Bedrock and Gold: The mysteries . . .

[Lanny in AB]

Do you love to chase the gold? Please join me--lots of gold hunting tips, stories of finds (successful and not), and prospecting poetry.

Nugget in the bedrock tip:

I had a visit with a mining buddy this past weekend, and he told me of an epic battle to get a nugget out of the bedrock, and of what he learned from the experience. I thought some of you might like to learn from his mistake.

While out detecting one day, he came across a large sheet of bare bedrock. The bedrock was exposed because the area had been blasted off with a water cannon (a monitor), by the old-timers! It was not fractured bedrock, in fact it was totally smooth.

He was not optimistic at all of the prospects of a nugget. But, for some reason (we've all been there) he decided to swing his detector over that bedrock. After a long time, just as he was about to give up on his crazy hunch, he got a signal, right out of that smooth bedrock.

There was no crevice, no sign of a crevice, nada! So, he had to go all the way back to camp to get a small sledge and a chisel. The signal in the rock intrigued him, but he still wasn't overly optimistic. For those of you that have chased signals in a similar situation, sometimes there's a patch of hot mineralization in the bedrock that sounds off, but this spot, according to him, was sharp and clear right in the middle of the signal, not just a general increase of the threshold like you get when you pass over a hot spot in the bedrock.

Anyway, he made it back to the spot and started to chisel his way into the bedrock. If any of you have tried this, it's an awful job, and you usually wind up with cut knuckles--at the least! Regardless, he kept fighting his way down, busting out chunks of bedrock. He kept checking the hole, and the signal remained very strong.

This only puzzled him all the more as he could clearly see that it was solid bedrock with no sign of any crevice. He finally quit at the end of the day, at a depth of about a foot, but still, nothing in the hole.

An experienced nugget shooting friend dropped by the next morning to see him, and asked him how the hunt was going. My buddy related his tale of the mysterious hole in the bedrock, and told the friend to go over and check it out, and see if he could solve the riddle.

Later in the day, the other nugget hunter returned. In his hand was a fine, fat, sassy nugget. It weighed in at about an ounce and a quarter! After my friend returned his eyeballs to their sockets and zapped his heart to start it again, he asked where the nugget had come from.

Imagine his surprise when he heard it came from the mystery hole!! He asked how deep the other guy had gone into the bedrock to get it. "Well, no deeper" was his reply.

So, here's the rest of the story as to what happened. When the successful nugget hunter got to the bedrock, he scanned the surface got the same strong signal as my buddy. He widened out the hole and scanned again. Still a solid tone. He widened the hole some more so he could get his coil in, and here's the key and the lesson in this story, he got a strong signal off the side of the hole, about six inches down, but set back another inch into the side of the bedrock!!

My unlucky friend, the true discoverer of the gorgeous nugget's resting place had gone deep past the signal while digging his hole!!

Now, of course, a good pinpointer would easily solve this problem. The problem was, my buddy didn't have one, so why would he widen the hole, right? Well, the other guy was the one with more experience, and that's why he did. It was a lot more work, but what a payoff!

So, my buddy's butt is still black and blue from where he kicked himself for the next week or so for having lost such an incredible prize.

Some nugget hunting lessons are harder than others to learn. . . .

All the best,

Lanny


P.S. When in gold country--check the bedrock, regardless of whether it looks likely or not! Mother Nature likes to play games sometimes.

 

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[Lanny in AB]

63--yes that's me looking back at you.

Indeed--the country is unbelievably gorgeous. Yet, most people never see any of it, as you have to get onto the old logging roads, and onto the old trails. Moreover, you must head up canyons that are full of wildlife. Many people turn around when they realize they're in wild country--it makes them tremendously uneasy. As a matter of fact, I've turned around myself when there's far too much grizzly scat in a short distance, and dense brush closing in on each side; but usually, I keep heading up canyons I've never seen before--just to see what I'm missing if I don't. What usually happens is that I find other higher branches in the valleys that lead to yet another series of valleys and peaks. There's so much country to see and so little time--so many streams to prospect and such limited opportunity--so much gold that's still out there and so many places it's hidden.

