A whole week prospecting and not sure where to start!

[Mrjester]

Good morning everyone!
Thought before I went in to work that I would post a question that has may anxious.

I have always wanted to take a whole week and go up into the mountains camping and prospecting but life seems to always get in the way lol.
The longest I have ever went was 4 nights.. next week I get to go from Friday till the next Sunday!!

I am going back to the spot that I worked during high water back in May where I was getting 1/2 gram to a gram in an approximate yard in the high banker.
Its the most color I have ever gotten and it was sweet. I posted a thread back then about it.
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/464364-first-post-first-gold.html

I went up there on the 4th of July BUT there were people everywhere and decided that I did NOT want to attract attention of me working that area again now that the water is way down.
Its actually down to where I can get to the boulder in the second picture below.




I am hoping that the size of the gold will be bigger closer to the edge of the corner that I couldn't get to in May but don't know ?

I have a whole week... should I try going up stream?
The area is about 5 miles downhill from an old Montana gold mine that ran in the early 1900's but involves some bush whacking (not too far) to get back onto the river. A lot of claims in the area (have done my research and printed lots of maps) so I have to be careful there too.

Not sure if I should work the heck out of the area that produced for me in May or spend a few days testing up river?
If it were you.... what would you do?

Some google images.

 

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[alexias2]

Good morning everyone!
Thought before I went in to work that I would post a question that has may anxious.

I have always wanted to take a whole week and go up into the mountains camping and prospecting but life seems to always get in the way lol.
The longest I have ever went was 4 nights.. next week I get to go from Friday till the next Sunday!!

I am going back to the spot that I worked during high water back in May where I was getting 1/2 gram to a gram in an approximate yard in the high banker.
Its the most color I have ever gotten and it was sweet. I posted a thread back then about it.
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/464364-first-post-first-gold.html

I went up there on the 4th of July BUT there were people everywhere and decided that I did NOT want to attract attention of me working that area again now that the water is way down.
Its actually down to where I can get to the boulder in the second picture below.
View attachment 1190864 View attachment 1190865



I am hoping that the size of the gold will be bigger closer to the edge of the corner that I couldn't get to in May but don't know ?

I have a whole week... should I try going up stream?
The area is about 5 miles downhill from an old Montana gold mine that ran in the early 1900's but involves some bush whacking (not too far) to get back onto the river. A lot of claims in the area (have done my research and printed lots of maps) so I have to be careful there too.

Not sure if I should work the heck out of the area that produced for me in May or spend a few days testing up river?
If it were you.... what would you do?

Some google images.
View attachment 1190866 View attachment 1190867 View attachment 1190868

You mean to say you was finding $20 per yard

 

[GoldpannerDave]

OK, I'll give it a shot. Why not sample up the creek, especially where the creek from the old gold mine flows in? Who knows, you might find even richer ground. But if after sampling you don't find anything that seems as good or better, you can always go back to your first spot, confident that you can get good gold there.

 

[GoldpannerDave]

You mean to say you was finding $20 per yard

If you read the first thread, he might be getting anywhere from a half gram to a gram _and_ a half per yard. Currently, at $1100/oz, that is about $35 per gram. So roughly, it could range from about $20 (low end) to about $50 per yard.

Hope that helps with the math.

 

[ratled]

You mean to say you was finding $20 per yard

Ignore the troll

 

[AU_Solitude]

I wish I could take a week to prospect. Have fun

 

[arizau]

You have a time management problem. For instant gratification I suggest you mine where you were already finding it or at least close by. Upstream searches could yield better spots but then you are prospecting and not mining and that takes time. Unlimited time....prospect and mine later. Take home gold....mine in a proven spot as much as time allows.

Good luck

 

[QNCrazy]

Good Luck, have fun, and be careful.

Starting Friday evening, I begin two weeks of prospecting various areas of the motherlode area starting with a club outing this weekend. Then I will spend some time properly sampling areas of my claim as well as looking for new areas for future claims. Not to mention, I will be getting my renewal paperwork in order as we are coming up on September (a little reminder for the rest of the claim owners out there). I will finish up the two weeks at an AMRA outing August 8 and 9.

 

[fowledup]

Well ya could prospect a new area in the morning each day and work the best spot for the remainder of the day. Or..... you could prospect hard the first one or two days and spend the rest of the week working the best spots. Or..... don't leave gold to find gold and work your known area and follow the gold your finding from there. Ain't it grand to find yourself in such a wonderful conundrum? Best of luck and hope you have a great time and find some gold. Personally if it was an area I planned on coming back to or was looking for a claim in I would work each day in a different spot to learn the area. If it was a once in a blue moon, may or may not comeback scenario I'd finish working what I'd found and then go look for more.

