Bedrock and Gold: The mysteries . . .

Lanny in AB

Gold Member
Apr 2, 2003
5,651
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Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Do you love to chase the gold? Please join me--lots of gold hunting tips, stories of finds (successful and not), and prospecting poetry.

Nugget in the bedrock tip:

I had a visit with a mining buddy this past weekend, and he told me of an epic battle to get a nugget out of the bedrock, and of what he learned from the experience. I thought some of you might like to learn from his mistake.

While out detecting one day, he came across a large sheet of bare bedrock. The bedrock was exposed because the area had been blasted off with a water cannon (a monitor), by the old-timers! It was not fractured bedrock, in fact it was totally smooth.

He was not optimistic at all of the prospects of a nugget. But, for some reason (we've all been there) he decided to swing his detector over that bedrock. After a long time, just as he was about to give up on his crazy hunch, he got a signal, right out of that smooth bedrock.

There was no crevice, no sign of a crevice, nada! So, he had to go all the way back to camp to get a small sledge and a chisel. The signal in the rock intrigued him, but he still wasn't overly optimistic. For those of you that have chased signals in a similar situation, sometimes there's a patch of hot mineralization in the bedrock that sounds off, but this spot, according to him, was sharp and clear right in the middle of the signal, not just a general increase of the threshold like you get when you pass over a hot spot in the bedrock.

Anyway, he made it back to the spot and started to chisel his way into the bedrock. If any of you have tried this, it's an awful job, and you usually wind up with cut knuckles--at the least! Regardless, he kept fighting his way down, busting out chunks of bedrock. He kept checking the hole, and the signal remained very strong.

This only puzzled him all the more as he could clearly see that it was solid bedrock with no sign of any crevice. He finally quit at the end of the day, at a depth of about a foot, but still, nothing in the hole.

An experienced nugget shooting friend dropped by the next morning to see him, and asked him how the hunt was going. My buddy related his tale of the mysterious hole in the bedrock, and told the friend to go over and check it out, and see if he could solve the riddle.

Later in the day, the other nugget hunter returned. In his hand was a fine, fat, sassy nugget. It weighed in at about an ounce and a quarter! After my friend returned his eyeballs to their sockets and zapped his heart to start it again, he asked where the nugget had come from.

Imagine his surprise when he heard it came from the mystery hole!! He asked how deep the other guy had gone into the bedrock to get it. "Well, no deeper" was his reply.

So, here's the rest of the story as to what happened. When the successful nugget hunter got to the bedrock, he scanned the surface got the same strong signal as my buddy. He widened out the hole and scanned again. Still a solid tone. He widened the hole some more so he could get his coil in, and here's the key and the lesson in this story, he got a strong signal off the side of the hole, about six inches down, but set back another inch into the side of the bedrock!!

My unlucky friend, the true discoverer of the gorgeous nugget's resting place had gone deep past the signal while digging his hole!!

Now, of course, a good pinpointer would easily solve this problem. The problem was, my buddy didn't have one, so why would he widen the hole, right? Well, the other guy was the one with more experience, and that's why he did. It was a lot more work, but what a payoff!

So, my buddy's butt is still black and blue from where he kicked himself for the next week or so for having lost such an incredible prize.

Some nugget hunting lessons are harder than others to learn. . . .

All the best,

Lanny


P.S. When in gold country--check the bedrock, regardless of whether it looks likely or not! Mother Nature likes to play games sometimes.

 

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EagleDown

Bronze Member
May 13, 2010
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EagleDown

Bronze Member
May 13, 2010
1,857
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California
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Whites MXT, Whites TDI
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I'm getting forgetful I guess.

Lanny, thank you for your very kind words. They are like gold to me.

Eagle
 

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Steve Herschbach

Hero Member
Apr 1, 2005
659
1,016
Nevada
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Yeah Lanny, wrapping the AMDS forum up very soon. I was waiting for ICMJ forum to come online, and now that it has the end is near. I will be hanging around here and elsewhere but I am done with registration problems and spammers etc that come with actually hosting a forum.

Thanks for the thanks! Keep up the good work.
 

GarretDiggingAz

Hero Member
Dec 5, 2012
850
243
Mesa, AZ
Detector(s) used
Garrett ATG and thinking about another nugget hunter
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
I am sure the ICMJ would like to pay you to submit articles. My last two got published and working on next one now. Now that I quit my day job I need the income!