I wish you well as you head back to work to get yourself a stake. I admire your courage and undying spirit.

All the best to you my friend--stay in touch,

Lanny

 

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[Lanny in AB]

One fact, above all others, that seems to stump beginning gold prospectors more than any other concept, is the solid understanding of just how heavy gold is--how much heavier it is than the other objects in the water, and indeed how much heavier the noble metal is than the water itself. Moreover, because gold is incredibly heavy (as compared to other items in the stream), it behaves in a very predictable manner, and it will work itself into incredibly crazy places as it works its way ever downwards until it is obstructed when it reaches "absolute bottom."

And, yes, almost everyone has read in prospecting or panning books about how gold will "collect" downstream from boulders, and lodge behind trees that transverse the stream, and cache itself behind bedrock outcrops that thrust out into the current, and how it works its way to the bottom. Yes, all good prospecting books cover this.

However, what is lacking is the understanding of how gold behaves, how it moves on the bedrock and into the bedrock while under hydraulic pressure within a stream environment. This is a problem because how does a rookie, as a gold-seeker, have the opportunity to observe gold interacting with objects and upon bedrock in its natural environment? Well, it's most likely not possible (unless a person is lucky enough to get a gold dredger or underwater sniper to actively show them some gold at the moment it's uncovered and impacted by the stream's current). Yet, in reality, this isn't going to happen for most people.

I watched a clever video on the Internet where gold was sprinkled into a little artificial stream, with all the common obstructions and bends recreated, and it was amazing how quickly it collected in the "likely" spots mentioned earlier in this post, but it still didn't allow a person to see what happens to it when it hits fractures in the bedrock.

If it's possible to set up a little current of water in a piece of eaves trough/rain gutter, just drop some gold, of various sizes, into the current and watch what the water does to the different sizes of gold. And, very carefully observe how slowly the gold moves, and how difficult it is for the water to move it, even when you intentionally disturb it in the water column. Now, magnify that lazy effect by imagining the gold down in the strata of a stream, on the bedrock, but protected by a heavy layer of overburden. It's going to take a massive amount of force to move that gold.

That's why gold has been called "lazy". It really does not want to move, unless it absolutely has to, and when it has to move, it takes the shortest route between two points. Furthermore, even when it's uncovered (all of the overlying overburden removed), it will just sit on the bedrock and shimmy in the current and either not move at all (if it's a big enough piece), or it will very slowly move along the bedrock until it finds any kind of fracture, whereupon it will quickly disappear into that crack or crevice, or lodge itself against a hindering obstruction in the bedrock that it can't get over.

Why should a prospector care about this? Well, when you're looking for gold, you've got to get all the way down to uncover the aforementioned crevices in the bedrock (that's why smooth bedrock is so often a complete bust)--there's an excellent chance the gold is there in fractured, rough bedrock--and then get down into the fractures of the bedrock. Never overlook a good crack or fault, and always clean them out completely--taking every bit of material--simply scraping the surface is no good. Use a narrow spoon and then a crevicing tool to get right to the bottom of any irregularities--a shovel is far too big for the job--you will definitely leave gold behind.

Remember--gold is heavy: 19X as heavy as the water and about 10X heavier than the regular stream materials. So, remove all of the overlying materials, and then very carefully clean out all of the nooks and crannies--if you don't--you'll have done all of that hard work to get to the lower strata, and you'll leave the good stuff for someone with more gold sense to find it later.

Furthermore, if you're detecting and you find gold in a crevice, always chisel down as far as you can to open the crevice up all the way--in fact, go farther than you think you need to--test every bit of material you gather in a gold pan with water. By heading deep, this will allow you to detect signals you'd never be able to detect on the surface. Moreover, you may open an ancient crevice that was sealed eons ago, one that's loaded with gold--it's happened to me enough times that I always chase a gold-bearing crevice to its maximum bottom depth. I then very carefully check what appears to be the absolute bottom to see if there's any cracks with red, orange, or purple iron stain showing in them, as they could be cracks that once snapped shut over an ancient opening deeper down--for that's where the really fun stuff is hiding!