 

[Goldwasher]

If your camping I would set up closest to your best digs...prospect early, Work upstream a long a your finding color. Then if your not that successful you can poke around at camp expand your previous dig maybe..Then day two head the other direction. Hard to tell where "central" is in you pic. I would hit those side creeks especially the one near historical mining....and sample where they meet the main waterway. Looks like Norcal or Oregon.Idaho.thats a lot of "OPEN" ground your running around on please fr the sake of other prospectors make sure the land really I "OPEN".....Welcome to Land Matters

And Have FUN!!!!!!!!

 

[Jeff95531]

I would nail your last best spot first. Is it still there? Work it till it isn't and look for similar traps upstream. I'd rather be mining than prospecting...very similar to what was said above by fowledup.

 

[Mrjester]

I appreciate all of the help and appreciate more to come.

With the exception to the troll... funny how I have not seen one single picture from this expert lol.

Arizau you are right!! it is a time issue.... I am going on Friday night so I may check things our up stream on Saturday... and then spend rest of time where I was at before...
I will regret it if I don't prospect up stream but yet am inpatient and want to work that area I already have to the fullest.

Do you guys think that there will be bigger gold (then the fines I was getting) where the picture labled 1 2 and 3 below ?
Or would you guys continue to work the bank where I was finding it?

I know I know... sample sample sample... just want opionions from people here that have experience... but trolls need not respond.

 

[Mrjester]

Thanks Gold Washer.... yep I have checked land matters, thediggings and also some other sites...
There are a lot of claims up there... there once was a claim where I am now working... the previous claim owner didn't keep up on the yearly fees and it was closed about 10 years ago.
Which I thought about trying to make a claim on it but have a feeling that all I am getting is flood gold.

 

[Goldwasher]

And I re-read So Montana....and you've checked status....Good luck looks like a good area. I would focus on your original area since you found gold there and work up stream for sure.

 

[goldenmojo]

Thanks Gold Washer.... yep I have checked land matters, thediggings and also some other sites...
There are a lot of claims up there... there once was a claim where I am now working... the previous claim owner didn't keep up on the yearly fees and it was closed about 10 years ago.
Which I thought about trying to make a claim on it but have a feeling that all I am getting is flood gold.

Stake a claim, wait for the flood and collect the Gold. Hope you find plenty. Good luck and stay safe.

 

[arizau]

The picture sort of looks like an inside bend so always a likely spot for gold to settle. Gold in gravels above bedrock may be flood gold. You said it will be low water so that gives the opportunity to try to find lower and maybe ancient deposits closer to or on bedrock where the water normally flows. You might even test material outside of the existing stream bed if it looks like water once flowed there. Maybe even an elevated bank a little further from the stream on that inside bend. 1 2 or 3? Don't know but where water slows down is where gold usually deposits.

Don't forget your fly rod.....fish for dinner.

Good luck.

 

[GoldpannerDave]

I wish I could take a week to prospect. Have fun

Don't we both! I did get off about 10 days 30 years ago and spent it in northern California on a friend's claim on a small creek in a v-notch canyon up near Douglas City, Weaverville, etc. I had a 2" dredge with me and had one day that I got over 1/2 ounce by noon! Never had the time since then to do that again. But, sure sounds great.

 

[fowledup]

I think you need to look at that spot from a bigger perspective. Look for the line running with the creek made up of the biggest rocks and boulders (may or may not be in the creek) and start there. Look for the spots in that line where the gold would drop out suddenly do to lack of force moving it. It takes water big enough to move big rocks to move gold.

 

[63bkpkr]

Mrjester,
"Gold is where you find it!" so if you've found it clean it out. Also, sit back one afternoon in a spot where you can look at 'your diggins' as well as above and below then see if you can reason out why your gold is where it is. Likely it will be tough as the gold was floating in High water and it is now low so look for similarities to your spot in other locations. The classic drop zones for 'lazy gold' should be considered as valuable places such as the down river side of that boulder you mentioned in one picture.

You might want to check the upper banks on both sides of the river across from and then up river a little from your spot as it could have drained out of a side pocket. So many possibilities and so little time. Be sure to take the time to enjoy where you are at and to take care of yourself...........................63bkpkr

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Insults are not allowed, calling any member a troll violates our rules, please stop it helps nothing...