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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[GarretDiggingAz]

Garret you might need to rethink the area you are working in. Lynx Creek has been turned over three times, including what you are presuming are the "banks" of the creek. Nobody really knows where the original creek bed was it's been moved so many times. History: Lynx Creek is the most productive gold-bearing stream in Arizona, although other districts have yielded more gold from alluvial fans, floats and arroyos. The Lynx Creek placers were discovered in May 1863 by Sam Miller and four other prospectors of the group lead by Captain joe Walker. Sam miller reportedly panned $4.80 in gold from a gravel bank along Lynx Creek; on May 10, 1863 the party organized the first mining district in Yavapai County, which they called the Pioneer District. The Walker quartz mining district was formed November 24, 1863. Production from the Lynx Creek placers before 1900 is generally estimated at about $1M, although some writers estimate $2M. During the 20th century the placers in the lower section of Lynx Creek have been the most actively mined. Large-scale placer mining was done by dredges operating along 5 miles of lower Lynx Creek from the lower dam in Sec 22 to the vicinity of Fain's Ranch in Sec 28.The Calari Dredging Co. worked placer ground in 1933 below the lower dam that averaged 32 cents per cubic yard. In late 1939 the Rock Castle Placer Mines Co. used a dryland dredge to work the bench gravels in this area. From 1934 to 1940 the Lynx Creek Placer Mining Co. worked the gravels on the Fitzmaurice property; this dredge was the largest single producer in Arizona. Most of the placer mining in upper Lynx Creek was small scale rocking and sluicing, but a few larger scale operations were attempted, especially in that part of upper Lynx Creek just downstream from the old Highway Bridge. (NW1/4 of Sec 33, T14N R1W) During the period from 1940-41 gravels were worked in the area called Bigelow Flat to about half a mile below the bridge, a distance of about 3 miles. There was a lot more than a bulldozer run down that creek between 1863 and today Garret. The dredge below was just one of several that processed the Lynx gravels. Down where you are working the gravels were 1/8 mile wide and every bit of it was processed at one time or another. This is the Calari Dredge. It was 50 foot long, 35 foot wide and three stories tall. It used 85 gallons of fresh water per yard processed. It had a huge stacker to move the material that didn't make it through the grizzly. It was working away from the creek bed in some of the last of the unworked gravels. The best pay dirt was 15 foot down in the 24 foot of overburden. <img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=906975"/> The point is that you aren't going to find any particular level that pays consistently better than another. It's all hit or miss. The dredges typically got about 80% of the gold there and the rest got dumped randomly throughout the tailings. You are working the tailings of those operations. There is no virgin ground anywhere near water in that area. Dig and enjoy the gold. You will get different amounts each day you work that area. There are few nuggets of any size there but you will get gold there anywhere and anytime you dig as long as you aren't in a filled area that was just processed.

Clay
Thanks for the input. Some nice info there. The area I'm at isn't the Lynx Creek area. I do go there from time to time. Or flood/storm after flood/storm. Gives me a chance to visit some friends up there as well. Lol.
I'm closer to the Octave Mine area. So I'm going off of what I've been told from other miners from the area. So the last story was the bulldozers pushing the overburden off to make hills in wash.

The hills along the washes I'm sure have been worked as well but not certain of dredges in area. Since water wasn't readily available. Still finding the crumbs is nice. The fun part would be to find where they left off. Lol.

Those rare rough pieces seemed like small gold balls that were rough and pitted with a orange hue to it. Like it was around iron. Which would probably be from the wash. I figure they probably just rolled through whatever system used, or just too small for their interest. Good for me. Lol
Didn't find more of them from that spot. Went back to the normal flat brighter color. I'm not complaining though.

What do you know of antelope creek area? I know that there are several active mines by my spot. One seems like a commercial drywasher. Impressive to watch.

 

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[GarretDiggingAz]

Garret the source of all that gold is well documented. The area around Walker about 5 miles above Lynx Lake had dozens of rich hardrock mines with fine stockwork shedding gold into the Lynx Creek drainage. You will not find a source anywhere near where you are digging. The area around Walker is all patented private property. There was good placer ground up around those mines but if you drive up there you will see how there is nothing left of the placer gravels. It's all just clean bedrock now that it's been mined. If you want to know more about Lynx Creek and other well known placer gold deposits in Arizona you can download and read "Gold Placers and Placering in Arizona" by Eldred D. Wilson, 1961 from our online library. There are lots more informative reports there that should help you understand what you are seeing when you prospect.

Thanks for the link to this. I had heard of places around Walker but never checked into.