Steve,
Do ya hear it? It's saying, "come and get me, come and get me, come and get me." It's the gold.
Sorry saw City Slickers II the other day. It's great that you've been able to right and get paid. Another hidden passion of mine brought on by my English teacher my senior year of high school. My friends had told me I should write books, but of course never did or tried it. So keep it up and get the gold when ya can.
 

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Lanny in AB

Lanny in AB

Gold Member
Apr 2, 2003
5,651
6,342
Alberta
Detector(s) used
Various Minelabs(5000, 2100, X-Terra 705, Equinox 800, Gold Monster), Falcon MD20, Tesoro Sand Shark, Gold Bug Pro, Makro Gold Racer.
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
I'm getting forgetful I guess.

Lanny, thank you for your very kind words. They are like gold to me.

Eagle

You're most welcome Eagle, and you need to know that your stories that are 24K gold.

All the best,

Lanny
 

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Lanny in AB

Lanny in AB

Gold Member
Apr 2, 2003
5,651
6,342
Alberta
Detector(s) used
Various Minelabs(5000, 2100, X-Terra 705, Equinox 800, Gold Monster), Falcon MD20, Tesoro Sand Shark, Gold Bug Pro, Makro Gold Racer.
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Yeah Lanny, wrapping the AMDS forum up very soon. I was waiting for ICMJ forum to come online, and now that it has the end is near. I will be hanging around here and elsewhere but I am done with registration problems and spammers etc that come with actually hosting a forum.

Thanks for the thanks! Keep up the good work.

I'm sorry you had all of those problems as it was such a great forum, but I guess some people have it as a goal in life, no, a need in life to cause trouble for others.

By the way--you and I have something else in common beside chasing the gold--I too have had two stories published by ICMJ (the only two stories I've ever submitted for publication), but it was some years back. It's always fun to see your stories in print and to get a little extra cash.

All the best this summer, and keep us updated on your adventures,

Lanny
 

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Lanny in AB

Lanny in AB

Gold Member
Apr 2, 2003
5,651
6,342
Alberta
Detector(s) used
Various Minelabs(5000, 2100, X-Terra 705, Equinox 800, Gold Monster), Falcon MD20, Tesoro Sand Shark, Gold Bug Pro, Makro Gold Racer.
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Steve,
Do ya hear it? It's saying, "come and get me, come and get me, come and get me." It's the gold.
Sorry saw City Slickers II the other day. It's great that you've been able to right and get paid. Another hidden passion of mine brought on by my English teacher my senior year of high school. My friends had told me I should write books, but of course never did or tried it. So keep it up and get the gold when ya can.

The best way to get writing is to start. After a while you'll find a style that you're comfortable with, and then you'll polish that style as you roll along revealing your gold tales.

All the best,

Lanny
 

GarretDiggingAz

Hero Member
Dec 5, 2012
850
243
Mesa, AZ
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Garrett ATG and thinking about another nugget hunter
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Lanny, thanks for the advice. One of these days. I've been a fan of the western novels and then as I got older a history buff. Growing up here in AZ and exploring the outdoors, plus jumping in both feet to this hobby, makes me appreciate all of this even more. Thinking about the miners and cowboys as well as the others who have walked or ridden the same trails I've been on or am looking forward to be on, makes my mind wander. i think of how it was then and that I get to see what they saw (though its a hundred or so years after them) and just am thankful that I get to experience this great land and hobby. So maybe before too long I'll start creating my novel. It won't be a book on how to metal detect or discover that hidden gold vein, but more of the adventure. Hmmmm. Storyline is coming. Lol
Zane Grey I'm not, but if it did come to fruition, I don't think I could complain. The good side would be that I could get off of disability. Lol.
 

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Lanny in AB

Lanny in AB

Gold Member
Apr 2, 2003
5,651
6,342
Alberta
Detector(s) used
Various Minelabs(5000, 2100, X-Terra 705, Equinox 800, Gold Monster), Falcon MD20, Tesoro Sand Shark, Gold Bug Pro, Makro Gold Racer.
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Lanny, thanks for the advice. One of these days. I've been a fan of the western novels and then as I got older a history buff. Growing up here in AZ and exploring the outdoors, plus jumping in both feet to this hobby, makes me appreciate all of this even more. Thinking about the miners and cowboys as well as the others who have walked or ridden the same trails I've been on or am looking forward to be on, makes my mind wander. i think of how it was then and that I get to see what they saw (though its a hundred or so years after them) and just am thankful that I get to experience this great land and hobby. So maybe before too long I'll start creating my novel. It won't be a book on how to metal detect or discover that hidden gold vein, but more of the adventure. Hmmmm. Storyline is coming. Lol
Zane Grey I'm not, but if it did come to fruition, I don't think I could complain. The good side would be that I could get off of disability. Lol.

