Accessing a quartz ledge or boulders covered in poison oak.

[Ed144]

There is a small canyon or gulch on/near my property that appears to have exposed either some large quartz boulders or a ledge or vein of white quartz. I can't get to what appears to be a ledge of quartz about 4' x 5' due to a tremendous overgrowth of poison oak bushes. The exposed quartz has been in the weather a long time because most of it is covered with a layer of green moss. Would it be worth the work to take a close look at the quartz? It will be a great deal of risky (poison oak) brush clearing to get access to the material. I'm located in El Dorado county, Ca, near the south fork of the American river. I could try to get some telephoto pictures through the brush if that would help. Any opinions will be appreciated.

 

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[Tahoegold]

I used to remove a little Poision Oak on fire trails and fire breaks. It is tricky but can be done safely. One must be very careful and it may take a couple seasons. It's best to do it when there's no leaves. Use gloves and throw away each time. Cut using loppers and stack branches in a neat pile. Be EXTREMELY cautious of the juice that forms after cutting the end. If it presses into your clothes you'll have a burn mark like someone used a cigar! Cut once. Then back away. That liquid can splash off the end. After you're done you can go straight to the washing machine (dont touch anything just in case.) Have someone help you open doors and operate the wash machine. Use DAWN 3x concentrate dish soap along with the detergent. Make sure you took your special poision oak boots off and keep them from touching anything. Do not bring them into the house. Now after putting your cloths into the washing machine, take a shower with DAWN as well. Be sure to wash hands first then RINSE. Then arms and rinse. Now, wash from head to toe with DAWN 3 times. You wont get poision oak this way.
How I used to clear poision oak was with a large weed wacker with a 3 point blade. I wore a huskvarna helmet with the regular screen and safety glasses. I wore leather gauntlet gloves and long slieve canvas shirts and jeans. The blade wouldn't make the juice splash but walking on it it would be on the bottom of my shoes. In 2 years doing this I only got one little dot. I used cortezone cream after washing with dawn the same day and it went away in 3 days.
So, I suppose by now you're thinking maybe this is not such an easy thing? It's kinda spooky. I would really get creeped out at first. My father was imune from doing it for years. But could keep it contained and my mom rarely got it. After a while I just went for it and mowed it down and used DAWN as per instructions above and never got it. I know of a patch that is really thick. The home owners worked every year to cut it back. They got it done by cutting and letting it dry for a year then picking it up. DO NOT BURN IT. You will get it in your eyes and lungs. Not good. I would be careful and take the time to cut only as far as your loppers can reach. Let the branches and stumps dry. Spray the cuts with poision oak killer. It can be done!

 

[Ed144]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've found that two layers of denim, double gloves with the cuffs taped shut, safety glasses and then handle the brush with tools only will work. After the work toss all clothing in the washer and shower with soap head-to-toe twice. The poison oak is much easier to deal with in the winter after all the leaves have dropped. I think I will try to cut a path to the nearest boulder to take a look.

 

[Rail Dawg]

Tahoegold has it nailed.

Watched a video where a guy uses a black oil that is similar in consistency to poison oak oil (Urushiol). He covers his arms and hands with the black oil. He then shows the washing method needed to COMPLETELY remove the oil.

What Tahoegold said can be taken to the bank.

 

[OreCart]

I guess I would assess what you plan to do with the outcropping first. Since Lode Gold is often undetectable to the naked eye, it is unlikely that you will find visible gold. That mans to glean the gold from the quartz means breaking it up, crushing it, and then separating it. If you do not plan on making a big production of it, then it may not even be worth fussing with the poison oak. Being in gold country, it probably has been thoroughly checked a dozen times since the gold rush days for visible gold already.

But if you want to check to see if it has gold by assay, then if there is an outcropping, most likely the soil is thin and you can dig away from the poison oak and find the seam of quartz. You can save yourself a lot of digging by trying to determine the strike of the quartz vein, most likely running parallel with the closest fault line. That will keep you away from the poison oak, and you will not have to mess with it.

A fast, cheap check that I use, is regular soil sampling. For 1/4 of the cost of assaying, I can get farm soil sampling results. This does not give me gold or silver, but it does tell me other major and minor trace metals in the soil. Zinc is the biggest indicator, as zinc is most often found with gold. Find areas that are high in zinc and the chances of having gold in that area is higher as well. For $14 bucks, you could take a soil sample near the outcrop of rock, and get an idea if it is worth it or not to mess with the poison oak.

(One notation on agriculture soil sampling: if the area is pastured or amended using livestock manure, this soil sampling does not work because animal grain is often fortified with zinc or copper. My fields are fertilized with dairy cow manure and so my soil samples are high in zinc from the dairy cow grain, and copper from the copper sulfate baths used to treat hoof hot in the herd. So this method of finding gold is limited to forests for me).

 

[Goldwasher]

I'm close to you and can help you research if there were mines nearby. let me know if you need any help.

 

[mofugly13]

I’ve used roundup successfully on poison oak. Multiple applications. Spray it, take a look in a week or two and see what hasn’t started to die, spray the live parts again as well as the rest for good measure. Keep an eye on it and spray any shoots that appear. It may take a season, or two, but it’s worked for me.