All the best,

Lanny

 

[63bkpkr]

Hi Lanny,
I agree with you that many people just do not go far enough back in to where few humans have ever been. The experience is very special and worth all the work it takes to get there. Moving through heavy brush is work, so is hiking up steep hills while going through heavy brush while looking for bears, snakes and other things that make life tough for a human. I once made it into a clearing part way up a steep hill. On entering the clearing I detected a heavy musky smell in the air. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, all my senses were on high alert and I had the hammer cocked on the 454 in my hand. Then nothing and the odor slowly went away. The spot looked like a good place to settle down for the night or to meet other bears but not a single pile of bear scat was to be seen. Unique experiences like these are bound to happen back in there and the beauty of these places is breath taking.

You are correct that I've experienced many things that I will know not to repeat. Usually they require a lot of work and mostly wasted effort save for the experience and learning and a little bit of gold. I will keep going out till I can't lift my pack or climb another hill and then I hope I can find some good soul to pass my experiences on to. Good stuff to learn and share it with others!

Thank you for including the picture of yourself as it is good to have a face to put to a name. You look like you've a lot of years left in you, good. Take care of yourself and make your life a good one. I will post a some pictures in a few days mostly of some interesting rocks I carried out.

63bkpkr

 

[Hefty1]

Hey Lanny.......Great looking pics, But you forgot the roof on that log cabin, gonna get a bit cold in there come winter
Great explaination on Suishi dog there.
Yea been busy here puttin on a roof on the shed and rebuilding this forty year old deck before the rain hits here. Opps to late, started raining today. Good thing the last part of the deck railing to put on is under cover. Had to rebuild just about the whole darn deck.
Yea that 63 is quite the guy you want to have around when it comes to moving material or just about everything else that goes on out in the wild.
Hope he comes back to the mountians next year.
One more shot at that crack this year and that might be it till spring.

Take care

Hefty

 

[Lanny in AB]

Hi Lanny,
I agree with you that many people just do not go far enough back in to where few humans have ever been. The experience is very special and worth all the work it takes to get there. Moving through heavy brush is work, so is hiking up steep hills while going through heavy brush while looking for bears, snakes and other things that make life tough for a human. I once made it into a clearing part way up a steep hill. On entering the clearing I detected a heavy musky smell in the air. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, all my senses were on high alert and I had the hammer cocked on the 454 in my hand. Then nothing and the odor slowly went away. The spot looked like a good place to settle down for the night or to meet other bears but not a single pile of bear scat was to be seen. Unique experiences like these are bound to happen back in there and the beauty of these places is breath taking.

You are correct that I've experienced many things that I will know not to repeat. Usually they require a lot of work and mostly wasted effort save for the experience and learning and a little bit of gold. I will keep going out till I can't lift my pack or climb another hill and then I hope I can find some good soul to pass my experiences on to. Good stuff to learn and share it with others!

Thank you for including the picture of yourself as it is good to have a face to put to a name. You look like you've a lot of years left in you, good. Take care of yourself and make your life a good one. I will post a some pictures in a few days mostly of some interesting rocks I carried out.

63bkpkr

63--we have something in common--we both have a 454! I've had more than a few hairy scrapes in the brush, and I always go heeled when I don't know what I'm getting into.

I'm glad you've got the get-up to go into the lost and forgotten regions--that's really where the magic is--seeing things others never see. I'm sure that what pushed the early mountain men into the undiscovered ranges, and the prospectors that followed them.

Glad you're dedicated to keep at it. I had a good feeling about you when I saw your first few posts--you'll do just fine as you keep at it. The things you learn not to do are some of the most valuable lessons you'll learn. Moreover, one day all of the non-lessons, and the wow-lessons will pay off and you'll be posting pictures of a variety of sassy nuggets!

