Newbie Question/Book Recommendations

[starsplitter]

Generic question here... if alluvial gold is "abundant" on the wet windward side of a range, would it be safe to assume the same could be said on the dry leaward side?

Recommendations on drywash prospecting and mining for the newbie?

Thank you.

 

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[Goodyguy]

Generic question here... if alluvial gold is "abundant" on the wet windward side of a range, would it be safe to assume the same could be said on the dry leaward side?

Recommendations on drywash prospecting and mining for the newbie?

Thank you.

Theoretically you would expect alluvial placers to exist on both sides of the range.
Snow runoff also erodes and could move gold bearing materials on any side.
It makes sense that the "wet" side should be more abundant due to a greater amount of erosion.

The dry side may contain coarser gold and larger nuggets due to not traveling down a river.
look for any run off areas to do your sampling.

However, so much depends on the type of lode deposit, whether a deposit was ever exposed to that side, erosion variables, plus climate changes over time, that it's really not safe to assume anything.

There is really only one way to know for sure............




I've heard one of the best books on drywashing is; "Follow The Drywashers by Jim Straight"
http://www.nuggethunting.com/Jim_Straight.htm

GG~

* I see your handle is Starsplitter. I once owned a 14" dobsonian that could split the double double in Lyra and observe a good 3-5 mm separation between each of the pairs, using a 9mm nagler. Not bad for a light bucket.