Adventures of a Green Horn...

[G-bone]

Well on advice from other members here, This Greenie struck out to find a local Club to join.

I was hesitant at first.
I've been reading some posts about Prospecting Clubs just being a money maker off the people who pay memberships. Lots of claim "sharing" amongst clubs. Club Claims being burned out....
And none of these clubs are close enough to me to where I can actually participate in meetings and such and try to get a little more involved.

But I digressed and became a member of the Prospectors club of Southern Ca. and received my membership stuff with claim maps etc.
They have claims very close to areas we camp at out in Mojave.
So it seemed to make sense and membership fees modest.
Cover letter looked like a ransom note with half the letter blacked out.
so that was kinda weird.

Also - been reading things about the GPAA and the family selling out - the Club changing hands and falling apart....
But I'm going to their show in Pomona CA this weekend.
I gotta go and see all the tools and gadgets and stuff up close. maybe sit in on a seminar and be a kid again and hone my panning skills in the panning troughs.
Yup I'm green Dork.

It's actually kind of neat getting into a completely new thing at this time in my life, that I truly know nothing about.
Everything is so new and exciting to learn about.
I'm really into our country's history and this just opens up so much more neat info.
And now the whole aspect of Geology is opening my eyes and seeing the earth through different glasses. so cool.

The only thing I already know about is the outdoors. But this gives me the excuse to get out into them a little bit more. I'm kicking myself now for letting geology slip by in high school.
And all those younger years running around in Angeles forest and Big tujunga canyon and not once thinking about Gold....Dirt biking, Mountain biking, Back packing, fishing..but not gold.

The wife and kids think I've lost it and they may be right.
Hell, I haven't even gotten color in my pan yet!!! at least I don't think
But I tell them to pound sand and join me or get out of my way.


Cheers

G

 

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[kazcoro]

Welcome to the addiction. Get a pan, a shovel, a classifier, and a mixing tub from Home Depot. Use that equipment until you get good at panning, and you find some color. Then, work on more equipment. You can bring some dirt home in buckets to work on your panning without having to sit in the field getting sunburnt, eaten up by bugs etc. You arent' a prospector if you don't have at least 20 five gallon buckets at your house!!!

 

[goldog]

When are we going to get out. It's been tough going in big t this year but,... I'm finding lots of lead.
Hoping for more rain this month.

 

[GoldpannerDave]

Welcome! This is a great group of folks. May your pans be heavy. Have a great time at the gold show.

 

[Hoser John]

The PCSC has been around for over 40+ years, if my memory is working today. The older members who ran the outfit also belonged to the Palos Verde Gem/Mineral club my folks ran for years....GULP-back in the late 50s- 60s.......much good history but don't know folks who run the show now. Your thoughts and opinions would be appreciated after a meeting/outings for awhile. Lotza luck-John

 

[goldenIrishman]

Hey G-bone! Welcome to the "Family".

Most clubs are a great place for the new prospector/miner to get their feet wet and learn the basic skills. I've been prospecting and mining (yes...there is a difference) since the early eighties. I didn't join a club until two years ago when I moved back out west from Georgia. The group I hooked up with turned out to be a great bunch of folks but the group had a large percentage of "Snow-Birds" as members. The club also doesn't do much in the summer due to the desert heat. After seven years in Georgia where you have to deal with high temps AND high humidity, this desert stuff is pretty much a piece of cake for me to handle.

When I discovered the T-Net family I started sharing some of my adventures and getting to know some of the folks on here. With their help I've been able to really up my game and have learned even more ways to get on the gold as well as new methods to get it out of the ground. While clubs are for the most part a great thing to get into, T-Net I feel is a much better source for information since you have access to people from all over the world.

 

[G-bone]

Thanks all. I feel like a kid again and it's fun.

Kazcoro, I'm almost there with buckets and equipment.
Like I said, the PCSC has some claim access out in Randsburg district.
So now I'm looking at drywashers too!! Woohoo!!
The wife is starting to worry about me!

Goldog, just drop me a line when you can go and if I can join you, I will.
I have my eye on a couple of locations up in Big T, but they would require some hiking.
But I'm up for easier access stuff too and I spotted a few areas that might share with us.

Cheers folks.

G

 

[rodoconnor]

G-Bone , you might try to join the Taft club. They have most of Benson Gulch claimed. There is usually a waiting list to join this one. Also O.C. 49ers and AVTHS have some very good claims in the El Pasos and Randsburg area. G/L