Advice: Old Hole or New Diggings

[Goldfleks]

Ok, so I'm at a bit of a dilemma...

I have the spot that I've been digging at since I started recreational prospecting. Community dig site south of Cattle Canyon Bridge at the East Fork. Gold is ok, not great. But I know what to expect when I dig there. I think part of why this site produces decent-ish gold is that it's so dug out that the holes are far enough down that the pay layer is accesible. And the holes just migrate around as different people dig them. I can count on a few decent flakes, a picker now and again, and a bit of fine gold every time I go there. But I'm defenetely not getting over a gram in a few hours of digging like the boys in Colorado.

But whenever I try a new place to dig and start my own hole I usually find much less. And I know a big part of that is simply that I'm not at a depth deep enough to get decent gold. I know I could commit to digging a new spot but I don't know if it would pan out to anything more than what I'm already getting at my current spot. And then there is the opportunity cost of finding/starting a new hole. And the time it would take to dig it out to where it's paying at least what I'm already getting.

I guess I could test pan around, but with all the overburden covering everything, I really don't feel like that would produce much as all the pay is down deep.

Thoughts?

The other thing I've thought about it using google Earth and tracking the river location. In a few of the places I dig it's jumped the bed after the rains in 2005 to where it's currently flowing. I know the river carved out the entire canyon at one time so the gold is everywhere, but if I dig in a now dry river channel that used to flow 10 years ago am I upping my odds?

Still learning.

My other issue is partly related to the fact that most of my digging is close to the parking lots so it's heavily prospected. But until I improve my gear and find a reliable digging partner I'm sorta stuck staying close for now.

 

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[utah mason]

I've watched lots of videos of that area. Most people work around the river with similar results. Jeff Williams did a video up there he did pretty good
https://youtu.be/Hkmup9VMVzE

 

[Goldfleks]

I think Jeff salted his pan

 

[Bejay]

Avoid calling yourself a "recreational gold miner". Without going into all the history the term "recreational miner " is/has been the demise of small scale independent mining. When you go out mining you simply state you are mining. Just cause you enjoy it does not change the game. If and when you ever find a monetarily valuable deposit I am sure you are not going to avoid wanting to get serious about getting it out of the ground. You might term yourself an "apprentice"...but the more you learn and the more you find the more fun you will still have. Nothing wrong with having fun while you try to take make some money out of the ground. Enjoy!

Bejay

 

[Jeff95531]

I suggest just a slight deviation to Bejay's post (respect Bejay). Tell them that you are prospecting. Doesn't mean you found anything...just looking around for it...like we all do. Gets less attention which is always a good thing. Once you get to mining is the time to hold em close.

 

[Underburden]

Since you mentioned it's a public site, use the Jesse Pinkman method. Start your own hole and then leave it for a few weekends. I think you'll find your hole opened up and deeper upon your return.

 

[goldog]

EF has gold up a and down its course. It's been hit hard and obviously closer to parking will be even worse. It's always hard to leave gold for unknown diggins but hanging out for a couple bucks worth. No one is getting grams/hr in so cal. I got lucky just up from there and then did poor.
Moved a bunch more in two more trips. Got cents worth.

 

[Hamfist]

EF is funny like that. I think the gold by the Cattle Canyon bridge may actually be above average for much of the canyon, even though it's been hit hard. Sure, you can walk upstream for an hour and do better but it's a big time investment to get up there, find a good location, get down to good material, then walk an hour back to the parking lot after you're finished working. Then to return, you have to consider that much of your digging time will be converted to walking time (vs. near CC bridge)...and you have to lug your gear a lot further so you'll also have less energy for digging. Adventure or grams!

I think Jeff salted his pan as well.

 

[Kenmitch]

In the end it's one of those " I want to find some more gold " vs " I want to find gold " situations. Is it the thrill of the hunt or the gold you enjoy most. Nothing wrong with the shiny stuff but at times the adventure out ways the riches. Some people mine for the money and others find the memories and adventures to be the real riches!

On the other hand theres nothing wrong with the community hole....As long as it's in the ground.

 

[Hoser John]

There has been dozens of posts on multiple forums that they designated the good ol' EF some off mining bs classification Fact or fiction? I'll never go there but just interested if enforcement being used or just more bs??John

 

[Goldwasher]

There are numerous people prospecting the EF daily. More on weekends. prospecting is not illegal in the EFSG. Even the Monument hasn't banned it.

 

[Goldwasher]

Ok, so I'm at a bit of a dilemma...