Post those pictures please--it'll be great to see where you wandered.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

Hey Lanny.......Great looking pics, But you forgot the roof on that log cabin, gonna get a bit cold in there come winter
Great explaination on Suishi dog there.
Yea been busy here puttin on a roof on the shed and rebuilding this forty year old deck before the rain hits here. Opps to late, started raining today. Good thing the last part of the deck railing to put on is under cover. Had to rebuild just about the whole darn deck.
Yea that 63 is quite the guy you want to have around when it comes to moving material or just about everything else that goes on out in the wild.
Hope he comes back to the mountians next year.
One more shot at that crack this year and that might be it till spring.

Take care

Hefty

Hefty--great to hear from you again. Can't wait 'till Sushi starts posting again, and then we'll have the one-two punch from you two again. I'm glad that 63 was there to help you out to get some things done, and that you and Sushi got some of the land tamed as well.

You're right--without the roof on that cabin, it'll get mighty frosty this winter. That cabin had some rebuilding done on it, as many cabins have. There's square and round nails holding things together, and the remnants of a cache pit in the floor. I don't know how may more seasons it's got left in it. Most of the really old cabins that weren't rebuilt have almost all rotted down right to the forrest floor now--it's sad to see actually, and forrestry won't allow any new ones to be built. So, when they're gone--it's all over.

Good luck with your deck, and if you get one more crack at that crevice, post some pictures for sure.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

Everyone knows the three rules of prospecting, right?

1. Test

2. Test

3. Test

Years ago, when an old prospector told me this, I thought he was joking around. I mean, they're all exactly the same, so what's the big deal, and why have three rules?

Well, over the years I think I've figured out what he was trying to tell me.

Gold is rarely deposited all at the same time, or in the same location, in a particular gold-bearing area. What does that mean to the prospector?

Well, you may be testing an area and getting no gold whatsoever, but just off to one side of your main dig is a different colored deposit of soil. So, as you've already followed rule one and come up empty, rules two and three should then be enacted.

Even if that colored soil you've noticed is the exact same depth to bedrock as the uncolored portion, or if it's merely a thin deposit tight-on uncovered bedrock, that different colored dirt should be tested--it may be where the gold is running, just a thin, little pay layer hugging the mother rock; furthermore, that thin layer of dirt might be covering a hidden clay layer that's caching a pocket of pay in a hole or crevice, or concealing sheets of bedrock with clay sandwiched between them that hold pay (I've run into this before as well).

Or, if the rocks in the regular colored soil you originally tested all at once change size, or color, or composition--well--you get the idea. Moreover, these three rules apply to the soil itself that you cut down through to get to the bedrock in the first place.

More than once I've started off digging a hole to bedrock and I've gone right through the best pay layer (or the only pay layer), which was feet above bedrock. That's right--above bedrock! I've even found gold runs inches below the surface, and nowhere near the underlying bedrock. This phenomenon can be very true, especially if you're in an area that was heavily glaciated. Most of the standard techniques of heading to bedrock to get the best gold, or any gold for that matter, can often go out the window in areas where the glaciers have had their way.

On a different note, if the bedrock that underlies the deposit changes color (from the average), or composition, or texture, it should be tested as well to see if it's trapped gold that was not caught in the majority of the other bedrock of the average color. In addition, if there's a fault line in the bedrock, this can also be an area in need of testing. I've detected in bedrock areas where the large-scale placer miners assured me there was no gold running in the bedrock whatsoever, or they swore that the conglomerate tight on the bedrock was always barren, only to watch me find nice, sassy nuggets trapped in both locations (You should have seen the miners crushing every bit of conglomerate they could round up after that! They couldn't do anything about the gold cemented in the bedrock itself though--the detector is King in those situations).

Well, always follow the three rules of prospecting, and stick to it--you'll find some sooner or later. Just be aware and alert to conditions when soil, rock size and composition, or when bedrock color and composition change--they can all be tips that will lead you to the gold. (This works with garden variety prospecting, nugget shooting, or dredging.) Test, test, test.

