Anyone with intent?

[MadMarshall]

Myself I am planning on working in the river mostly.(surprise surprise) Pocket hunting so to speak.. I am intending to do a lot of diving this year. pretty much at this time I am currently trying to get my total weight down to around 150lbs which has been somewhat challenging..(hiking stuff in and out).. I have been spending a lot of time going over CDEC records trying to figure out when is the best time to hit a particular part of the river. I have also made inquiries to appropriate agencies and a few inappropriate agencies in regards to my 2016 season. Not really fun but it has been an eye opener. I am confident that my activities are more then appropriate for my intentions and the areas I will be in.. Anyway I am confident in my ability to make some money this year prospecting/mining..

I was just curious how many other people may be out there are planning on prospecting/mining the 2016 with the intent to make a wage? Mind sharing a little about it? what kind of prospecting/mining?

 

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[Asmbandits]

I'll be working the claim hard this year, sluicing mostly. Still in the prospecting stages as I have found gold but not a good enough concentration to setup shop in one location yet. I have made arrangements similar to last year where my trailer will be for the summer not far from the claim where I will sleep. Why some might consider that recreation I would consider it a second job that is enjoyable, and if for whatever reason I lose my first job, you can bet I'll be mostly working the claim while searching for another. For the amount of time spent to gold found, I'd say my second job pays a decent wage and I cant wait to get back at it.

 

[motohed]

If I was a little younger and in better shape , I would be all over it . But at 56 with more injuries then I can count , I would have to find pounds of Gold per yard to make it worth while for me . I will live it through you guys so , keep up the posts and don't let me down . LOL

 

[goldenIrishman]

We're starting to dig in a couple of areas I've been researching. We'll be testing different locations and if any of them turn out to be good, I'll bring in the recirc system and run it for cons to bring home and process in the shade once it heats up again. Phoenix had their earliest 90 degree day in history yesterday so I have a feeling it's going to be a long hot summer out here. That will mean split shift time for me. Dig in the mornings till it gets to hot, then go back out after it cools off a bit. I 'm not into heat stroke.

 

[goldenIrishman]

If I was a little younger and in better shape , I would be all over it . But at 56 with more injuries then I can count , I would have to find pounds of Gold per yard to make it worth while for me . I will live it through you guys so , keep up the posts and don't let me down . LOL

Ahhh come on Moto! I'm a couple years older than you, have had my back broken in two places, lost a finger tip, been rear ended on a motorcycle by a Firebird doing 60 in a 35 zone and have had more concussions than I can count and I'm still digging! It's all "Mind over Matter". I'm out of my mind and it don't matter!

 

[motohed]

Ahhh come on Moto! I'm a couple years older than you, have had my back broken in two places, lost a finger tip, been rear ended on a motorcycle by a Firebird doing 60 in a 35 zone and have had more concussions than I can count and I'm still digging! It's all "Mind over Matter". I'm out of my mind and it don't matter!

Yeah I survived most of that , but getting run over by a truck in 2003 left me in the hospital for more monthes than I can remember . The head injury alone kept me off task at best ,after becoming the six million dollar man , with all my surjuries my spine is degeneratiing as we speak , My doctor still has'nt figured out how I'm still walking , he gives me a couple of years , I figure at least ten because I'm stubborn . LOL I'm like the chumba wumba song , I get knocke down and I get up again , nothings going to keep me down . Thats the reason I sold my gravel and stone business in 2003 . I just was'nt up to being on the job with my guys , as the owner I was always in a machine , and they appreciated that I worked as hard as they did , and was there for every problem with the plant that arose . I just could'nt bring myself to keep it ,when I could no longer be involved .

 

[bobw53]

I was just curious how many other people may be out there are planning on prospecting/mining the 2016 with the intent to make a wage? Mind sharing a little about it? what kind of prospecting/mining?

WAGE? I'd be happy to pay for my gas... The goal this year... Get the camper to the claim.. And DIG DIG DIG.. DIG and drink beer.. Won't need to drive, so as long as the gold pays for the
beer, I'll be happy. If it also pays for the gas, even better..

I am currently trying to get my total weight down to around 150lbs which has been somewhat challenging..(

I haven't weighed 150lbs since 4th grade, but I'm down about 75 pounds in about a year and a half, not even trying, and I attribute a good bit
of that to digging, and I wasn't even trying. Down to about 240..... 220 I know feels good for me, but I'd like to find 190 to 200 again. At 150 I'd be a
shriveled bit of beer/beef jerky.

Pants that were tight 15 years ago when I was 27 are falling off my ass now. I hate having to pull up my pants, but it feels kinda good.

Good for you... Can you put a gram of gold in the vial for every pound you lose??

My Dad, OLD!!! *******, 65 or so... (looks like he did when he was 27)... Went back east last spring... Talking to one of his friends.

