From May 1980 until September 1995, I actively and sucessfully gold mined on all three forks of the 40 Mile River in remote Alaska, near the town of Chicken. This is the story of how a 36-year-old woman used to living in cities found herself face-to-face with few amenities, in a tent, for a summer, in what became the career of a lifetime. In a man's world. In a bear's world. Alaska. Gold. A number of books have been written about gold mining on the 40 Mile River. Until now, none has been about the dredgers. Here is a look at a modern method of gold extraction - the portable suction dredge, dredgers (the people who run the dredges), and the attendant lifestyle.