 

[GarretDiggingAz]

Lanny,
Thx for the story again. I really enjoy the stories. Can't wait to have my first nugget found with my detector story. Was sorta bummed to find the first in the sluice. Lol. I'll take it anyway I can though.
Well back to life now.

 

[EagleDown]

Eagle, search well, and I hope you'll be amply rewarded. Nuggets often have friends.

You've put me in a bit of a writing mood, so I'll post one for you (an early Christmas present) from this past summer's chase.

All the best,

Lanny

Man!! When you get in a writing mood, you do a fantastic job. As usual, a lot of rock-hard information for those who want to learn. Enjoyed every word.

Eagle

 

[Lanny in AB]

Thanks Lanny,
As always, great reading. Armchair prospecting is what I'm doing at this time as well as searching for a new job. Had a great interview at a company just out of Houston TX 2 weeks ago and I expect to hear back from them. I take off for Salt Lake City UT on the 17th of December for another wedding and possibly another interview, seems like the younguns are getting married in droves and God bless them for it.

From the story you are still using and having good success with the 5000. Have you had your hands on the Garret ATX yet? I'm still hoping the ATX will cause other companies to come out with their own new units to compete with the ATX, we will see.

Well, back to my day and let me know when your book comes out so I can purchase a copy! Each copy will come with a 'free' gold nugget won't it? Hmm, I think that could be an interesting idea!..............................63bkpkr/Herb

I haven't used the ATX yet, and you're right, I'm still using the GPX and refining my understanding on its use.

Good luck with the wedding, and good luck with your chance at the interview Herb.

I'd love to be able to give away nuggets with the books, but with the new and greatly accelerated pace of life I'm now managing, the book has been put on the back burner yet again. Now I know why so many people have so much trouble writing books--it's all of the time involved in getting it ready for publication. So, I may just have to satisfy myself with knocking out the occasional story here on T-Net for the next while.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

Lanny,
Thx for the story again. I really enjoy the stories. Can't wait to have my first nugget found with my detector story. Was sorta bummed to find the first in the sluice. Lol. I'll take it anyway I can though.
Well back to life now.

The first nugget I found I got sluicing with a river sluice years ago. I'll always remember it as it was in the shape of the letter "L". Imagine that.

Keep at it and you'll move on to find one with your detector yet.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

Man!! When you get in a writing mood, you do a fantastic job. As usual, a lot of rock-hard information for those who want to learn. Enjoyed every word.

Eagle

Coming from the master of the prospecting story, those are very kind words indeed Eagle.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Clay Diggins]

Clay
Thanks for the input. Some nice info there. The area I'm at isn't the Lynx Creek area. I do go there from time to time. Or flood/storm after flood/storm. Gives me a chance to visit some friends up there as well. Lol.
I'm closer to the Octave Mine area. So I'm going off of what I've been told from other miners from the area. So the last story was the bulldozers pushing the overburden off to make hills in wash.

The hills along the washes I'm sure have been worked as well but not certain of dredges in area. Since water wasn't readily available. Still finding the crumbs is nice. The fun part would be to find where they left off. Lol.

Those rare rough pieces seemed like small gold balls that were rough and pitted with a orange hue to it. Like it was around iron. Which would probably be from the wash. I figure they probably just rolled through whatever system used, or just too small for their interest. Good for me. Lol
Didn't find more of them from that spot. Went back to the normal flat brighter color. I'm not complaining though.

What do you know of antelope creek area? I know that there are several active mines by my spot. One seems like a commercial drywasher. Impressive to watch.

Garret I usually work a private claim just north of the Octave when I'm in that area. I was up there just a couple of weeks ago. We sometimes spend Christmas on Decision Corner - it's quiet then.

That's John Ryder with the commercial operation south of the Octave. He's been running the old tails from the Octave mine. Just to the east of you are John Hagan's old claims and Mark's newer one. If you run into Mark detecting with his Minelab up there ask him to show you the 12 ounce nugget he detected near where you are working.

The area you are in is Weaver Creek drainage below the Octave mine. Antelope Creek is on the other side, West of Rich Hill, it runs by Stanton. The gold is generally better on the eastern (Weaver) side of Rich Hill.

There is a lot of open ground up there this year so if you want more gold try down further on Weaver Creek west of where the Lucky Linda's used to be or along the ditches on either side of Morales Ranch Road below the Golden Rod Extension claim, there have been several quarter ounce to multi ounce nuggets found there within sight of the road. Even just sweeping up the road there will produce gold in every dustpan. Do your research and you will find more unclaimed ground to work than any club you could join.

It sounds like you might be on the Weaver club claims? Be careful, their claims map is wrong in several areas including over there. A lot of changes in the last few years and Weaver hasn't kept up with their maps. Things are getting tense over the Weaver club directing their members to other peoples claims. The courts will be involved soon and this time after the judgement the Sheriff will be enforcing those claims to keep things from getting out of hand.