All the best,

Lanny

If anyone wants to add their observations of the three rules of prospecting--post away.

 

[Hefty1]

Well Lanny without dredgeing here in ca, it is this way...

Test
Test
Test
Repeat



Hefty

 

[Lanny in AB]

Hefty--sorry about the dredging debacle in California. That is a real bummer, and I hope you guys find some way to get back to dredging again. I guess you'll just have to find those nuggets with your detector, or maybe get lucky and find a few sniping your bedrock. You've got a great looking claim there.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[63bkpkr]

Well since you two are talking about suction dredging I've taken a screen shot off my computer screen of some crazy nut dredging in Ca back in 92-93 time frame. This is what it used to look like when we could do it. This is a "Backpackable Dredge" whatever that means as with the gas, wetsuit, all the dredge components as well as the backpacing gear w/two weeks of food we are talking the 200 pound range for the package. Took three trips in and three trips out to move all of it via one crazy nut.


Then, more recently, I went on a little day hike and came back with this rock. It is full of air bubbles, like a piece of lava, and then there are several places with this pretty green color that reminds me of glass. I found this on A hillside, did not have time to look for the source. Any comments? It is quite heavy for its size and no, I've not had a chance yet to put a magnet near it though with some of the red color in it I would guess it will be partially magnetic.


Now to finish packing so I can leave for the Park City Utah area 'early' in the morning. 63bkpkr

PS - I'm getting close to fitting into that wet suit again

 

[Lanny in AB]

63--bubbly and green--I've seen basalt with green in it, and bubbles, but that piece there in your picture has more of a gloss to it. I'm not sure what it is.

I hear you on how heavy that "backpack" dredge was anything but that--maybe if your backpacker was a mule! Then, well yes it would qualify.

Nice to see that you used to dredge.

All the best with your move, and good luck,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

For the Rookies:

The halo effect.

When a piece of metal (gold nugget, coin, small piece of iron, etc.) is in the ground, nature does something very interesting to it. In some manner, the surrounding soil becomes part of the overall electronic signature--the halo surrounding a target. How this works, I really don't know, and to understand the principle behind it wouldn't really affect the way a person should hunt anyway. However, in reference to the halo, a person needs to be aware of what happens when the target is first moved after it's been detected: sometimes the entire signal can disappear! This is the vanishing halo effect and it plagues coin shooters and nugget shooters.

In reference to gold nuggets, this vanishing halo effect was particularly the case with smaller nuggets when PI coils weren't as sensitive. You'd get a good strong signal while pounding the ground, dig the target, consequently move it, and then the signal would vanish. Often, it required meticulous sifting and sorting to find the target again, if ever.

The newer small, hot and super-sensitive coils (for PI's) are much better at hanging on to very faint signals that result when the halo is disturbed, but it can be a maddening detecting experience when you're chasing a small piece of gold. Consequently, it's safer to scrape up the surrounding soil and pan it all out when you lose a target.

I've recovered many small pieces of gold this way that gave a very solid tone when surrounded by their intact halo signature, but when disturbed they either went dead quiet, or went in to a maddening on, then, off again whisper mode. (Sometimes, I've even found associated, small gold that didn't sound off with the original signal.)

Don't toss any surrounding soil away when a target suddenly goes dead. Keep it all in a small area (pack a gold pan or a wide-bottomed plastic bucket) so that you can transport the pay-dirt to a panning area for further processing. I say pack a plastic container, as sometimes you can once again get a faint signal from your detector (this is reassuring) as you pass it over the material when the dirt is spread out thinly in a wide, flat-bottomed container. However, sometimes you won't get any signal at all, but you still need to follow through and pan out the material.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Hefty1]

Thanks for the halo info Lanny.
Had that happen to me this past summer, thought i was going crazy.
I had a perfect target only to disappear after i moved a little of the overburden.
Thanks for the

Hefty

 

[EagleDown]

Now that I've kinda got my thread up to date, I guess it's time to break my
over long absense from this thread.

