AZ LODE HELP !!!

[dowser]

While out hiking near mines near Cherry, i discovered a large Mineralization zone on the side of a light colored Granite mountain. Because of the heavy brush and bushes, this spot was spotted from the neighboring mountain, and could not be seen from above or below or next to, unless you were standing right over it, because of the heavy brush.
The area is about 20 x 20 and is showing heavily mineralized Granite, with considerable iron oxidization going on. The whole zone is rusty brown with the granite heavily saturated with minerals, making it orange with a lot of green and black throughout. The area might have been missed in the past because of the heavy brush, and the other mines in the area are a ways away, with no claim markers near by.
Without digging i don't see any quartz showing, and until i know if it's claimable, i can't dig. I have the GPS coordinates, and will soon find out if it's claimable, but without any quartz showing, is it really claimable?
In books i have read they say that Mineralized zones are good signs that gold ore is present, and some of the richest mines have been discovered in mineralized zones.
If the area is claimable, do i have any chance on claiming it, without showing ORE, even though it must be close by.? And if i can claim it, is there a chance there is descent ore, rather than a bunch of Mineralized Granite, with some small amount of Ore..
I'm deffinately new at this, and have a long way to go even if it is claimable, but i would appreciate any help i can get on answering any questions i have. Before i file claim does it sound worth it?

[Klondikeike]

Klondike here...

Just one word... You'll know for sure then...

ASSAY...

It only takes a few pounds.. not tons and tons for an assay...

In Prescott is Copper State Analytical Labs.. as for Andrew.. he is great at providing assays...


Klondike..

[Terry Soloman]

Just do your homework at the County and BLM, as a lot of that land West of Federal Mine Road is claimed, and some is under review for Federal withdrawl by the Forest Service..

While out hiking near mines near Cherry, i discovered a large Mineralization zone on the side of a light colored Granite mountain. Because of the heavy brush and bushes, this spot was spotted from the neighboring mountain, and could not be seen from above or below or next to, unless you were standing right over it, because of the heavy brush.
The area is about 20 x 20 and is showing heavily mineralized Granite, with considerable iron oxidization going on. The whole zone is rusty brown with the granite heavily saturated with minerals, making it orange with a lot of green and black throughout. The area might have been missed in the past because of the heavy brush, and the other mines in the area are a ways away, with no claim markers near by.
Without digging i don't see any quartz showing, and until i know if it's claimable, i can't dig. I have the GPS coordinates, and will soon find out if it's claimable, but without any quartz showing, is it really claimable?
In books i have read they say that Mineralized zones are good signs that gold ore is present, and some of the richest mines have been discovered in mineralized zones.
If the area is claimable, do i have any chance on claiming it, without showing ORE, even though it must be close by.? And if i can claim it, is there a chance there is descent ore, rather than a bunch of Mineralized Granite, with some small amount of Ore..
I'm deffinately new at this, and have a long way to go even if it is claimable, but i would appreciate any help i can get on answering any questions i have. Before i file claim does it sound worth it?

[dowser]

Like i wrote, no quartz is visable at the surface.. Is there any vallues in Mineralized Granite? Do people have Mineralized Granite assayed? Is Mineralized Granite considered Ore?? I read that without Ore a claim won't be granted. According to the extent of the Mineralization, with the Granite showing green and black saturation, the quartz must be close, right?? Also how much ore has to be presant to file a claim?
I'll be calling BLM in the morning to see if the spot is claimable, then if it is i'll then have to call possibly the Bureau of mines and talk to an inspector or somebody about it also. But i'll be checking e-mail in the morning, and if anybody has any more info that would be great too.
Even if it is claimable, and i get my plan approved, i wouldn't know where any place around the Verde Valley that takes ore to be processed.. Like i said at first, a long way to go.. Thanks for your help!!! Dowser

[russau]

Ike gave you good advice!

[dowser]

Thank you Ike for your good advice.!!! But i'm confused.!!! Assay what, the Mineralized Granite? With all the questions i asked , is there any other answers other than Assay?? Can anyone answer them. I'm new at this, and a bit curious.. Thanks

[dowser]

Good news!!!

Suprizingly even to me the area is claimable. It took a while on the phone today to find out, but the BLM guy said it was open for claim and i'm allowed to do some explatory digging, as long as i don't make a pit or tunnel..
So i went to the spot and started removing Mineralized Granite and sending it down the hill looking for Quartz. It's a lot more rock to move than exspected, with the area thats mineralized being so big.. It didn't take long to make a hole, but it keeps filling fast with rock as i keep searching. I didn't have a lot of time today, and tomorrow i'll spend the whole day excavating, searching for good quartz.. Right before i left i was scraping the surface rock and dirt in the surrounding areas that i plan to search, and i did finally get a peice of Granite with some quartz. It's only about a half inch thick and about five inches long in a real bubbly rusty crack. But being near the surface and not so big i'll search for better stuff tomorrow.. I hope that i'll run into better stuff deeper in, because the Granite is deffinately saturated a lot with minerals, so far everywhere i've dug.. I just hope it's not a bunch of small cracks feeding the area, and i might not get a lot of ore.
Dowser

[Astrobouncer]

I wouldnt worry so much about quartz. Gold isnt just found with that. Its true it can run with quartz a good bit of the time, but it has also been found in almost every other type of rock, depending on the deposit. Check out this PDF file on some 42 different gold deposits in Nevada.

http://www.nbmg.unr.edu/dox/b111/stratigraphy.pdf

[dowser]

Thanks Astrobouncer.,

I moved a lot of rock today and in all that i didn't find much quartz, just a few cracks with a little quartz buildup in a few places. The Granite Mineralization shows no signs of letting up but with all the rock i've moved i don't see any indication of any major quartz body near where i'm digging. It must be a bunch of cracks and small veins feeding this 20x20 area. Maybe there's something good down deep, but it's a lot of work to find out.. I called the Assey place in Prescott, and he said that they will Assey the Granite if i want, but he feels it would be a waste of money. I do have enough quartz to Assey, but if the the little bit i got is a sign of what's to come, i think i'll pass...

