Prospector

[gold tramp]

Got carried away with the whole long story again.

Getting ready to hit the hills, that spot I mentioned in my earlier writins, is probably where I'm heading to.
Once I see a spot it kinda bothers me till I chk it out, rather than walk by it on my way in, I think I go up and see what's there.

Was a bit of oldtimer prospecting in this area, there's a couple reddish hills ?

Up the steep slope of the mnt there's a decent sized dig?

I don't remember going to this hole so we must visit, I will probably realize I been there before when I hit the edge of the dig, after the hike up.

will get some samples and pics of this stuff.

This area would be the front of the mnt, at the roads end off to the west, anyways this will be the next area I prospect.
More ramblings later.
Gt....




View attachment 1632783
View attachment 1632778 View attachment 1632780

Well took those 2 pieces and all the crumbs I could round up, did a quick smelt, here's the results.
Hot gold floating on glass, top side, bottom side fresh out the fire.
Gets me a brand new pair boots !

Apologies for not having nuggets or specie gold, my kinda hardrock doesn't afford much course stuff. No trophy gold or meteorite yet !
Hope you enjoy the show
Gt.....

 

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[Rookster]

Welcome to Tnet from Mississippi.

 

[Mad Machinist]

Got carried away with the whole long story again.

Getting ready to hit the hills, that spot I mentioned in my earlier writins, is probably where I'm heading to.
Once I see a spot it kinda bothers me till I chk it out, rather than walk by it on my way in, I think I go up and see what's there.

Was a bit of oldtimer prospecting in this area, there's a couple reddish hills ?

Up the steep slope of the mnt there's a decent sized dig?

I don't remember going to this hole so we must visit, I will probably realize I been there before when I hit the edge of the dig, after the hike up.

will get some samples and pics of this stuff.

This area would be the front of the mnt, at the roads end off to the west, anyways this will be the next area I prospect.
More ramblings later.
Gt....




View attachment 1632783
View attachment 1632778 View attachment 1632780

Well took those 2 pieces and all the crumbs I could round up, did a quick smelt, here's the results.
Hot gold floating on glass, top side, bottom side fresh out the fire.
Gets me a brand new pair boots !

Apologies for not having nuggets or specie gold, my kinda hardrock doesn't afford much course stuff. No trophy gold or meteorite yet !
Hope you enjoy the show
Gt.....

A good pair of boots can save your life brother. Was almost snakebit this morning at my house. 14" Mojave got stuck in my boot. Not big enough to eat but big enough to put me in my grave. He got the blade treatment and the garbage can. Can't say enough about having a good knife on ya at all times in the desert.

 

[gold tramp]

Yes good knife, most important a backup set of L rods, just in case the heat of meteorite hunting gets to the first set.

Went to weigh my nibb of gold, my dadgum batteries were dead in my scale, no batteries, towns 20 miles, no wheels.
What to do?
Breakout the old Henry.
You guys gotta figure out the weight, no prize.

View attachment 1633517

More ramblings later
Will try not to complain about my feet n new boots !
Gt.........

 

[gold tramp]

Dog broke toenail, I didn't bother to chk see if she needed trim job after a lazy summer at Claudette mill.
Feel kinda bad it was smoothed over with a couple hotdogs, although she ain't hiking with me for a few.
Gold bug, honey bug oughta the game, hope it's not a bad karma run coming.

Anyways I gots the lapidary claw right now been cutting and grinding some of the stuff I've picked up in the past.
Also saved a bunch of nice ore that is hard enough to take a Polish.
Some has gold specks, wish I could of found some quartz with gold in it for cabochons.

Have to see what my ore slabs polish like, anyways havnt forgot about the mnt, just tied up Workin stones.

You probably thought I was gonna complain about my boots.!

Few pieces of ore slab n cab with gold specks, trouble is they sand out!
When I polish I will share pic.

Note
Stuff showing gold would be oz ton, if it was better than one ounce they be some gorgeous stones.
Will be cutting a bunch more ore tomorrow so more pics coming.

Gt....

 

[gold tramp]

Cut much ore but really didn't get any thing good, it was fractured much, so even as I cut it would just go to pieces, I think I ended up with 4 or so slabs that might work into something good, I just like trying new stuff and even though most of the ore stones will have a undesirable finish, these are my trophy gold.

