There is a logging road that ends about 300 metres from the Golden Pond. If this was a winter haul road it is capable of handling heavy truck/trailer units.
Perhaps the costs to haul in a barge are prohibitive when compared to using a smaller drill rig.
I wondered why they didn't drill from shore. The GM vein appears to run through the mid point of the lake perpendicular to its long axis. Maybe the azimuth and dip requirements for the drill hole would not hit the target zone properly. Especially for shallow drilling.
KG