The Many Lost Treasures of Mariposa, CA (Photos Added)

[mariposagoldbag]

lol...it was down about 6 to 8 inches and gave a nice clear signal, I wouldn't say it was loud but it was defiantly there. It was right in the middle of a wash coming off a hill, mixed in with a bunch of slate and quartz, never hit bedrock. As for the Gold Bug 2, I actually wish I had of brought it along... I dug another 3 foot hole to later find out it was a nail about 3 inches to the side of the hole and only 1 foot down....lol...its a little hard getting used to pin pointing the signal with the Minelab, I wouldn't of been so lost had I brought the gold bug....but who wants to carry around two detectors? I'm going to have to try out a smaller elliptical coil for the 3500.

 

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[mariposagoldbag]

by the way its 3.4 grams.

 

[EagleDown]

Dang I'm good! 2 pennyweight would be 3.11 grams.

Hokay, you got a keeper. Thanks for the info. But don't get it all before I have a chance for a comeback.

Eagle

 

[SEmer1969]

Eagle - Just joined the forum but love your tales! I've completely blown off work this afternoon to read the 37 pages of your adventures

I'm out in Vacaville, been metal detecting since around the early 1970's, and hope to be able to run across you sometime and hear more about your incredible adventures!

Stephen

 

[EagleDown]

Wow! I don't know what your pay scale is, but that could be some expensive reading. I'm really flattered.

Welcome to the forum my friend. I hope to see more posts from you. And, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Thank you!!

Eagle

 

[CharlesP]

Thanks for the wonderful stories. I live in Merced and have family in mariposa, so i know of all the places you speak of and that makes it even more enjoyable to read. Btw I was at the gold trading post in mariposa today and started talking about all your writings with the owner and he said you were just in the shop a few weeks ago. Take care and thanks again.

 

[Oakview2]

Hey Eagle! I got my first nugget with the Minelab 3500! Thought you might want to take a look....
View attachment 641068 View attachment 641069

Very nice

 

[Oakview2]

Those Minelabs are one heck of a detector. Maybe someday, until then I am still trying to figure out my GMT

Hey Eagle! I got my first nugget with the Minelab 3500! Thought you might want to take a look....
View attachment 641068 View attachment 641069

 

[EagleDown]

Thanks for the wonderful stories. I live in Merced and have family in mariposa, so i know of all the places you speak of and that makes it even more enjoyable to read. Btw I was at the gold trading post in mariposa today and started talking about all your writings with the owner and he said you were just in the shop a few weeks ago. Take care and thanks again.

Halito My Friend. Thanks for taking the time to let me know!! It's always a boost when ANY writer is told that his endevours are apreciated.

Don't go away because I have a few stories left in my little hard-drive brain. (lol) Now, if I could just come up with the "where-withall to move out of this town and back up to the area I love and know, I would be able to refresh my memory and probably spend the rest of my life writing about Mariposa and other areas I've experienced.

Welcome to my little thread and don't be a stranger.

Thanks again!!

Eagle

 

[EagleDown]

Those Minelabs are one heck of a detector. Maybe someday, until then I am still trying to figure out my GMT

Hey, don't feel alone Brother. I've been on a learning curve with my MXT for a little over 2 years now. I'm not sure if I'll ever find a nugget with it. (lol) (Of course, the distance I have to travel to use it is a problem also).

Eagle

 

[EagleDown]

Halito My Friends,
Well, I've been flying back and forth over Mariposa County for the last week or so. (With Google Earth that is). (lol) You know what? Things don't look the same from the air as they do from the ground. I just wish they'd give us better resolution for getting really close. But, it has to go into the "ground view. And, if you're not on a hiway, you might as well give that view up! Some of the places I was hoping to show you are all totally hidden by trees. Heck, I don't know, I'm not even sure that I could figure out how to upload them into here. I think I'm just rambling here. (lol)

Anyway, one place I haven't been able to find yet is one of the most intriguing places I ever found while roaming the hills in the area of Mariposa.

I was following a dirt road to the head of a gulch on one of my little prospecting trips, when I realised that the road continued on down into the gulch. Of course, that made my day, as now, I wouldn't have to go down on foot and worse yet, have to come back out on foot. (lol)

I was probably 3 minutes into the trip down when it dawned on me; this road is too narrow for 2 vehicles to pass each other, and it was a l-o-o-o-n-g way down into the gulch. "So", I thought, "What do I do now, keep going, or back up for a quarter mile or so"?? Well, I didn't like the thought of backing uphill for that distance, so, I decided to keep going and hope for the best. (Sorry, I can't find a smiley sweating blood). (lol)

As you might have guessed, I did meet a someone coming up. Fortunately >for him<, there was a short area where the road was wide enough that we could pass each other. (You notice I didn't say "safely"). I think our outside rearview mirrors might have lightly touched together. In any case, I made it to where the road leveled off and pulled over to have a smoke while the sweat dried. (lol)

I'll be back in tomorrow, to share a mystery with you.

Eagle

 

[CharlesP]

I was thinking about your story when the floods of 55? Hit the bridge at briceburg and bent it. I was wondering what size boulders could that much water move? just curious and thought with all your experience you might now. Thanks

 

[Oakview2]

Hey, don't feel alone Brother. I've been on a learning curve with my MXT for a little over 2 years now. I'm not sure if I'll ever find a nugget with it. (lol) (Of course, the distance I have to travel to use it is a problem also).

