Alaskan Creeks

[James/Ouida]

This is my second time ou panning. Now im only practicing, but I've high hopes. Instead of just panning some sand, this time I took a shovel and applied advice. I dug for bedrock. After about an hour of shoveling and test pans, I found that "bedrock" may be a myth. If the hole wasn't filled with water so cold it was probably fed from a lake near the North Pole, I'd say it was about chest deep. All funnies aside, I did notice after about 2 feet I began to find quartz, though it was a deep rust color. After about 4 feet, the Quartz was almost white, no pink or rose. I found a rock about the size of my foot with a quartz vein running through it. Overall, not enough of the rocks to lead me to think that there is a vein down there. But I'm no geologist! Should I find a different spot?

 

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[highdesertranger]

i only have limeted experience in alaska. one summer. but i can tell you this a creek in alaska is a river in nevada. highdesertranger

 

[highdesertranger]

oops i mean limited. sp. ck. stupid. highdesertranger

 

[B H Prospector]

Hi James,
Bedrock isn't a myth but it can be hard to find some times. I've been in creeks that had exposed bedrock and I know of creeks that the bedrock is 30 ft deep or more. The whitewood creek that runs through Deadwood SD has bedrock that is 80+ ft deep. Try to find a bench of to the side of the creek where the creek use to flow. If the bench slopes down towards the present creek start at the low side and dig down at an angle into the bench. You may reach the original bedrock with in a few feet or maybe several feet but you will reach it faster than by digging straight down. On the bench I am working on my claim bedrock averages 12 ft from the top of the gravel deposiit. I started as I said above and hit the anceint bedrock after digging only 2 ft. Read old geological reports and mining reports for your area and it will usually tell you how deep the bedrock averages.

Good luck

BH Prospector

 

[James/Ouida]

Thanks for the info, I guess digging strait down was a little overzelous. I've done several hours of reaserch on my local area, and it seems that many claims where made here and in the surrounding area. I've got some lumber together and settin down some plans to make a sluice. James

 

[flyman]

James,

If prospecting a new area, look for sections of the stream where nature or other miners have done much of the work for you. Look in the narrow sections of the creek (canyon) for exposed bed rock, if you find some then you have a starting place. You did not mention if you found any color in the hole you dug, if you did then you may want to explore some more. Much of Alaska has very deep ground and much of it is frozen year round with thawed sections where there is running water. Here on the Kenai most of the streams have exposed bed rock and are easy to work. Just be sure you are not on a mining claim. Also you may need a recreational mining permit.

Good luck,

Flyman

 

[James/Ouida]

All clear for claims, and I've moved areas to find bedrock. Found some rusty quartz with visible copper in it
James

 

[flyman]

James,

If you are finding float that has copper in it then you are in a drainage that needs to be checked out, copper may not be worth as much as gold per oz. but it is still worth looking at if you can find a large deposit. Finding alot of quartz in the stream may or not mean gold, keep looking, when you find bedrock you will get a good idea of what will be in your creek. You seem to be on the right track, keep up the hard work and good luck.

Flyman

 

[James/Ouida]

I'm just happy to have found a rock that's worth something! Now I just need to find some Au and make my girl an "I told you so pendant"! Ha. Jokin' aside, she want to go hiking with me, and I'm all for it

 

[flyman]

James,

Take your girl with you any time you can, lots more fun. Wife went with me for 20 yrs. and we both enjoyed it, never could stop her from shutting down the dredge every time she saw a nugget in the box, (no suction/no air after a bit) kept it interesting........ Just wait the pendant will come, maybe on your next trip, thats the fun of mining, you just never know.

Flyman

 

[James/Ouida]

I live in southeast AK, not much permafrost here, just world record amounts of rain! I was hopin that this would help me, I've read that after a good rain, or flood, the creek beds would be stirred up, re-depositing minerals. So far, no color except mica. High hopes though! I've been taking pictures for my own reaserch, and looking at topo maps. I also found an old map from 1910 that shows mining sites that I was hoping to be able to go through some tailings. Didn't know they used some harsh chemicals to seep rate though - might be bad for my....anything really! Thanks for the info, I'll put it to good use as soon as I get a weekend off.

James

 

[Alaskan Adventurer]

I live in southeast AK, not much permafrost here, just world record amounts of rain! I was hopin that this would help me, I've read that after a good rain, or flood, the creek beds would be stirred up, re-depositing minerals. So far, no color except mica. High hopes though! I've been taking pictures for my own reaserch, and looking at topo maps. I also found an old map from 1910 that shows mining sites that I was hoping to be able to go through some tailings. Didn't know they used some harsh chemicals to seep rate though - might be bad for my....anything really! Thanks for the info, I'll put it to good use as soon as I get a weekend off.

James

Overall, it sounds like you are on the right track. Successful gold prospecting is about 80% research and 20% field work. Once you have found a historical rich area that you are able to actually legally work on(no claims), then you start your actual sampling. I generally will take a test hole every 10 feet or so and make a grid. Once you find a little color, dig a little deeper., and if the gold continues to get a little richer, then you can bounce around and sample around your original sample hole and be able to pinpoint your paystreak. I have many years of prospecting experience in Alaska and you just never know! Good luck and it is all about being patience! All it takes is one lucky strike.

AA

 

[James/Ouida]

Met a fella today who came into my work and showed me a nugget he panned yesterday on his day off. Man, I was amazed and jealous! He said altogether he got almost 800 bucks just panning. Seeing on here in pics doesnt do that nugget in the palm of my hand ANY justice! I'm going back out ASAP and looking harder, diggin deeper, and panning more.

James

 

[63bkpkr]

Hello James,
I've done very limited prospecting in Alaska out of Anchorage area. I live in northern insanity(err that's California) and prospect for gold here though the state government is trying to shut us out and I find gold through panning/sluicing/metal detecting and this year I'm adding in High Banking. There are many things a person can do to improve their odds of finding gold. Something as simple as learning to read a river/stream can make a huge improvement in the quantity/quality of what you find near the surface. Another thing to remember assuming your are in a producing area is that the more dirt you move the more gold you are likely to find. That is why this year I am modifying my sluicebox to a high banker. My brother, who lives in Alaska, made a HB and uses it to find nice flour gold not all that far from Anchorage.

If you google how to pan gold or reading a river you will find quite a bit of info available. Check out my current posts under high banking as well as earlier posts in 2010 to see what I've been up to/am up to. The best of success with your efforts.........63bkpkr