Does the presence of load mines = the presence of Placer Gold?

[arthos]

There's a concentration of old Load Gold mines near me. My question is how often does concentrations of load mines mean there is a presence of alluvial gold in arroyos? As far as I know no mining activity has been conducted in t he area since early 1900s. How likely do you think it is there is (alluvial) gold in them hills?
the specific area I'm talking about is the upper middle region of the map.

 

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[Goldfinger450]

If I were a younger miner and starting all over I would give special thought to exploring for "in stream placer gold" on any drainage that has had a "mineable lode deposit". For example: In Oregon there have been minor lode deposits that are on record as producing some gold. Many are in very remote regions/areas. Pocket gold is a very unique form of lode, and is widely known to exist in Oregon. The old timers did not have the hi tech methods of extracting placer gold like we have today. Specifically dredges. The old timers needed easy more abundant placer deposits to warrant their hard work. I believe some small stream/drainage systems, in close proximity to old lode deposits; that have been left untouched by the early miners,... warrant exploration via a dredge. It has been my experience that the extremely small streams can hold nice "in stream" placer gold. I usually use a suction gun rather than carry in a whole dredge at first. If I were a young miner looking for "my spot" I would really be into exploring for such "in stream deposits".

Bejay

I did exactly as you describe and then some. I learned "Pocket" hunting from and Old timer, best thing I have learned concerning finding a Payday in gold recovery. There is a Pocket down at Wimer Oregon I hope to recover, I know it is there and what some of the Old timers did not know is Usually there is a second and even a third pocket under the first, I have dug pockets the Second ones and done quite well.

 

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[Clay Diggins]

I'm sure you mean well, but I am not assuming anything. I'm asking how often in the experience of anyone reading the post does load=placer. I have read many reports of the operations in the area and there is indeed free mill gold in the quarts veins once mined here. There is nothing to be found on placer gold being found other than word of mouth of pre 1860s workings. However knowing the area in question and it being such a small area with small hills, and such little water I'm still curious if there could be gold in the small storm fed arroyos. Could it have been overlooked, or replenished over the last century? This is what I'm looking for opinions on.

Heavy Pans to you my friend.

Edit: Pherhaps I shouldn't say "nothing to be found" there are a few placer claims on record in the surrounding area however none of those have had numbers on actual gold recovered. Unlike many of the Load mines.

In my personal experience there are about 50 paying gold lode mines for every paying placer mine. (Load mines are what your dog leaves in your back yard )

There are 304,821 lode claims and 61,926 placer claims in the U.S. That's about 5 lodes for every placer. There are many placer claims made for recreation, scams, ego and fantasy. There are very few, if any, lode claims made for recreation or ego. Lodes don't recreate well (too much work) and any ego you may have had will quickly be buried in the work of developing a lode deposit.

The presence of lode gold does not directly relate to the possibility of a placer deposit. If you aren't willing to research the type of mineralization found in a lode mine you will chase many wild geese. My original answer was as close as you can come to a real answer to a real situation without more information. The odds of a placer go way up if free milling gold of size were found on a surface exposure. If the lode exposure was sulfide or complex (most are) the odds of an associated placer go way down.

You have links to the MRDS data for each of those mines on the map you are using. At the bottom of that MRDS information page is a listing of the papers and reports where the information on the mine was found. Look up those papers and reports and read them. Often you can find those papers and reports in the Land Matters Library.

Heavy Pans

 

[Goldwasher]

yea, the short answer is no.

I would expect to find "nice" lode mines in areas where there are a lot of known placer mines.

Whereas I've been in a lot of spots with a lot of lode mines where looking for placer would be pointless.

Unless you want to just see a few small specks after quite a few pans.

When I lived in the area we went to Big Bear , lytle Creek or Randsburg to look for placer gold. Because we just couldn't find it where we were. Even though there were numerous gold mines.

