Cassiar's Elusive Gold is, however, more than just a lost gold mine story. The book provides a rare in-depth look into early-day wilderness transportation, steamboating Northern rivers, the struggle to reach nearly inaccessible gold fields, geography, Indians of Northern British Columbia and pioneer aviation in Southeast Alaska and Canada.

In Cassiar's Elusive Gold, a rich placer deposit discovered in 1874 promises to make experienced miners Scotty and Cass rich. Instead they wind up lugging 60 pounds of gold on their backs through unknown wilderness. The trip costs Cass his life and Scotty a leg, fingers and toes and ruins his chances of returning to the mine forever.

Decades later Scotty, on his deathbed in Ketchikan, Alaska, passes the location of the mine to his best friend Joe. More years pass before Joe and partner Hugo attempte to locate the mine. Disappointed, without finding any gold, they too are forced to flee the frozen Stikine Plateau.