I have the spot that I've been digging at since I started recreational prospecting. Community dig site south of Cattle Canyon Bridge at the East Fork. Gold is ok, not great. But I know what to expect when I dig there. I think part of why this site produces decent-ish gold is that it's so dug out that the holes are far enough down that the pay layer is accesible. And the holes just migrate around as different people dig them. I can count on a few decent flakes, a picker now and again, and a bit of fine gold every time I go there. But I'm defenetely not getting over a gram in a few hours of digging like the boys in Colorado.

But whenever I try a new place to dig and start my own hole I usually find much less. And I know a big part of that is simply that I'm not at a depth deep enough to get decent gold. I know I could commit to digging a new spot but I don't know if it would pan out to anything more than what I'm already getting at my current spot. And then there is the opportunity cost of finding/starting a new hole. And the time it would take to dig it out to where it's paying at least what I'm already getting.

I guess I could test pan around, but with all the overburden covering everything, I really don't feel like that would produce much as all the pay is down deep.

Thoughts?

The other thing I've thought about it using google Earth and tracking the river location. In a few of the places I dig it's jumped the bed after the rains in 2005 to where it's currently flowing. I know the river carved out the entire canyon at one time so the gold is everywhere, but if I dig in a now dry river channel that used to flow 10 years ago am I upping my odds?

Still learning.

My other issue is partly related to the fact that most of my digging is close to the parking lots so it's heavily prospected. But until I improve my gear and find a reliable digging partner I'm sorta stuck staying close for now.

The reason for sampling is to find the pay layer or streak. You answered your own question. Don't even bother running the top layer. And use all those weekend warrior holes to your advantage.

Are you aware of the East Fork Locals club?

 

[63bkpkr]

Hi Goldfleks,
I will quote Lanny, "Gold is Lazy" it will drop out of a hydraulic situation (flowing water) as soon as the pressure drops!"

Metal detecting for gold is one of the hardest ways to find gold, till one learns the detector, understand what it can and cannot do and a person backs off and really looks at the location they are working from an elevated view (up a hillside) and just look for possible historical stopping places for Lazy Gold up on the side walls of the canyon. Why up there? That is where the river used to be.

My GMT has proven itself for locating gold and there are several other machines that have proven themselves but it takes time to learn them. For me, I'd not go on a prospecting trip without bringing pans/sifters/BGT/etc. and my GMT. Just a thought..........63bkpkr

 

[crusty]

Always nice to be fairly confident you'll know what you're gonna get when you go out. But we all dream of hitting a honey hole. Sure, you could get lucky and hit a good spot in an established hole, but the more the area has been picked over, the less likely that will happen.

You're on the right track with checking out Google Earth and trying to pinpoint locations that may have good flood gold that haven't been worked. Might take a bit of initial effort to open up a hole, but if you're not getting rich in your current spot, what do you have to lose? To me, the thrill of the hunt is worth far more than the couple bucks in color I may get from a picked over spot next to the parking lot.

Get out there and take a chance! Good luck to ya!

 

[wildminer]

I would leave home an hour or two earlier and move upstream to prospect. At least give it a few tries and as mentioned above make more than one hole and check back on them to see if they were made deeper in your absence. Don't fear the unknown as you can always drop back to the previous diggings. Good luck goldfleks.

 

[goldenmojo]

The East Fork has a prospecting club. You might check that out.

 

[magrudersGold]

Jeff Williams is a joke. Seriously you won't find all that gold in a single pan

 

[rodoconnor]

J Williams , T Massie and others are entertainers. They would like to be like The Buzzard. Of course old George never salted his pan ... ahem

 

[Goldfleks]

So I decided to just hit old faithful today and run my new Prospector (Thanks Goldwasher!). Got to the fork at first light. Nice balmy 41 degrees at 6am up by Cattle Canyon Bridge. This is our not so signifigant disturbance Tailings are much bigger since last year. River is really running now. I'm not sure if I'll be able to cross after the next 5 days of rain we're supposed to get Wednesday - Sunday. Plus the 2 additional storms on the way. Water is already up over my knees when I wade across.



Didn't get a pic of my digs when I started. This is a pic from last time I was here on Tuesday the week before, I don't think anyone has been digging here:



9am, took her down to the water table:



Around noon:



And at 3pm:



Finally got those big rocks dug out. Was hoping for a picker, won't know until I finish cleaning cons tomorrow if I got one in my second cleanout. That last one was by far the biggest rock I've personally ever moved. Took all I could to wobble it over to the left of the wall so I could dig out the gravels behind it. Didn't have much leverage on it as I wasn't interested in getting under my hole so I had to move it with just my shovel.



Never been so proud of a hole in the ground. Still not sure why portrait pictures always come out sideways. Won't know my cleanout until tomorrow. But this is what I've gotten so far:

 

[crusty]

Good looking gold! Jealous of that good chunky stuff; hard to find in CO. Well done!

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