If you have a good ATV and you can spend a few hours riding rough trails there is about 60+ acres of unclaimed land right on top of Rich Hill. Tough getting up there and you had better know right where you are at all times but the nugget patches are legendary up there.

There is still some really good ground around and on Rich Hill. If I were finding what you are there I would hunt around a bit more. The areas I usually work up there are pretty rough but quarter ounce days are not unusual when working wet. A single good day could make your season.

The gold from the Octave and Beehive complex is different than the gold from the Johnson Mine and Devils Nest complex. You can find out a lot about the different gold sources up there by reading Dr. Eric Melchiorre's book Gold Atlas of Rich Hill. It's the most comprehensive study of the gold sources on Rich Hill that's available. Most of the big nuggets shown in that book came right from the private claims where I work when I'm up there. Dr. Eric is a great guy that shares a lot of information but makes it easy to understand. We should all support any major research geologist who does so much for small gold miners.

When you are working on the Weaver side the minerals that are most associated with gold there are epidote, and a stained quartz known locally as ruby quartz. A 17 ounce specimen was found last year that was a beautiful red quartz with gold and it was found just below an epidote blowout. Classic conditions for the Octave/Beehive complex. There have been more found since and I'm sure there will be many more this season.

There's still a lot more gold to be found around Rich Hill. Don't settle for crumbs when you are in such a good area. Keep prospecting until you find an area that will pay your costs and leave you some for your poke. It's out there. Just be careful to always know where you are. Folks up there can get pretty cranky when they find someone prospecting their claim.

Heavy Pans

 

[BugHunter]

Lanny, another great story, thank you very much!

Was is a Gold Screamer that can be seen attached to your GPX? It would be great to hear about this alternative to wearing the harness and a heavy battery.

 

[GarretDiggingAz]

The first nugget I found I got sluicing with a river sluice years ago. I'll always remember it as it was in the shape of the letter "L". Imagine that. Keep at it and you'll move on to find one with your detector yet. All the best, Lanny

I did get a small flake that looked like an L. I'm thinking of putting it in a small vial that magnifies what's inside and give it to my daughter. Which of course her name begins with an L. She's my love child and my worry wart. Glad she's there to worry/take care of me. Especially if things get harder for me. lol.

 

[63bkpkr]

Lanny, when I first read your great story I did not have the pictures to go along with it so I "Imagined about Things". When I saw the picture of that HUGE placer pit

I had to laugh as my picture did not even come close to the true size of your picture, WOW what a pit!

What beautiful country, thank you for sharing the words as well as the pictures.........................63bkpkr

 

[Lanny in AB]

Lanny, another great story, thank you very much!

Was is a Gold Screamer that can be seen attached to your GPX? It would be great to hear about this alternative to wearing the harness and a heavy battery.

Thanks so much for taking time to comment on the story.

It is Doc's gold screamer, and it weighs far less than that heavy old battery and harness. I love it.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

Lanny, when I first read your great story I did not have the pictures to go along with it so I "Imagined about Things". When I saw the picture of that HUGE placer pit

I had to laugh as my picture did not even come close to the true size of your picture, WOW what a pit!

What beautiful country, thank you for sharing the words as well as the pictures.........................63bkpkr

Herb,

Thanks for the compliments.

By the way, there's a lot more of that pit behind me. It was quite the cut.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

I did get a small flake that looked like an L. I'm thinking of putting it in a small vial that magnifies what's inside and give it to my daughter. Which of course her name begins with an L. She's my love child and my worry wart. Glad she's there to worry/take care of me. Especially if things get harder for me. lol.

Hang on to that flake for her.

I see you're getting some great advice on other places to look for gold. Follow up on those tips--you've got some good people in your corner.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[GarretDiggingAz]

I always appreciate great advice. Especially from others who know that area as well.
I've always been exploring the hills of my state. Just never, ever thought about the color in the ground. Then, of course that's when I had a job and not dealing with my disability. I know I can't do a regular job anymore. So now I get to explore this state as a completely different person. With the limited income and trying to support family, I truly understand the old timers. Yes, I'm looking for gold, but as I go through the dirt I watch for other colors gems/minerals and just about anything else that could be of value. I've actually thought about trying to design jewelry.
Unfortunately, like most prospectors, still haven't found the mother lode. lol.
That's why I won't give up though, as long as I can keep finding a bread trail of some sort that possibly leads the way. I'll be happy. Just been breaking even possibly. (Keeps wife happy)

I think Clays advice is huge for me though. I've been toying with this area to wet my feet. Now I want to spread my wings. Possibly find a spot for my family to work as well. So I'm glad to get advice from him.
Plus, each time I go out. I spend all my time digging, relaxing, digging, sluicing, and sleeping. Never leave time to go detecting. I have spots that I want to check, but now I'm not certain about my maps I've been given. Though I do have a map showing club claims for the area around rich hill. So my next trip out I'll set aside 3 days and leave 1 day to dig material. Sluice at home.

