Anyone in the San Francisco Bay Area??

[garym94931]

Once owned a cheapo metal detector and now thinking of getting back into the game. I have a lot of old mines around me in Northern California... dangerous places... but I'd like to work the surface areas around the areas and roads. Anyone else work those? I know you have to be REAL careful as people fall down vertical shafts a lot with some people getting killed (google 'abandoned mines'). The worst cases I've read about are those who were trapped & couldn't get out. One person was stuck for 6 days and another couldn't get out due to his fall & breaking his back but alerted people topside by his last shot of his gun that he had with him. If the topside people hadn't heard his last shot, he would have starved to death or died of hypothermia. So, at a minimum, safety calls for a partner in that kind of searching.

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

There's SF bay area clubs: San Jose, San Mateo, Concord, and another one north of the golden gate (Santa Rosa, I think). There's also the CA forum called "kinzli forum", where several bay area people post, read, etc...

As for mines, the mines themselves wouldn't be the place to hunt. Maybe nugget hunting at the tailings, but not for coins/relics. The mines and industrial areas up there would be incredible amounts of industrial trash, iron, moved earth, etc... The place to hunt would be where the miners lived, slept, recreated, drank, etc...., not where they worked/mined (unless, as I said, you were/are a nugget hunter)

 

[garym94931]

tom,

thanks for the input. you are # 1 responder to this new board member!

many of the mines closed a hundred years ago... so i'm guessing as you said... they probably bunked right there most of the time. but,,,, your points well taken. the newest of the mines closed in the late 1950's, i think. it was just a starting thought...

 

[Old California]

Hello Gary,

Welcome to the forum, And the hobby as well

Tom is right about avoiding mine shafts and detecting the tailings instead, And as he also mentioned areas the miners would bunk or gather.

I'm not a nugget hunter but more of a relic hunter, I do detect up in the gold country but at the old long forgotten settlements or pioneer trails.

Last year, With permission from a property owner I took a couple of friends on a long hike deep into the gold rush area. With time against us, We ventured up and over a steep mountain managing to reach an old stamp mill we new would be there based from research. Funny thing is on the way out walking on part of an old trail the same trail the 49 niners took one of my friends (Steven) detects a 5 gram gold nugget with his detector. Not more than a few inches below the surface, The same general area on this trail gave up pistol balls and other relics from that era.

I would assume if one really wanted to find gold nuggets they can, Same applies for relic hunters searching for old coins and relics. Determination and allot of patience will eventually reward you with what you are seeking, Continuously repeat this and eventually you be a master in the hobby.

Keep us posted with your future adventures,
Paul (Ca)

 

[garym94931]

and thanks for your input, too.

i'm so new i guess you could say i'd be happy to just find about anything. course, if it just happened to be gold... well...dang... thats just the way it would have to be!

 

[rayray3]

Hi there,
Im in the bay area as well. There is a Santa Clara club in San Jose that i joined. I just wish i had more time to attend and detect.
Rayray

 

[garym94931]

i found a club listed in san bruno (just south of san francisco) but i'm not sure if its active.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Yes, that club is active (last I heard anyhow). I think it's in San Bruno, or San Mateo, or somewhere near there. For info, get ahold of the dealer in Foster City. I know he attends there, or would at least know the times, address, etc... ('cuz I don't know if that club has a website).