Looking in cracks for gold at river bedrock

Molewacker

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Feb 9, 2015
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Hi all!

Thinking about expanding my treasure hunting by looking for gold in cracks in bedrock. E. Fork Lewis river. There is a club claim up river a few miles, so must be gold downstream mabey?

I was going to look from the falls down where I see bedrock in summer - what ya think?

low water summer - see the bush midway

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High water today - just a few bush tips visable

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It's right across the street, so when my arm tires out from beeping, sitting down and cleaning cracks sounds like a winner.

Thanks for any input!
 

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Asmbandits

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The best gold is almost always found on bedrock or a false bedrock like a clay layer. I almost don't dig anything but shallow benches or cracks on bedrock, your best gold will be found there most of the time.
 

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et1955

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There is gold in that river and also platinum, look for jagged bedrock not the smooth bedrock your pics show and those round holes will had little or no gold in them, during flood those holes become mini boil holes.
 

arizau

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Just a CYA. You best check to see if the areas you prospect on are unclaimed or otherwise restricted, if you haven't already. The following site is a good resource to begin your checks....make yourself familiar with it if you are not already. Welcome to Land Matters.

Good luck.
 

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et1955

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A good place to check would be from the foot bridge to the confluence of the Copper river and the E.F of the Lewis river, focus more on the Copper River. As arizau said check out Land Matters, that area is county and state land but further east you start hitting claims
 

63bkpkr

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Sniping = floating in the river with a full wet suit on while using a snorkel and looking for gold on the bottom of the river. Usually requires some waist weights as the suit is quite buoyant. Sure looks like nice water! As long as it is not claimed you should be golden as you are only looking for what could be lying on the surface. It also allows you to look for really good cracks at nearly 90 degrees to the water flow. Have fun!.................63bkpkr
 

et1955

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Sniping = floating in the river with a full wet suit on while using a snorkel and looking for gold on the bottom of the river. Usually requires some waist weights as the suit is quite buoyant. Sure looks like nice water! As long as it is not claimed you should be golden as you are only looking for what could be lying on the surface. It also allows you to look for really good cracks at nearly 90 degrees to the water flow. Have fun!.................63bkpkr
Dredging is the preferred method and it is legal in our state, our rivers run very cold and fast here, I have never met a sniper mining western Wa rivers that is because bedrock here is very deep, Try snipping on the Sky 20160703_115036.jpg
 

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Molewacker

Molewacker

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Thank you all for replys - never a claim jumper, know all the neighbors on river area I'll poke around at. I'll look for 90 degree rough cracks this summer while catching some rays.

Happy New year all!
 

A2coins

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Sounds fun Happy new year to you also good luck
 

orgwayne

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Molewacker , knew someone that lived right on the East Fork Lewis River , He could find flakes of gold any time he wanted he told me, kind of a slow guy , did not care if he found a lot or not !!
Wayne
Well ask SIL that lives near u , where the people lived
 

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Molewacker

Molewacker

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Molewacker , knew someone that lived right on the East Fork Lewis River , He could find flakes of gold any time he wanted he told me, kind of a slow guy , did not care if he found a lot or not !!
Wayne
Well ask SIL that lives near u , where the people lived

Well, thank you kindly for the imput - I'm between Battle Ground and Yacolt on the E. Fork if that helps.
 

OwenT

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Dredging is the preferred method and it is legal in our state, our rivers run very cold and fast here, I have never met a sniper mining western Wa rivers that is because bedrock here is very deep, Try snipping on the Sky View attachment 1664602

Ed, one day on the sky a kayaker spotted me and stopped to talk. He said he floats the river a lot and one day tried snipig that section with a little sucker bottle. Said he found a few specs. I was thinking all the bedrock would be much to deep but maybe with supplemental air it could be productive. Of course at that point you might as well be dredging.
 

et1955

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Easy on the sky to find gold with a sucker bottle or with a spoon in the right place, imagine trying to snipe behind that house size rock above the railroad bar, at least 20ft deep but you are right if you could dredge out that area witch has never been done, riches beyond your dreams maybe but then again why can I mine 6 grams in 4 hour 25ft above the river, the sky in that area is a mystery, none or little gold near the water line but the banks are very rich. Actually not really a mystery but I will teach you one day the reasons why.
 

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