Middle fork of the feather river below nelson creek

[northern_sierras]

I'm curious, has anyone been down in this area before (feather river below nelson creek)? Its designated a wilderness area so no mining claims are allowed and no engines are allowed, only sluice boxes and basic hand equipment. From the looks of it on google earth, this is an EXTREMELY remote area, and you would have to take a white water type boat to get very far down in there. I've gotten some really good gold throughout the middle fork, so im guessing the wilderness section would have some amazing gold.

I'm planning on doing a couple week trip in this wilderness area, and just looking for any input from people who may know the area or any input on what equipment you guys would recommend for a backpacking/float prospecting trip for this type of area?

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Minelab PRO-FIND 35 Waterproof Pinpointer Metal Detector for Experts with Tone ID & Adjustable Sensitivity - Grab it through Amazon!

[goldenmojo]

Good Luck. Stay Safe.

 

[fowledup]

I would highly, highly recommend you educate yourself about the middlle fork- it is some of the gnarliest white water in the country mostly class 4 & 5! Access is very limited, and once commited if you have a problem you are screwed, no cell, no roads. Better off backpacking the access points. Good luck

 

[AU_Solitude]

If you are in good shape and can take the time I say go for it. I would.

 

[fowledup]

And with all probablility you would end up a casualty or rescue patient if lucky. From the Plumas County Tourism Council:

"The Wild and Scenic Zone of the Middle Fork past the La Porte Road bridge is for teams of expert rafters and kayakers only.

The renowned 32 mile, three day trip to Milsap Bar is an extremely difficult wilderness adventure that takes experts past deep canyon walls, numerous boulders and waterfalls. Experts regard this remote and scenic stretch as the most spectacular multi-day kayaking trip in California."



"jump dude, ya might fly ya never know!"

 

[AU_Solitude]

I didn't see his comment about "floating" initially and was confused when you were posting comments about kayaking. I thought he just planned on hiking the area (which is dangerous in itself). Obviously putting anything but a kayak or river raft in this water would be suicide.

 

[northern_sierras]

And with all probablility you would end up a casualty or rescue patient if lucky. From the Plumas County Tourism Council:

"The Wild and Scenic Zone of the Middle Fork past the La Porte Road bridge is for teams of expert rafters and kayakers only.

The renowned 32 mile, three day trip to Milsap Bar is an extremely difficult wilderness adventure that takes experts past deep canyon walls, numerous boulders and waterfalls. Experts regard this remote and scenic stretch as the most spectacular multi-day kayaking trip in California."



"jump dude, ya might fly ya never know!"

I would normally pick a logging road within hiking range of the canyon and hike in from there, but the river is extremely low right now and will get even lower this summer. Normally the river would be flowing heavily due to snow run off, but just the other day I went out prospecting and its flow looked like a late august type flow. So its fair to say the river will not look anything like that video late june.

 

[fowledup]

Well if you do go make sure you get out at Milsap Bar. The river entry into the lake is a loooooooooooong way down, especially with the low water.

<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/ba/Feather_falls_plumas_national_forest.jpg/220px-Feather_falls_plumas_national_forest.jpg" alt="Feather falls plumas national forest.jpg"/>

 

[MtyQuinn]

With a huge drought in the sierras it may be a good time to go . A news update the other day showed the Truckee River only a few yards wide trickling. very sad on the snow fall this year . But great for getting the gold .

 

[northern_sierras]

With a huge drought in the sierras it may be a good time to go . A news update the other day showed the Truckee River only a few yards wide trickling. very sad on the snow fall this year . But great for getting the gold .

This is what im thinking. The rivers around here are going to be at levels not seen in 100+ years come june, so this is probably going to be the best summer in a long time to get the gold.

 

[fowledup]

I'd love to have access to a helicopter. I've had other bad impure thoughts as well about hanging a dredge under the patio boat between the pontoons down at the lake. You'd need to bring lots of folks, and encourage lots of water play, splashing and horsing around in general.

 

[northern_sierras]

Impure thought indeed. I wont mention my heinous thoughts that have something to do with SPI creeks and a dredge, it would be too wicked to even talk about.

Are you in plumas county fowledup?

 

[fowledup]

Impure thought indeed. I wont mention my heinous thoughts that have something to do with SPI creeks and a dredge, it would be too wicked to even talk about.

Are you in plumas county fowledup?

Butte, but I like to play in Plumas and Sierra County

 

[russau]

I'd love to have access to a helicopter. I've had other bad impure thoughts as well about hanging a dredge under the patio boat between the pontoons down at the lake. You'd need to bring lots of folks, and encourage lots of water play, splashing and horsing around in general.

I was thinking something similar but on the Mississippi / Missouri Rivers.

 

[Hoser John]

Worked Nelson/Feather in the late 70s and that black shale was a RIGHTEOUS gold catcher. Just downriver from the road there is a huge slate area. Downriver used to be a HUGE tunnel under the river you could hear the river flowing in. Massive timbers held it up and felt safe till I leaned on one and my hand/arm went entirely through that thing. Me and Rory got outta that slippery slimy death hole asap as water up past your chest and then timbers mush....silly young fella but what a rush being underneath the feather. Watch out for pot farmers in that necka the woods. Gold is amazing as bright and extremely pure. The cracks and crevice below the Nelson/feather confluence were great back in the day...but...long ago....err on the side a caution as indeed some amazing currents there-tons a au 2 u 2-John

 

[yodi]

Just strap some life jackets to your dredge for extra floatation and ride it on in there!!! If it's that remote they will never catch you.

 

[63bkpkr]

Hi Northern Sierra,
I just looked at the USGS Real Time Water Flow Data for that "General Area" (so no data for the NFF only in the general area of it) and the two reading points show they are both Currently 20% of normal, they are now flowing about 150 cfs.

I've played for years on the North Fork of the American River (NFAR) and at 250 cfs a person can not swim up river against the current. With the waterfalls and rocks shown in that informative video of the NFF, even at low water it could be a leg breaking possible drowning experience. Extreme caution ALWAYS would need to be your constant thought, never give into the urge to just do it. Otherwise, it looks like one heck of an adventure. Be careful as the gold is not worth your life..........................63bkpkr

 

[mcordell]

Locals don't like people prospecting that area. Saw some cut tires and a smashed windshield on some guys car. I went somewhere else.

 

[Hoser John]

can ya feel the love

 

[fowledup]

Locals don't like people prospecting that area. Saw some cut tires and a smashed windshield on some guys car. I went somewhere else.

I don't think it's the prospectors they have a problem with, it's green thumb competion that gets em going