Coarse gold was discovered on bedrock in Skaret Creek during the fall of 1931 by P. Skaret, of Prince George. He located his Discovery placer claim just above the mouth of Corless Creek where he found a nugget worth of approximately 0.6 ounces in weight. Upstream from this area small quartz veins have been reported crosscutting the country rock which is described as andesitic volcanic flow rocks interbedded with argillite.
Coarse placer gold occurs in the gravels immediately overlying the bedrock and in the cracks and crevices of the bedrock. The Minister of Mines reported in 1932 that indications suggested that the placer gold was of local origin. Other claims of importance in 1931 were one directly above the Discovery claim; the fourth claim below the Discovery claim, where there appeared to be an older channel in the right bank of the creek; and below this where a group of seven claims held by R. Corless and associates likely covered the continuation of the old channel.
There is also suggestion of a former channel in the left bank of the creek just below the mouth of the canyon in which these claims are situated. Placer gold also occurs in Tabor Creek and is considered to have a proximal source, possibly the Skaret Creek area. Lode mineralization was also recognized in 1931 on Corless Creek 1.5 miles above the confluence with Skaret Creek. Mineralization comprised several semi-parallel pyritic quartz stringers hosted by andesitic volcanic rocks. Disseminated molybdenite was also noted in the volcanics. Stringers were exposed by shallow trenches and open cuts, the widest was eight inches. The stringers were found to strike northeasterly and dip steeply to the northwest.
Scheelite was discovered during 1963 by C.F. O’Brien and his two partners, M. Warren and W. Cutt. The group staked the Burn Claims to cover this showing which was situated on a steep slope north of Corless Creek. In the same area, an adit, 70 feet in length was driven on some narrow high angle quartz veins apparently for gold. It is not known when this adit was driven but it was described as old in a 1967 report. A few major mining companies examined the property and in 1967 Union Carbide Exploration Ltd. carried out an exploration program including geological mapping and diamond drilling. Three holes were drilled for a total of 800 feet but the company was not impressed with the results and allowed the property to lapse.