Sorry about not posting for so long, but I have had a lot on my plate.

In any case, very good post from a most knowledgable friend. Though I
was aware of the "halo effect", I never thought about writing about it.

Thanks for posting it. Over the last 45 years or so, I've found this
"halo effect" can also hinder a person while digging for coins. I've recovered a coin from
a dig, passed my detecter back over the hole and got a reading that I
was sure there was another coin waiting there. But, after digging well
beyond what my detecter could possibly register, finally gave up.
I mean, my Garret ADS2 couldn't possibly register a dime at 20+ inches.

(Could it)??

Eagle

 

[Hefty1]

Heading out in the morning going after that crack and to put camp away for the winter. Will let you guys know what comes out of that one.

Hefty

 

[Lanny in AB]

Thanks for the halo info Lanny.
Had that happen to me this past summer, thought i was going crazy.
I had a perfect target only to disappear after i moved a little of the overburden.
Thanks for the

Hefty

No problem Hefty--you're most welcome.

By the way--you weren't going crazy. It's happened to me many times.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

Now that I've kinda got my thread up to date, I guess it's time to break my
over long absense from this thread.

Sorry about not posting for so long, but I have had a lot on my plate.

In any case, very good post from a most knowledgable friend. Though I
was aware of the "halo effect", I never thought about writing about it.

Thanks for posting it. Over the last 45 years or so, I've found this
"halo effect" can also hinder a person while digging for coins. I've recovered a coin from
a dig, passed my detecter back over the hole and got a reading that I
was sure there was another coin waiting there. But, after digging well
beyond what my detecter could possibly register, finally gave up.
I mean, my Garret ADS2 couldn't possibly register a dime at 20+ inches.

(Could it)??

Eagle

Great to see you back posting Eagle. I did some coin hunting this fall myself--found some nice old silver ones too. And, I as well had some strange halo experiences with coins--kept digging after the original signal was removed--chased another signal in the hole, but never found the target. I'm not sure if it was ground noise or exactly what it was, as it seemed to wander around, and as I disturbed more soil, it changed positions again. But, back to you, I like your style about maybe hearing a dime at 20+inches--that would be interesting.

Thanks for dropping in,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

To the Rookies:

One thing to remember when you're working bedrock is that the way the bedrock is right now may have absolutely nothing to do with the way it was oriented in the past.

What I mean by this is that in the dim past a sheet of bedrock may have been under a stream's current, oriented flat as a pancake, catching gold in all of the cracks and crevices. But many years later, the entire formation may have been up-faulted 90 degrees, or tilted at a shallower angle--you get the idea.

So, when you're checking bedrock, (whether it's part of a modern stream system, or it's far away from an existing stream bed) and you see signs of stream action from the past (little rounded stones, sand, black sand, ironstone, and clay filling cracks and crevices) don't assume that the gold will only be trapped in cracks and crevices that run down into the bedrock. (Lots of guys open cracks that run down into the bedrock.)

However, you may also find (I stress "may" because it's not the rule at all) gold trapped in between sheets of bedrock that are laying flat. Most people check bedrock cracks that run down into the bedrock, but don't pry up sheets that run across the stream. Think about what may have happened many, many years in the past--those sheets that are now lying flat in the stream may at one time have been perpendicular to the stream's flow eons ago, and they may have been excellent traps back then.

I've found gold this way before, too many times for it to be a coincidence. The Earth is very, very old, and what with earthquakes, up and down faulting, tectonic plate collisions, meteor impacts, glaciation, etc., I've come to realize that almost anything is possible when it comes to the deposition of gold and Mother Nature.

The strangest cache of hers I ever encountered was in an area where the entire stream deposit had been turned completely upside down!! That's right--the heavies, including the nuggets, were on the top of the stream deposit layers--the ironstone was next, located below the nuggets, then the black sand below the ironstone, and the blond sands (sometimes two to three feet of it) under everything else!!). Yup--the nuggets were on the top, and the lighter heavies underneath.