[echidna gold]

I'd be getting the gold pan out, try and find some decomposed rock - pan / sluice that, send the cons off for assay. Dont be blinded by gold and little stockwork veins, Tin's ~ $20,000 per ton

you'd probably need alluvial deposits and big yellow machines to make a buck though.

[TerryC]

BEST way to locate any possible claims on the place is VISIT the county records building of the county involved. Also VERY good to take along TOWNSHIP and RANGE info as that is how the records are usually kept. YAVAPAI county AZ has the claim info online. You will be searching EXACTLY the way she would be looking so maybe a visit to have her show you how to look the records up is in order. Cherry is in Yavapai County so go to the Prescott office. Forgot the road info but they are resurfacing it right now. Watch for the construction off of Copper Basin Rd... I think. TTC

[dowser]

Thanks for any info i've recieved, but i've given up on the Cherry spot, because of the lack of quartz. I moved on to a better spot in Lapez county. I chased a Gold signal ten miles to an area listed in the treasure books as extreamly high gold in quartz content. Way back in the mountains yesterday i got to the spot, and the wind was real strong, and the clouds were threatining. I Gps't the spot and got out of there. There's a few tailing piles in the distance, and the Quartz is very plentiful, with lots of red and yellow throughout. The ground gravel doesn't have the red iron in it, but the mineralized quartz quantity is better than rich hill area.. I wonder why i don't see any holes from meteldetectorist? Must not be any gold nuggets. The treasure book says there was. Whatever i'm signaling Gold is guite strong, and i'm right next to the mountain with bedrock showing all around. It's light colered Granite with Dark Bassalt intrusions, and Mineralized Quartz veins showing. It was written that the vein that the nuggets came from wasn't located, and i can see why. The loose shallow overburden has covered any quartz showing. I hope the area is claimable. Then i can dig down to the quartz, get some and have it assayed. It was written that the ore assayed to over $300.000.00 to the ton, in early 1900's. But like i said nobody could find the vein it was coming from. Maybee that's what i'm signaling, it is the only signal within ten miles of the area.. Dowser

[dave wiseman]

If there was nuggets to any extent or good looking float ore the old timers would have torn the area apart.Unlike today, most of these fellows knew what they were doing by learning out in the field/or from fellow prospectors...not from a how to book.Are there prospect holes in the area/tailing or waste piles?Perhaps all the gold bearing veins were shallow and narrow as is often the case in Arizona.

[TerryC]

If there was nuggets to any extent or good looking float ore the old timers would have torn the area apart.Unlike today, most of these fellows knew what they were doing by learning out in the field/or from fellow prospectors...not from a how to book.Are there prospect holes in the area/tailing or waste piles?Perhaps all the gold bearing veins were shallow and narrow as is often the case in Arizona.

Hey Dave! Coming back to Cavaleras County next month for a visit. I'll be looking for you at Rodzs. Stay healthy... and ahead of the rocking chair! Dowser. Cannot say I'm a proponent of dowsing but sounds like you've done your homework on the geology! Good luck!TTC

[dowser]

The book said that the area was torn apart, after the word that there was valuable gold ore and nuggets, but that was 1909. If their wasn't any vein vissable, it's way too much dirt to dig up looking for one. There is two tailing piles about 200 yds. away. I can see how some veins can be missed, because they got covered up by overburden, after they were first exposed and ore was spread about..
I'm a believer that there is lost Gold veins, and Mines out there, the same as buried treasure and meteorites. But as for this perticular lost ore lead, that's what exploring is all about, it's anybody's guess. In my case i don't have to guess, i can signal for miles, but even though i am signaling gold ore i'm not sure if it's the vein that was not found. The only thing i'm goin by is the location is the same spot as the treasure legend.
I called the Bureau of Mines Arizona and talked to an inspector, and he said that their is no place that will process your ore for you, in this state that he knows of, and if i find one i should let him know, because he get's asked that alot. That changes things..
I've Dowsed and located over a dozen Quartz veins with gold, most small ones, and most unclaimable. And while i'm chasing a Gold signal i pass thousands of other Quartz veins that don't signal Gold, only to end up at one that does have Gold, and yes i can see it some times, and no i don't assay Gold ore i can't claim.. I'm giving up on Gold veins for now, and moving on to lost placer leads. I'm not trying to make this into a Dowsing debate. It's just my method of searching, and it works.. Dowser

[TerryC]

Dowser. Please don't missunderstand me. I also don't care for dry washing when in today's mining communities, so much water is available. As for the still missing viens, I firmly believe one is in my future. Otherwise, why look with a metal detector. I believe the consences among prospectors is that only 10% of available gold has been found. It's that other 90% that I am after! Good luck. TTC