As you sail up Gastineau Channel towards Juneau, Douglas Island is on your port side. Sandy Beach, seen in this photo, was created by the tailings from the huge Treadwell gold mine, which produced over 3 million ounces of gold between 1881 and 1922. By 1917, the Treadwell as well as the 700-Foot and Mexican mines were tunnelling to depths of more than 2,000 feet below sea level along the channel. That year, a fissure suddenly opened up and flooded all 3 mines, shutting down most of the operations, though production on a small scale continued for another 5 years.

This photograph is © 2014 by Murray Lundberg, and is not to be copied without express permission.