Anyways it's something different, but still gold related, have to wait n see when there done, art stuff.

I should be takin a break from the grinder here another day or so, my fingers are ground down pretty good feels like I have been placer mining for 3 months barehanded.

Will be headin back up the mnt start lookin again, still haven't got a bleeper, was gonna trade my fatty nibb of gold for one but it didn't weigh but 10 grms not enough for minelab technology.

Don't really have alot of open decent gold ground to hit up around here anyways, so if I had a minelab, sad to say I would be tempted to overgraze, in bleeping you can only go over the same ground so many times Before it become obvious nothing there.

So I'm not in a hurry to get a bleeper think I just go walk-in and do some thinking bout my buddy Long, there's something I'm missing just can't figure it out.

Anyways thanks for dealing with my on and off again weirdness, I am actually afflicted with GOLDFEVER.
No further explanation needed.
Gt....


Rough cut ore pieces.



Here's some of my grade 2 rocks,
Agate,obsidian,jade, pet wood, most of it local, from my years of prospecting it's the interesting rocks that I wish I didn't pack out, now I'm happy I did !!!!!!

 

[DizzyDigger]

Herb, those 4 stones are beautiful...nice work!

BTW, not sure I ever told ya, but my wife does custom bead
jewelry, and she's got quite a following in the local area. I've
seen her use stones like that in the past.

Gonna have her check out those 4 and see if she like's 'em.
If so, you may have a new customer to add to your list..

BTW, what happened to your bleeper? You try whacking a rattler
with it?

 

[gold tramp]

Thanks for lookin at my stuff, trying to get the online rock shop thing going, was a minin last season only got 3oz for 8 month work, it was hard as heck just to scrape that up , so on the skinny here for a bit.

That's prospecting sometimes you hit it good most times eat dirt, more so if your a desert miner in my neck of the woods, it never really has been that good here,
I'm mean not like up north, Imagine 3months on the river man I would fill a pan.

Another day of stone grinding, finally finishing the rough cutting, will be switching to the sanding so I can get my stones on a dopp stick as much as possible, keep my finger tips intact, they are might sore as I've been grinding a good week solid.

I keep waking up early for the hike but that dadgum tumbler noise out in the shop, gets me thinking bout rocks, and just like i get lost out in the prospect, the beauty of the stone calls me in.

Something about polishing rock you kinda get lost in the moment, a whole day can roll by in what seems like an hour.
With each stone It kinda takes me back to the day of the find, kinda fun thinking back, I'm like i knew this would be a good rock, big smile.

Anyways when I've had enough stone cutting will get back to the mnt.

Dizzy my bleeper rode on my shoulder for 20 years or better , and many miles of ground covered didnt get as much as some of the locals here did bleepin, but then again they didn't get as much as I did hardrockin.


Gt......



My last dore button from the season.

Little over 20, Mitchells ole Henry,
Only thing I got left from the mission mining days.

 

[gold tramp]

A look inside of a green chlorite phantom, not gold but found in the gold fields.
Hope you enjoy.
Gt.....

 

[gold tramp]

Just had us a good rain here, cleaned my ore piles up,
Lookin them over kinda gave me the fever.

Think I just be lazy for a bit start the mill up and run off the Cobb piles ( lowgrade ) it wil be a skinny run, just can't bring myself to throw the stuff away.

Maybe I can get enough gold from millin, trade for a new gold bug original,
Anyways I'm Workin on bunch of stone shaping n polishing hoping to sell some stuff locally.

So I might just scrap the hike n start millin,
That brown stuff in that pile gets me excited.

Dug this stuff more for the scant chrysocolla for polishing, was hoping to get gold flecks in it as it carries.

Culled the best blue and it's being slabbed right now, so we see in a few days if it was worthy.



Cactus garden rock no values.


More ramblings later.
Gt.....

 

[gold tramp]

Gosh not much gold to talk about,
Went out placer prospecting hittin the black rocks, still just a little to moist for my drywasher, maybe another week, just real wet down next to bedrock, rather than dig 2 times by making drypiles, i wait a bit more, besides hunting black Rock drops is much fun.
Got my bleeper Workin, it lasted Bout 4 hours before it finaly gave up, made a dying cracking sound and does nothing now.
Still managed a tiny piece of yellow spied with my eye don't know how ? It was in the shadows, if it hadn't been in the black rocks I wouldn't of seen it.