"You get up at the crack ass of dawn, drive, dig, your back hurts, your hands hurt, your knees hurt, you're tired, its cold in the morning, then
you sweat your ass off, come back home and your so beat you can barely drink 2 beers and we got $2 worth of gold"

Dad's friend: "Sounds like a really miserable hobby"

Dad: " It's F'n AWESOME!!!!".. And it is.

 

[Bodfish Mike]

Wages is a relative tern -- in California minimum wage is $10.00 an hour ( less after fed , state , Medicare taxes ect.)
As we speak a gram of gold is $39.47 -- so if your finding a gram every 4 hours I guess your making wages.
My back and knees hurt thinking about it -- but it's way more fun and peaceful than my job.

 

[Alex Burke]

Wages is a relative tern -- in California minimum wage is $10.00 an hour ( less after fed , state , Medicare taxes ect.)
As we speak a gram of gold is $39.47 -- so if your finding a gram every 4 hours I guess your making wages.
My back and knees hurt thinking about it -- but it's way more fun and peaceful than my job.

I had to buy a permit the other day to park on the street where I live here in Ca, add in paying to park at work daily and the high cost of living/rent it's a recipe to want to go mine gold if you ask me

 

[rivets]

I'm giving it a go ( earning a living prospecting that is )... the reasons to long to list here ... besides if truth be told we really do nothing of ourselves ... Jesus didn't and he found the pearl of great price ...

 

[AU_Solitude]

I'm giving it a go ( earning a living prospecting that is )... the reasons to long to list here ... besides if truth be told we really do nothing of ourselves ... Jesus didn't and he found the pearl of great price ...

I heard they arrested Jesus for burglary and ICE deported him back to Mexico.

 

[meMiner]

I guess the real lesson here is to do it while you still can. Sorry about your injuries guys. "Getting old is not for wossies". As for the economics, mining is a tough way to make pocket money, but sure is fun trying.

 

[QNCrazy]

Wages is a relative tern -- in California minimum wage is $10.00 an hour ( less after fed , state , Medicare taxes ect.)
As we speak a gram of gold is $39.47 -- so if your finding a gram every 4 hours I guess your making wages.
My back and knees hurt thinking about it -- but it's way more fun and peaceful than my job.

Not to mention, you are your own boss and get to set your own schedule.

As for myself, thanks to one of our members on this forum, I have a restored faith in my claim. I have been provided information which confirms one of my theories of where the gold is (I know, its where I find it). Actually, he had worked some area around my claim several (20-30) years ago. In recent PM conversation, he described the different layers on my claim to a tee. I need to concentrate one day of effort on a hole was working last summer for confirmation. If all works out, I hope to be working for wages every weekend.

 

[Reed Lukens]

The state of California legislation knows that a good living can be made from mining here and that's why they are fighting so hard to make mining illegal here. It's like they want to rewrite history next saying that California was started by Eco-freaks... And take all mining out of the picture.

 

[goldenIrishman]

I guess the real lesson here is to do it while you still can. Sorry about your injuries guys. "Getting old is not for wossies". As for the economics, mining is a tough way to make pocket money, but sure is fun trying.

That's one reason it's so important for us older guys to share our knowledge with the younger guys. Help them to avoid the same mistakes etc etc etc. The sooner they learn to work smarter not harder the longer they'll be able to keep up the traditions that go with this line of work.

 

[goldog]

Seems to be some differing goals. We each have our reasons and goals in this endeavor. Beer and gas seems to be the first hurdle. Us more beat up guys have some other draw. Knowing/proving we can do it, whatever it may be is half of it. Finding whatever amount of gold is the other.

Oh yea and exercising our pursuit of Liberty and God's blessings is always above it all. Not only did He craft the wilderness but He sprinkled it with gold.

 

[goldenmojo]

My intent is to get more gold this year than last. Lots of research and a recent change of strategy may prove out later this season. As for making enough from mining to support the lifestyle I spent most of my life to get to, that is not going to happen unless I chuck it all and move up under a bridge eating beans and scaring passerbys........

 

[TAKODA]

My intent is to get more gold this year than last. Lots of research and a recent change of strategy may prove out later this season. As for making enough from mining to support the lifestyle I spent most of my life to get to, that is not going to happen unless I chuck it all and move up under a bridge eating beans and scaring passerbys........

" My intent is to get more gold this year than last."

Me too Mojo . I do all right ... so far ... but I'm not gona quit my job or sell off the farm just yet .
I tell ya though ... my wife makes as much as I do now and if she gets a step up she's hoping for
pretty soon I just might quit Alabama power . I could just work our place and gold hunt and still
be in pretty good shape and be my own boss . Be living the dream then man .

 

[Ragnor]

I intend to explore an area and evaluate it's resource potential.

 

[Ragnor]

The state of California legislation knows that a good living can be made from mining here and that's why they are fighting so hard to make mining illegal here. It's like they want to rewrite history next saying that California was started by Eco-freaks... And take all mining out of the picture.

That's the disturbing truth, they are ever tightening the noose.