At the end of the 19th century, gold mining camps boomed: From southern California to the Kootenays. Things you will see on this tour are a part of that history. The area around Red Mountain was profitable, however poorly located; It was very remote and cold. It was said that the ore from Red Mountains Le Roi mine "proved so rich that it might have caused a stampede if the area hadn't been so difficult to access͟. Compared to the gold nuggets found in stream beds of the California and Caribou gold rushes, the gold in Rossland was trapped by tonnes of rock and had to be smelted before it could be used. The rocks would have to be transported hundreds of kilometers before they could be smelted. This meant that lots of money/investment was needed to be able to access the riches of the mines.