The whole thing had somehow been flipped completely over, and this was a long deposit, about thirty feet in depth. All those layers flipped over. Now, that took an incredible event with titanic forces to do that. You really never do know just what's possible with nature.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[63bkpkr]

Hi Lanny,
That upside down stream deposit, are you sure you weren't on the other side of the world? Yup, ma nature along with the all mighty have done some mighty interesting/strange things with this old globe we live on!

Also, as far as Hefty goes, he is crazy. After all, he's taken up with me as a friend and I know I'm crazy!

Once, while I was waiting for company to arrive, I fired my 454 into an 8" pine tree that I'd lined up with another PT behind it. The 300gr, 3/4 jacketed lead slug went through the first tree and lodged somewhat deeply into the second PT. I was impressed, again, with the power of the weapon and I feel comfortable that IF I have no other choice that the weapon will dispatch any size or type of bear.

It will be interesting to see pictures and read about Hefty's 'happening now trip' back to "One Tough Crack" and putting camp away. I hope it works out well for him and that he does not freeze his tush off as, for us, it is getting good and cold in those hills.

As for me, I have not moved to Utah I'm only here for 1.5 weeks and then back to CA. IF things work as planned after my return I will head to Santa Cruz for about a month doing some handyman work on a trashed house and when that is over I MIGHT get a job with a company in Morgan Hill CA as a "do it all" getting an extruder up and running tubing, medical tubing that is. Time will tell on all of these things.

So, everybody keep your powder dry, get your equipment all repaired and ready for 2012 and exercise so next year in the hills will be fun. 63bkpkr

PS - Lanny, I still have that dredge just need a place to set it up.

 

[Lanny in AB]

Hi Lanny,
That upside down stream deposit, are you sure you weren't on the other side of the world? Yup, ma nature along with the all mighty have done some mighty interesting/strange things with this old globe we live on!

Also, as far as Hefty goes, he is crazy. After all, he's taken up with me as a friend and I know I'm crazy!

Once, while I was waiting for company to arrive, I fired my 454 into an 8" pine tree that I'd lined up with another PT behind it. The 300gr, 3/4 jacketed lead slug went through the first tree and lodged somewhat deeply into the second PT. I was impressed, again, with the power of the weapon and I feel comfortable that IF I have no other choice that the weapon will dispatch any size or type of bear.

It will be interesting to see pictures and read about Hefty's 'happening now trip' back to "One Tough Crack" and putting camp away. I hope it works out well for him and that he does not freeze his tush off as, for us, it is getting good and cold in those hills.

As for me, I have not moved to Utah I'm only here for 1.5 weeks and then back to CA. IF things work as planned after my return I will head to Santa Cruz for about a month doing some handyman work on a trashed house and when that is over I MIGHT get a job with a company in Morgan Hill CA as a "do it all" getting an extruder up and running tubing, medical tubing that is. Time will tell on all of these things.

So, everybody keep your powder dry, get your equipment all repaired and ready for 2012 and exercise so next year in the hills will be fun. 63bkpkr

PS - Lanny, I still have that dredge just need a place to set it up.

63:

Yes, Mother Nature has done strange things with the gold, and she's deposited it in even stranger places. As far as Hefty being crazy--I'll have to take your word on that as I've yet to meet him in person, but it sounds like you're saying he's the good kind of crazy--if he's exactly crazy like you are! I hope he solves his "one tough crack" problem and gets a whack of gold for his troubles.

You're right about the punch of the 454--it's got a very serious bite that goes along with its aggressive bark.

I wish you well on your working sojourn--regardless of wherever it takes you and whichever company ends up being lucky enough to hire you.

I truly hope you California gold-seekers get your dredging rights back--it appears that the crackdown in Cali may be spreading, with others trying to use it as an excuse to stop or restrict dredging in their states, from what I read on other threads that is.

Stay in touch, and you take care.

All the best,

Lanny