Hmmm. What's that saying about best laid plans?

 

[Lanny in AB]

I always appreciate great advice. Especially from others who know that area as well.
I spend all my time digging, relaxing, digging, sluicing, and sleeping. Never leave time to go detecting. I have spots that I want to check, but now I'm not certain about my maps I've been given. Though I do have a map showing club claims for the area around rich hill. So my next trip out I'll set aside 3 days and leave 1 day to dig material. Sluice at home.

Hmmm. What's that saying about best laid plans?

I'm glad people jumped in here to help you!

The most gold I've found over the years has been in the form of the great people I've come in contact with while chasing the noble metal. Plus, in every new area I prospect, when I meet people doing the same thing, I automatically have something in common--the common passion we share about chasing the gold. That common denominator builds bridges instantly, and sometimes it forms friendships that can last for many years.

I'm sorry about your disability, but I'm optimistic about your chances to be physically able to get out and prospect. As well, I'm glad to see that you're involving your family in your pursuit--that's a fantastic way to forge golden bonds.

As for your summary from Shakespeare, the best laid plans do often go awry. There seems to be nothing more consistent in a miner's life than what Shakespeare was talking about. He really understood people and their "best laid plans". I'm living proof of that, and I've had all kinds of wild experiences that reflect his aphorism.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[GarretDiggingAz]

Thanks Lanny,

You know I thoroughly enjoy prospecting. I get to go at my pace. I see others detecting and it seems like they're in a race. Maybe I'm slow and try to listen to things too much, or dig way too many tones, but if I know it's not iron, I'm going to dig it up.
Funny thing is that I started detecting, because I love the outdoors. I figured if I found some old artifacts or cleaned the brass/lead from the desert. It would be a win, win situation. Then I was shown how to use a highbank sluice and dig for gold. Man, that was even more fun. So then of course, that system wasn't moving enough dirt for me. So I got the power sluice. What a time saver for me. So now the only thing I got left is to find some ground I could file a claim on, that I could pass on to family. Wanting it to be a lode claim though.
I would've never thought I'd even be thinking of doing something like this a year ago. All because I started detecting. Lol.
Not that I'm complaining.

 

[63bkpkr]

Garret, that was an interesting comment of yours about designing jewelry, I assume using the colorful pieces you find. If a person has an eye for shape, form and color
they can do alright designing and selling jewelry especially with the high mark ups on it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, you will take something mundane off the
floor of the desert, mount it and all of a sudden it becomes a thing of beauty and charm. You might give it a try by checking out a few books from a library or look on
the internet.

Also, you have a good spirit about you and you won't give up. I mean, why give up if you can keep going regardless how you keep going. In late April of 2014, that's soon, I will turn 70 years of age. To me I smile at the number as it is just that a number. It does not stop me doing anything I truly want to do as I still feel between
18 to 46 and even then neither number means a thing as I am still doing what I was doing when I was 18 or 46. Keep going bub!...............63bkpkr

 

[GarretDiggingAz]

63bkpkr. Herb

Thanks for those words my friend. My old profession was an architectural/structural drafter and designer. Spent half my life designing homes, buildings, and just about anything under the sun. Artist, I'm not. Dreamer I can do big.
I'll definitely check out some jewelry books. I've actually known a couple people who designed jewelry. I always thought how cool it is to take a bunch of nothing to make something. Besides some ideas I have is like doing a jigsaw puzzle. Now just need to find the right pieces. Plus, if I can use my own materials, that'd be a big bonus.


Keep up the journey my friend and I hope you stay forever young. I think I told you about the 90+ year old client of my moms that hiked the Sierras. When I met him, he seemed like a kid at heart. Had that sparkle in his eye. That spark can sure be contagious. He sure made me feel like I was out of shape, and at that point I was. But you know that high elevation stuff is entirely different.

 

[AzViper]

Lanny,

Every once in a while I swing by to read and get caught up on this thread. Great story and great find. Nice of you to take your 82 year old prospecting buddy under your wing to show him the finer steps of the 5000. I cherish the time I get to spend with my 92 year old father. He was a navigator flying the B-29 during World War II and has so many stories to tell. He still drives and still heads to the casinos once a week south of Tucson, Az. Enjoy your time with your friend while you can my friend.

Oh by the way assume photos...