Eagle

Low and slow and never give up. We will overcome

 

[EagleDown]

I was thinking about your story when the floods of 55? Hit the bridge at briceburg and bent it. I was wondering what size boulders could that much water move? just curious and thought with all your experience you might know. Thanks

There are really too many variables to give a concise answer to your question. You would have to find a large boulder, estimate its' weight, then determine whether it's sitting on bedrock, or on overburden. And on and on. The shape of the boulder would also have to be taken into consideration. Then, once the water pressure increases enough to move it, it might only move a few feet before conditions change enough that it stops moving. etc. I do know that I've been awakened at night by an earth shaking thump as a large boulder rolled over. (And that was during a normal run-off).

I guess the best way to say it is; it could move a 20 ton boulder, yet leave a 5 ton boulder unaffected.

Incidentally, for those who might like to know, we use to estimate the weight of a boulder by its' size. i.e.; One cubic yard = one ton. So, if you figure a boulder is about 3 cubic yards in size, you would estimate it at 3 tons.

Sorry I can't answer your question better than this.

Eagle

 

[CharlesP]

I was expecting a much different answer to this cause I hadn't thought through all the different variables that were present. Thank you Eagle for giving me an answer that opened my mind and educated me.

 

[EagleDown]

Hokay, let's see if I can turn my little mystery over to you. If there are no more interruptions for a while.

As I leaned against my truck smoking a cigarette, my eyes were moving around taking in details of the area when I noticed bare bedrock on the other side of the creek I was parked along. I realised that just beyond the exposed bedrock, it appeared that there was an old road. So, I had no choice but to get back into my truck and drive across and up the bedrock to see where the old road led.

About the time I rolled off of the bedrock, the road made a sharp left and ahead to my left, I could see a simple shed with a tin roof. Inside of the shed was a '62 or '63 Pontiac. It was very obvious that the car hadn't been moved for years. Then, ahead to my right, there was a fairly nice, well built cabin. Looking around, I concluded that there had been no one around or in the cabin for many years.

This little exploration took place in 1984, and I hadn't been off of the Police Force long enough to lose my respect for others property. (Come to think of it, it's been over 35 years now and I still haven't lost that respect). (lol) But, this property had every indication of "Abandoned Property". The amazing part of the experience was that unlike abandoned houses in these days, the windows were not broken out, and there was no graffiti anywhere. Granted, the place was well concealed from the road (which was fairly well used) by the trees along the creek, but I still can't believe that I was the only one to stumble on it during the intervening years. Anyway, the door was partially open, so I just HAD to see what the inside looked like.

When I stepped inside, my first impression was that someone was still living there. But, as my eyes became acustomed to the dimness, I realised that I was mistaken. There was a bed in this first room which still had sheets and blankets on it. It looked like someone had got out of bed but hadn't taken the time to straighten it up. Believe me, it was obvious that it hadn't been slept in for years, just by the cover of dust on it. It looked like the room use to be the living room, but had been used for a bedroom for some unknown reason. A little further in, on the side opposite of the door, there was a dining table and beyond that a counter with a sink. I could tell that they had piped water to the sink as a little was running out of the faucet. It had been running for so long that the drain pipe had rotted and water leaking out had rotted a 12" diameter hole in the wood floor under the sink.

But, what really got my attention was; there was three plates with forks and spoons on the table. And with the residue on them, it looked like everyone had just got up in the middle of a meal and walked out the door.

By this time, with my background in police investigation, I was becoming really intrigued.
So, I decided to look around some more.

Just beyond the kitchen counter, there was an open door that led into a bedroom. I entered and stood there trying to "get a feel" for the person(s) who had occupied it. I got the feeling that they weren't very old, and verified this when I found a couple of high school year books lying on the closet floor. The books were dated 1967 and 1968. (If I remember correctly). And, they were both from the same high school. So, I would surmise that they were teen sweethearts that got married after graduation. i kind of got the feeling that they had somehow aquired the cabin, all ready to live in, and had moved in. Oh yeah, there was at least one child, as was apparent by the toys scattered around in another bedroom in the back of the house. Since the toys were for boys, it might be safe to assume they had a son. (lol)

If you discount the years of dust settling on everything, it was obvious that whomever lived there took care of the place. i.e., no trash on the floors, other than what was created by the mice who had moved in.

Well, there you have it. I had spent enough time looking around that it was getting late, and I didn't want to drive back up that road in the dark, so I left and never made it back.

Just another of those little mysteries to keep the back of the mind active. (lol)

Eagle

 

[EagleDown]

I was expecting a much different answer to this cause I hadn't thought through all the different variables that were present. Thank you Eagle for giving me an answer that opened my mind and educated me.

You are very welcome my friend!!

Eagle

 

[Sam 8]

Good lookin' stuff guys...I wish I was getting out there with you but the world is interrupting my life these days. This will hopefully change around mid-July, and I can get to enjoying the summer before it is over.

 

[calisdad]

Eagle- that was pretty good for your 1000th post. Can't wait for the sequel. ;-)

C-dad

 

[EagleDown]

Eagle- that was pretty good for your 1000th post. Can't wait for the sequel. ;-)

C-dad

Sorry My Friend, I'm afraid you'll have to wait awhile for the sequel to this particular story. At least until I can figure out a way to come up with enough money to move back up to the area. And unfortunately, since my pitiful little (less than $900) Social Security doesn't go very far, I don't see that happening for a while.

But, in any case, thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!!

Eagle