Anyways I'm still doing the rock thing, got the stones on the sander finally, I think I have like 60 shaped stones lost count, maybe another week or so i can polish. So much work involved In stone cutting n grind, the end result it's all worth it.

I have drilled crystall phantom amulet's, only a few were good enough to use they are double terminated.
Super powerful, if your into that. I wear one gives much energy, they are fresh out of the pocket , I call them pinto mnt phantoms, if you would like to buy one give me a PM.

Couple pics not gold but found while prospecting for gold !
Hope youall enjoy,



Sheen obsidian I think came from up by lassen ?
Can't remember every spot!




Some crystals#2 theres a little damage, the singles are phantoms.

Thanks again for lookin at my ramblings and dealing with my O .C. D.
Gt.
Pics courtesy of,
PINTO MOUNTAIN ROCK WORKs

 

[gold tramp]

Hadn't seen the grandson for a bit, he shows up yesterday, sees the drywasher out.
Comes in ask me about it, I tells him I had to give up hardrock minin, can't find no more ore.

Little turd called me a poopbutt, think I take him to a spot where I gotta carry my tools up hill for 2 miles or so. Kids now days.

Heard my ole gold friend Doc passed over the divide,
I only have one old gold buddy left, better thank him for always being there to buy my yeller stuff, thanks for realizing how much work we did for so little return, always gave us spot.
Its nice folks recognize hard work.


Getting my placer gear ready for a trip out in the bush, broke out the drywasher started first crank, was gonna replace the tray cloth n bellows I think it will last another few tons washed,
As long as I'm carefull don't poke a big hole in the tray cloth I will be fine.
Carry masking tape n silicone quick fix just in case.

I know I said I was throwing in the towel, that's just hardrock prospecting, I still mill ore, and always have drywashin.
Bleepins not happening till I gets a new machine.

Don't think I will ever shake this dadgum gold bug, fever, whatever you want to call it.
If I had to give my self a title professional Laborer would probably fit best.

Gt.....


My drywasher kit minus buckets.

Riffle tray still got some miles.

 

[Mad Machinist]

GT,

Wished you lived closer brother. I got lots of hardrock ore to work. Just can't find anyone local willing to work it. So it's just me and the wife. I love her to death but she doesn't need to be working hardrock with me.

Move to Arizona brother and I keep ya busy.

 

[gold tramp]

GT,

Wished you lived closer brother. I got lots of hardrock ore to work. Just can't find anyone local willing to work it. So it's just me and the wife. I love her to death but she doesn't need to be working hardrock with me.

Move to Arizona brother and I keep ya busy.

Have mill will travel, one needs to have at the least 40ton on the ground, this way if it turns out to be lowgrade I still get some pay and can get my mill home.
I take half the take, you supply the diesel for the generator, and mill repairs, I do the work.
Or we can pick up your ore and mill here, same deal half the cut.

Only if your serious, as Talkin bout it don't get ore washed across the table just gets me a day older.
And you have to have at least 40 ton,
Of ore that is, not wall rock mix so no waste piles they have tramp metal, it causes breakdowns.
We can run those but they have to be hand culled to find trash much extra work.

Anyways it hardrock mining .

Thanks for the invite,
Im gonna go collect some nuggets, do some bleepin, hope I find a gold coin before my old legs give out.

Gt.....

 

[gold tramp]

Bull steel, lady fingers n minin spoons, dryplacer tool kit.
Gt....

 

[Mad Machinist]

View attachment 1663588

View attachment 1663589

Bull steel, lady fingers n minin spoons, dryplacer tool kit.
Gt....

Good to hear from ya brother. Was starting to worry a little.

 

[A2coins]

Great post I dream of prospecting some day even if I found nothing just the fun of it Thanks for the post Good luck to you and stay safe Tommy

 

[gold tramp]

Been awhile since I talked minin,
doing the placer now, so I stay out in the hills, home time has been recouping from the boulder throw out n handcrankins of my drywasher and the much uphill hiking.

