-zinc mineralization, both north and south of Groundhog Creek. About 100 showings have been discovered, largely by prospecting and bulldozer trenching. Underground development has been carried out on a number of occurrences in the north area and limited diamond drilling and small scale surface mining has been conducted in both areas.
The north Groundhog Creek showings are not presently staked because the area lies within a staking moratorium pending settlement of First Nation land claims. The south Groundhog Creek area was restaked by Strategic Metals Ltd. as the 104 claim (2174 ha) Groundhog Silver property and sold to Rockhaven in January 2008.
Silver mineralization was first discovered on the current Groundhog property by prospectors Harry and Pete Versluce in 1979. Claims covering the showings were optioned by Yukon Minerals Corporation which carried out bulldozer and excavator trenching as well as bulk sampling and diamond drilling (6 holes totalling 204 m) between 1986 and 1990. The area was partially restaked by Whitehorse prospector Ron Berdahl in 1990 and he continues to own one claim that covers the three discovery showings. Exploration over a wider area by Yukon Minerals resulted in the discovery of 16 additional showings along the crest of a six kilometer long northwest trending ridge. All discoveries were made by prospecting. There has been no grid soil geochemical sampling nor systematic prospecting of talus covered side hills.
Silver-lead-zinc showings dominantly consist of massive galena lenses, pods and veins within north-northwest trending fault zones. The main economic minerals are silver rich galena and tetrahedrite (freibergite). The mineralized fault zones are often flanked by zones of brecciation and silicification that contain disseminated and stringer argentiferous galena and sphalerite. All major silver-lead-zinc showings are hosted by the Silurian to Devonian Askin Group, a 1500 m thick assemblage of resistant, thick bedded dolomite and limestone with lesser quartzite. Nearly all of the known mineralization occurs near the top of the unit, just below the contact with overlying Upper Devonian Earn Group shales and fine grained clastics. This relatively incompetent and non-reactive unit probably acted as a physical and chemical barrier, localizing mineral deposition in the underlying carbonate rocks. The potential for bulk tonnage silver-lead-zinc manto deposits in these rocks is therefore very high and, although this potential was recognized by geologists who worked for Yukon Minerals, follow up exploration was never performed. Specific areas of mineralization on the Groundhog Property are located on the map and are summarized from north to south on the accompanying table.
The Strat and Geo Showings are unlike any of the other occurrences in the district. They hosted by a Lower Cambrian or older tuffaceous phyllite unit, about 1.5 km apart. The 2 m thick Strat Showing consists of laminated and disseminated galena and sphalerite within a siliceous, baritic unit. It was traced for 200 m before disappearing under talus cover. The Geo occurrence consists of similar mineralization in a quartz-carbonate phyllite. The potential for significant sedex bulk tonnage mineralization in these rocks, which largely lie at lower elevations in the district, has never been evaluated.
Previous exploration on the Groundhog Silver property has focussed on discovery and development of high grade galena veins for direct shipment of hand sorted ore. The existence of lower grade silver-lead-zinc mineralization in altered and silicified wall rocks adjacent to the high grade veins was observed and the potential for manto type mineralization was recognized, but there was no exploration directed toward this bulk tonnage potential. Prior to 2008 no systematic geochemical or geophysical surveys have ever been carried out on the property. In 2008 the company conducted reconnaissance-scale prospecting and geochemical sampling plus helicopter-borne VTEM and magnetic surveys. This work was followed up in 2009 with more thorough soil sampling and prospecting. All known occurrences lie along ridge crests where they were easy to find and it is likely that detailed prospecting along talus slopes, on vegetated hillsides and in overburden covered valley bottoms will result in additional discoveries.
The Groundhog Silver property contains an unusually high density of high grade silver-lead mineralization with an excellent silver-lead ratio of greater than 1:1. The potential for further high grade vein discoveries as well as bulk tonnage silver-lead-zinc mineralization is very high. Although previous explorers noted the existence of stratiform zinc-lead-silver sedex mineralization, no effort was directed toward evaluating these potentially significant targets.
 1988 diamond drilling on the PN Vein, looking north to Groundhog Creek valley.
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