About This Book
Three college friends accept a funded prospecting trip into a rugged mountain range to search for sources of rare metals. Guided by survey maps and simple field apparatus, they learn prospecting techniques, pack for the backcountry, and hike through canyons and frozen trails. The party endures shortages, natural hazards, and subterranean exploration in an ice cavern while testing mineral samples. Conflicts with rival claimants and episodic setbacks produce tense confrontations over a valuable find, and the plot follows their efforts to secure ownership and survive the hardships of the high country.