In Nome AK....

[melnatcat]

Hi all!...In Nome for the summer with a borrowed detector (ugh...wish I had mine!). Been doing a bit of nugget hunting with no luck so far. Does anyone have any hints, tips or advice? Have detected on the beach (totally senseless since the ice was the dump for many years and it is full of metal trash!). Also detected a bit near an old mine and a little bit in some tailings.

Digging in the tundra is definitely not the same as digging in Minnesota!

Thanks ahead of time for your responses!!!

[nuggy]

Hi Melnatcat, as no-one else has replied - there will be some old photos showing Nome with the old timers gold camps spread out allover, there should be copies there or on the net - detecting some of that ground could be worthwhile. Old hotel sites - any areas used for summer recreation. I have no idea what the gold fields were like around Nome, but generally places that once produced nuggets are likely to do so again.
There is a thread on here mentioning how gold coins were scattered for children in Alaska ( maybe Nome ) and a few of these were found in recent times. Can't remember which thread I read it in, could have been Lanny's Bedrock and Gold the Mysteries, you should read that one anyway. In "treasure by location" is a thread by Eagle Down "the lost treasures of Mariposa county" (another good thread) I might have read it there.
This site is chock full of good info, not necessarily related to the title of the thread - some of us ol boys wander off topic at any opportunity. I have noticed a number of posts with information on Alaska.
Something I just remembered - the beaches in Nome were said to be extremely rich once - black sand leads were worked just like they are here in New Zealand. Well here they reform - never as big as they once were but our beaches are regularly worked as gold bearing sand is redeposited by storms etc. Maybe that's worth looking into though probably like here all claimed up and busy getting done.
Good luck and hope a few old Alaska boys can tell you something more specific. Nuggy

[Klondikeike]

Klondike here...

been to Alaska several times for mining.. been to Nome a couple of ties as well...... no nuggets i am aware of on the beaches..... just really fine gold.. I have taken several ounces off the beaches of Nome....all powder... the nuggets are inland in the creeks and streams.. mostly tied up with claims... you need to find someone who will allow you to prospect on a known gold producing area... even though it has been worked and reworked and reworked again a few times, the area around Anvil Creek still gives up some gold...just a suggestion...

If you stay on the beach... you'll do better working the black and red sand lenses... this is where the fine gold is on the beach... and you'll loose more than you'll capture.. but if you work hard and consistent... day after day after day.... you'll bring home some gold......

Good luck to ya...

Klondike...

[Tuberale]

There's a reason you likely won't find nuggets in Nome's current beach sands, meinatcat. When Nome was begun, the beach was a considerable distance further out in the ocean. There was a really big storm up there, and the beach erosion caused most of what was productive gold sands to now be 100-300 yards away from the beach. So if you've trying to find some nice nuggets, you'll have to get rid of the sand overburden and get down to where the miners were finding those nice lumps. Either way, you'll need a deep seeker underwater detector plus scuba or better gear. Storms come up quick up there, so BE CAREFUL.

Should be able to find out how long ago and how far out in the ocean the original town was.

[Lanny in AB]

Been to Nome,

Got nice fine gold off the beach--had a lot of fun. You'll have to get up in the hills to get the nuggets--away up the beach quite a ways to the north and then inland--the Casa de Paga, Mystery Creek, the Creosis, Stella Creek--but that's quite a ride inland across that wild, buckin' tundra.

All the best,

Lanny