Hittin it hard since 1st of Nov or so, don't have a bunch to show, fact is its been kinda skinny Pickens for the amount of work I've done, thought for sure I would of hit at least one nugget by now, like I said it wasn't for lack of trying.

So I'm just chasing the black Rock drops as the ground is much wet down a few inches, this kinda limits my hunt to these drops, bedrock is to deep to wet till summer heat.

I'm gonna stay true, buff out as much as I can stand, my old hands are in bad shape so it's much sleepless nights due to pain, wear braces, it helps, just a fact of life if you labor much.

Found a wee bit of ore in my hikes, I always grab it if I sees some yeller, add to my bucket back at Claudette mill, got a 35 gallon drum 2/3 full, a few more months it might be enough to do a mill run.

Here's a shot of a drop zone for you armchair guys, note the pile of hot rocks (iron stones) gold wears an iron hat, most times these spots will yield the yellow, if you are the first to be into one it can be fabulous payday, I'm still waiting for a virgin pocket, till then I settle for crumbs.

I usually get at least one value, out of a drop zone, the one in the pic has many large black rocks and loads of small ones going to the drywash, I find the ones loaded like this, they will most likely hold a picker at the bottom, notice flat front of boulder, classic pocket forming nugget drop zone.


Notice the size of the iron stones and amount in such a small area.

You can see how wet it is in the pic, this slows my work as I have to let them dry out or add dry dirt to the mix, pain in the butt so I've been off hiking till it drys out more.

it's much green out in this ole desert now, gonna be very snakey spring time coming, anyways heard the club guys found a couple oz nuggs with the minelab, glad to hear somebody out here in this desert is doing well, I have to say it's Gettin mighty hard to find for me these days.

Santa didn't leave a new bleeper under my Xmas tree, was really bummed out, good thing I don't really need one to find the yellow.


Merry Christmas
Gt......

 

[gold tramp]

Last gold of the year, the bigger goes to my grubstaker, still no nugget, started back placerins in November, had to put new tray cloth on my drywasher, put my fingers through the old stuff, guess it was about 8 year old, amazing how much material can run over the cloth and it holds up.
Just Workin my butt off trying to find the yeller, maybe this new year will bring in a pocket for me.

Gt......

 

[gold tramp]

Update from Claudette mill.
To wet for the drywashins, going to be that way till it heats up, so I'm off prospectins now, havnt forgot about the bullion mnts, just found some yeller it gave me a little push to get out lookin for gold instead of hiking.

Did about 35 days placer prospecting, found like 5 grms, sure is alot of work for little return, maybe I get lucky next run and hit a pocket.

Anyways just couldn't stay away from the hardrock. I got a couple spots worthy of diggin, both are deep so it's drilling and cracking solid rock to get at the values.
the pay zone is only running about 2 ft length 3inch wide, so not alot of pay for the amount of work to get at the stuff.

Add a little depth sure makes things tuff, Workin the hills alone now so I gotta tote my own tools, muck, n dig, everything is heavy in mining and much hard labor. Jackhammer weighs about 35 lbs, I drill 1.1/2 by 18 in hole for dexpan, takes 30 minutes to drill one hole, much fatigue, drill like 10 holes so you can imagine what drill day is like and I still have to mix n load my holes with cracking agent. I forgot cleaning the drill holes out.

Jackhammer n muckin takes about half day if I did my drilling right I get mostly larger pieces of rock to throw out the hole, it just stacks up till I get it all cleaned out then I move it to the tail pile, kinda twice the work but I'm alone now.
More about the pay zone later.


Anyways, Holes like 10 ft deep, diorite one side andesite the other very solid all the way, no easy stuff as I'm past all the surface oxidize diggins well into fresh rock.
So you get the idea of what it's like down hole.

Should of just stuck to bleepin, but I got bit by the hardrock bug, now I got a mill an a need to always be a diggin.
We are getting ready to crush ore here at the mill, got enough ore built to get a good mill run going maybe couples grms, have to wait till it tables as this always tells the tail of the final take.



Im gonna give it a good run hardrock diggins till the ground gets dry enough to get back to work at the placerins, gotta get that dadgum nugget found.

More ramblings and pics soon.
Gt.....

No gold yet here's some decent rocks to look at.

Photo courtesy,
PINTO MOUNTAIN ROCK WORKs.