I'm glad the story line is forming for you--it's sometimes the ignition you need to get at it. I have binders full of prospecting stories I've already written, and I imagine that I'll fill another one with stories from the last few years.

I wish you all the best as you get your ideas on paper, and good luck,

Lanny
 

kazcoro

Hero Member
Feb 11, 2013
876
357
Glendale
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Primary Interest:
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I made it! 68 pages worth. Now, I have to ignore this thread for two more years, and I will have some really good reading ahead of me. Thanks Lanny. Keep it coming.
 

EagleDown

Bronze Member
May 13, 2010
1,857
629
California
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Whites MXT, Whites TDI
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I made it! 68 pages worth. Now, I have to ignore this thread for two more years, and I will have some really good reading ahead of me. Thanks Lanny. Keep it coming.
OR, you could kill time by reading my thread. It's only 58 pages, Though it's not as prevocative as Lannys thread, it would occupy some of your wait. (lol)

Incidentally, I'm afraid our government has found the cure for "common sense". It seems to be as rare as a case of polio. (lol)
 

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kazcoro

Hero Member
Feb 11, 2013
876
357
Glendale
Detector(s) used
Gold Bug Pro, Gold Buddy drywasher, Black Magic, Pro Gold recirc, Custom highbanker/2.5" dredge, Roadrunner Member
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
OR, you could kill time by reading my thread. It's only 58 pages, Though it's not as prevocative as Lannys thread, it would occupy some of your wait. (lol)

Incidentally, I'm afraid our government has found the cure for "common sense". It seems to be as rare as a case of polio. (lol)
You are next, my man. Can you throw out a link so I don't have to look back through the pages of this thread to find it again? Thanks, Kazcoro
 

EagleDown

Bronze Member
May 13, 2010
1,857
629
California
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Whites MXT, Whites TDI
Primary Interest:
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Lanny in AB

Lanny in AB

Gold Member
Apr 2, 2003
5,651
6,342
Alberta
Detector(s) used
Various Minelabs(5000, 2100, X-Terra 705, Equinox 800, Gold Monster), Falcon MD20, Tesoro Sand Shark, Gold Bug Pro, Makro Gold Racer.
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
I made it! 68 pages worth. Now, I have to ignore this thread for two more years, and I will have some really good reading ahead of me. Thanks Lanny. Keep it coming.

You're most welcome! Thanks for dropping in and thanks for the encouragement.

All the best,

Lanny
 

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Lanny in AB

Lanny in AB

Gold Member
Apr 2, 2003
5,651
6,342
Alberta
Detector(s) used
Various Minelabs(5000, 2100, X-Terra 705, Equinox 800, Gold Monster), Falcon MD20, Tesoro Sand Shark, Gold Bug Pro, Makro Gold Racer.
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
OR, you could kill time by reading my thread. It's only 58 pages, Though it's not as prevocative as Lannys thread, it would occupy some of your wait. (lol)

Incidentally, I'm afraid our government has found the cure for "common sense". It seems to be as rare as a case of polio. (lol)

You won't kill any time reading his thread--you'll thoroughly enjoy yourself!

All the best,

Lanny
 

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Lanny in AB

Lanny in AB

Gold Member
Apr 2, 2003
5,651
6,342
Alberta
Detector(s) used
Various Minelabs(5000, 2100, X-Terra 705, Equinox 800, Gold Monster), Falcon MD20, Tesoro Sand Shark, Gold Bug Pro, Makro Gold Racer.
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
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Lanny in AB

Lanny in AB

Gold Member
Apr 2, 2003
5,651
6,342
Alberta
Detector(s) used
Various Minelabs(5000, 2100, X-Terra 705, Equinox 800, Gold Monster), Falcon MD20, Tesoro Sand Shark, Gold Bug Pro, Makro Gold Racer.
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Did something crazy last weekend. My wife had the itch to go panning, so we went--it was snowing--both days!! I took lots of pictures as I've never been panning while it was snowing before. I'll get the pictures together and post a little something. It was a unique experience, and the territory was exceptionally beautiful in its own right.

All the best,

Lanny
 

EagleDown

Bronze Member
May 13, 2010
1,857
629
California
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This is a warning to our Friends in Canada. The criminals are getting ready to stick it to you!!
 

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