 

[Tpmetal]

If you are gonna do buy one of those disposable hazmat suits and a cheap pair of rubber coated gloves. Be very careful and throw it away after.

 

[Ed144]

Thanks Goldwasher for the offer; I may contact you later. I'll try to get some photos through the brush today. I'm also going to check some of the loose quartz in the area with my Garrett AT Gold. If I can get at the quartz boulders or ledge all I can do is a visual inspection and detect them with the AT Gold.

 

[Bodfish Mike]

Don't forget you can get it from the roots and the surrounding soil.

 

[Goldwasher]

Roots = WORST TIME EVERRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!

sux.... When its wet. I call it Tea of Misery.

 

[Tahoegold]

I’ve used roundup successfully on poison oak. Multiple applications. Spray it, take a look in a week or two and see what hasn’t started to die, spray the live parts again as well as the rest for good measure. Keep an eye on it and spray any shoots that appear. It may take a season, or two, but it’s worked for me.

Home Depot has a poision oak killer. I have a mixture that will kill anything. Brush killer, with that copper stuff for killing roots in sewer pipes, and Deisel fuel. It is illegal to use in some places in this application so abide by the laws. Mofugly13 is right, spray, kill the branches and roots. Let dry for a season. Then cut. They will still be able to give you a rash so wear gloves and use the procedures. However, when dry, they are less able to spread the oils.

 

[mofugly13]

Yes, the leafless dead stalks will still get you! But it's much easier to cut them down without the foliage. And if you have the time, you can let the dead stalks just decompose as they stand on their own rather than cutting them.

I use the Home Depot brand HDX because it is way cheaper than roundup. It kills just as well. I have even used it on buckthorn with success.

 

[johnnysau]

READING about round up is very toxic, CANCER - Hodgkins lymphoma lawsuits ?? -----BEWARE

 

[roconnor]

Good old fashioned bleach does a good job on it. Get some naptha soap as well. I think it's derived from kerosene and cuts the P.O. oil should some get on you

 

[mytimetoshine]

I would have done this 2 or 3 months ago during winter... when the P.O. is mostly gone. It going to be blooming and juicy now. Better go stock up on Dawn dish soap lol. Also u might want to inspect the area with a good drone first. Post pics!!!

 

[Louie D]

I used to remove a little Poision Oak on fire trails and fire breaks. It is tricky but can be done safely. One must be very careful and it may take a couple seasons. It's best to do it when there's no leaves. Use gloves and throw away each time. Cut using loppers and stack branches in a neat pile. Be EXTREMELY cautious of the juice that forms after cutting the end. If it presses into your clothes you'll have a burn mark like someone used a cigar! Cut once. Then back away. That liquid can splash off the end. After you're done you can go straight to the washing machine (dont touch anything just in case.) Have someone help you open doors and operate the wash machine. Use DAWN 3x concentrate dish soap along with the detergent. Make sure you took your special poision oak boots off and keep them from touching anything. Do not bring them into the house. Now after putting your cloths into the washing machine, take a shower with DAWN as well. Be sure to wash hands first then RINSE. Then arms and rinse. Now, wash from head to toe with DAWN 3 times. You wont get poision oak this way.
How I used to clear poision oak was with a large weed wacker with a 3 point blade. I wore a huskvarna helmet with the regular screen and safety glasses. I wore leather gauntlet gloves and long slieve canvas shirts and jeans. The blade wouldn't make the juice splash but walking on it it would be on the bottom of my shoes. In 2 years doing this I only got one little dot. I used cortezone cream after washing with dawn the same day and it went away in 3 days.
So, I suppose by now you're thinking maybe this is not such an easy thing? It's kinda spooky. I would really get creeped out at first. My father was imune from doing it for years. But could keep it contained and my mom rarely got it. After a while I just went for it and mowed it down and used DAWN as per instructions above and never got it. I know of a patch that is really thick. The home owners worked every year to cut it back. They got it done by cutting and letting it dry for a year then picking it up. DO NOT BURN IT. You will get it in your eyes and lungs. Not good. I would be careful and take the time to cut only as far as your loppers can reach. Let the branches and stumps dry. Spray the cuts with poision oak killer. It can be done!

Good advice! I highlighted the 'do not burn it' from an experience my brothers boy scout troop had back in the 70's. They had spent a weekend cleaning and clearing up a campsite and burned what turned out to be Poison Oak in a giant burn pit. Several of the boys became quite sick and a couple had to visit the emergency room from inhaling the smoke. It is some nasty stuff.

 

[dave wiseman]

If you can,put in cuts above and below the outcrop and take samples.A detector won't pick up fine gold or tell you if there'
s higrade pockets or nice small quart species 5 feet down or in.

 

[Tahoegold]

Roots = WORST TIME EVERRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!

sux.... When its wet. I call it Tea of Misery.

Goldwasher,
I've never thought about this. Digging a hole with roots would be a big surprise when you get home. I haven't done this yet and this point will make me aware of the fact. It's even under ground!

 

[mofugly13]

READING about round up is very toxic, CANCER - Hodgkins lymphoma lawsuits ?? -----BEWARE

I guess dont get it on/in you?? Not really a problem. But who knows?