Considering where you live I'm sure you have seen the yellow Standard Ready Mix trucks. Their aggregate plants are in the canyon north of Elsinore. My best friends dad growing up was a plant maintenance manager. at the Plant off of Temescal canyon and Across 15 by the hot springs.

I asked him a few years back if they got gold in the wash plants. He said he only saw a few flakes occasionally. If there was concentrated placer gold in that canyon. they would have got it there for sure.

 

[Aufisher]

Miss them Randsburgers!

 

[Clay Diggins]

Miss them Randsburgers!

Yep! Good with bacon and cheese on top. Yummy survey food.

 

[Aufisher]

Funny how 1/4" thick bacon can linger on the mind!

 

[Bejay]

One can carry all this a little further. I have found some very nice in stream placer gold upon which all geological reports state the source has never been found. Thus exploration for the source would seem to be prudent; if one were to make some initial discoveries leading to a spot. I have also found significant "in stream" placer gold on a drainage that has never had a placer claim....and again the source is not known or even have been contemplated because the upper drainage showed no signs of finding colors/flakes. Yet, the upper drainage, through the process of geologic "upheaval", had "gulched" itself and washed all small gold far down into another main drainage system. Yet the large nuggets and major pickers managed to hold in places (bedrock pockets).
Research found some very old historic maps that showed a crossed pick and shovel on a mountain side above the gulched upper stream. That initial crossed pick and shovel made me explore the area and actually perform some in stream sampling that showed pickers and nuggets. A very unique localized issue that has led me to believe it never hurts to investigate old lodes that were located in geographic areas of gold producing prospects.

Bejay

 

[highdesertranger]

regarding the area in So Cal, Trabuco creek has placer gold as does one of the drainages south of Ortega Hwy(74) can't recall the name at this moment. highdesertranger

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

I did exactly as you describe and then some. I learned "Pocket" hunting from and Old timer, best thing I have learned concerning finding a Payday in gold recovery. There is a Pocket down at Wimer Oregon I hope to recover, I know it is there and what some of the Old timers did not know is Usually there is a second and even a third pocket under the first, I have dug pockets the Second ones and done quite well.

I visited Wimer a couple years ago. Very nice place. After seeing all of the past mining that went on in that area....and the country being similar to where I live....I want to go back and do some exploring. We stopped by the cafe and visited with a couple older fellows. The topic of vintage military rifles came up and before you knew it, someone was going out to retrieve a rifle out of a truck.
After 20 or 30 minute of admiring the rifle and talking guns, the owner of the place came out of the kitchen and chewed the old guy out...."I've told you before - no guns on the counters when there are customers!"


Pocket mining is one thing I'd like to know more about. I have a place on my placer claim where I have picked up small rough float gold across a hillside (with a detector) and I would love to know if it was coming out of a vein in that immediate area, or just floating down the hillside from mines up above. There are MANY pocket mines in my area (some that you have probably visited).
Wimer is only a short drive for me, let me know if you need a hand mucking out that hole.

 

[arthos]

regarding the area in So Cal, Trabuco creek has placer gold as does one of the drainages south of Ortega Hwy(74) can't recall the name at this moment. highdesertranger

Trabuco is all claimed up unfortunately. The one south of 74, you talking about the wash that comes out just north of San Onofre Nuclear plant? I have read some historical information on placer being found out of there. All that area is part of Camp Pendleton Marine Base, so I'm not sure about access availability.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Yep! Good with bacon and cheese on top. Yummy survey food.

Your supposed to eat your lunch in the truck on the way to the next setup before it gets hot and smashed in the back of your vest.
Taking time out to eat lunch in town at the cafe....must have been working for the state/feds?

 

[Clay Diggins]

Your supposed to eat your lunch in the truck on the way to the next setup before it gets hot and smashed in the back of your vest.
Taking time out to eat lunch in town at the cafe....must have been working for the state/feds?

You guys get LUNCH?

cool

Heavy Pans