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Gold/Mining/Energy : Winspear Resources -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LaFayette555 who wrote (15266)	2/26/1999 11:41:00 AM
From: Walt	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 26850

Several people on the thread and in Private Messages have asked further questions about ice roads, so this old timer will dust off his specks and try to jog the old brain cells with a little coffee. First off WSP and most of the diamond camps are on the barrens and the temp there will be 5 to 10 degrees on average cooler then Yellowknife. For you geography buffs the tree line in the north doesnt run east west but at a 45 degree angle Nw Se and its a temp gradiant. The winter road goes from Yellowknife NE and for the first 50 miles is an all weather road. Then the true "winter road" swings north towards the barrens. It usually lasts till the end of March. When the southern portages (sections between lakes) go that part of the road shuts down. At this point the northern barenland part is still usuable. So if someone were hauling a bulk sample to Lupin for processing, they would still have a week or two or three to do it. At 40 below it is miserable working outside and equipement has a tendancy to break down. At 30 below its still nippy but workable. Minus 20 to 25 I find is ideal. Its cold enough to keep things crisp but one can wear only a light parka and work with gloves or even barehanded for awhile. In the ten to twenty range it is mild, the snow is a little slippery so truckers dont like it but its OK. Actually because of the dampness in the air minus 10 can feel colder then minus 20. Less then ten is down right balmy. Work wise the wind is as much of a factor as the temp. If its windy and you get ground drift a blizzard or a white out this can shut things down as easily as a good cold snap. As spring approaches the sun gets higher in the sky, more intense and it as much as temp can play havok with the road. Also the difference between daytime and night time temps widens, so often in the spring they will do the driving at night. So as to how long will the road last, no one knows but the current mild spell we are enjoying is really meaningless to it all. It makes working outside much more pleasant, it makes the road a little slippery but it will have virtually no effect on the time span of the road. What is critical is what starts happening mid march. If we get alot of warm sunny days the road will close earlier then normal. If it turns cold it will last longer. Also remember its not the temp and conditions in Yellowknife that matter but those starting 60 miles NE of town. WSP hasn't said where they plan to run the bulk sample. Con mine is still on strike so I assume that rules out the Kennecott plant in Yellowknife. There is a plant at Lupin. I believe MPV is planning on shipping their sample south for processing. One thing is certain the road is busy now and it probably will be untill it shuts. The fellows who manage the road are pros and they know what they are doing. There you have it I hope that answers everyones questions. regards Walt