How do you rate 10 small flakes per shovel full?

[Jeff95531]

Well, I've been looking for gold around boulders lately...getting skunked. I don't know, wouldn't you check these out?


I decided it was time to go to a "known gold location" to get my spirits up. I should say upfront, that my previous missions of scouting locations of "known gold" have all ended before they began. Every trail and road had a closed gate.

So the other day, soon as we get off the pavement, the sign says road closed 1 mile. Why? Let's find out. Sure enough..rock slide!



So, within that mile of range, I find this! A perfect little holding pool, sluiced by mother nature.


Only problem? It was cemented gravel. My first! Great! Nothing I had on me could budge anything free. Found myself wishing I had an M-80. I got nothing and got pretty wet doing it. Found a culvert...cool! Attacked by swarms of mosquitos inside culvert. Ran!

Last spot, a 2-3 site campground right off the road. I poke at a couple larger rocks and not getting much material. Then I see a culvert coming out of the mountain, below the road...pouring out about 3 feet off the ground. When I start moving towards it, I see a little water fall with large rocks around the base of it. This is loose and I get a full shovel full and clarify it. I discover the clarifier is too big for my bucket and switch to my largest pan. As I rinse out the pan, I see a couple small pieces. I'm encouraged again.

All told, about 10 very small (1/2 the size of a pinhead each). And where are the pics of those? Since this was my first time using a snuffer bottle, ...well, I learned a lot without having much to show for it.

SO! I hope they clear that road soon. What about you? Would you go back?

 

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[63bkpkr]

Jeff, the road looks open to me, of course I drive a great old Ford Bronco and that road would be ok to go on. Gold is gold, if you find it it's your's and some folks get less than that. You are in an interesting area as you've huge tons of placer boulders about 4 inches in diameter. Was this area heavily mined with large steam shovel dredges? That's a lot of piles of rock for a river bed.

You need boulders the size of a VW Bug to really sort out gold and store it behind them on the down river end. Boulders that size and with 1', 2' & 3' diameter ones behind it as well and all around it make a really good holding area for heavies to drop out. Other than that, it looks like a nice place. Any fish in the water?...............63bkpkr

 

[johnnysau]

My homemade calc says about 2.08333 OZ per ton. Put in about 4.5 grains within 8 lbs or ore material. Very rich

 

[Jeff95531]

LOL...fish? LOL....OMG, I've got it bad!...I didn't even think about fishing!
The road drops off the edge pretty quickly and the pics don't do it justice. We could see other slides beyond as well. The boulders? Not finished with them quite yet, cuz I'm gonna go back and do what you told me too The right conditions are there...I probed a spot beneath the one on the left and all I got was top soil.

Still, the venturi effect between the two...not to mention the ancient stump in between....looks good no?

 

[Jeff95531]

My homemade calc says about 2.08333 OZ per ton. Put in about 4.5 grains within 8 lbs or ore material. Very rich

That's kinda what I was thinking. If it's that good at the outlet, what about upstream? TYVM!

 

[Fabrication Specialists]

Hmmm....I'd rate 10 pieces per shovel not quite as good as 15 pieces per shovel, but definitely better than 8 pieces per shovel...haha

 

[Aurabbit79er]

Hmmm....I'd rate 10 pieces per shovel not quite as good as 15 pieces per shovel, but definitely better than 8 pieces per shovel...haha

If it takes 10 shovels to fill a bucket that is 100 pieces. If you fill 10 buckets that is 1000 pieces. Get the picture? How much gold do you want?

 

[Fabrication Specialists]

If it takes 10 shovels to fill a bucket that is 100 pieces. If you fill 10 buckets that is 1000 pieces. Get the picture? How much gold do you want?

Wow, that was a joke!

 

[Aurabbit79er]

Wow, that was a joke! Thanks for jumping on me and insulting my intelligence, always good to have "helpful" people on here...

No insult intended Fab just trying to have some fun here.

I took the Boy Scouts Mining to the East Fork Gabriel River in 1997 We found a quarter ounce pocket in three shovel fulls.
had dug 10 buckets that day that showed about eight pieces, but that last bucket started showing gold like a salt shaker on the Black mat in the sluice box.
My son was feeding the sluice box I had my back to him.
He yelled dad. I looked in the sluice box and it was amazing.
The boys thought we robbed Fort Knox. They each got a little clear container with about 30 pieces each in it.
The dry weight came out to 8.7 g. I split it with the boys six ways for six boys.
The other 2 dads and I agreed the boys got all the gold.
Those are the priceless memories I look for in gold mining.
The gold is icing on the cake.

 

[Oakview2]

I would rate it as a spot to set up a highbanker and get busy

 

[63bkpkr]

Yes Jeff, the down stream side of those boulders. Test every 6" as you go down for color. I was thinking the area was a slide zone and was not surprised to hear further up the road was totally blocked.............63bkpkr

 

[Jeff95531]

I agree! However CA does not allow on site sluicing. At least they let me browse.

 

[Jeff95531]

Yes Jeff, the down stream side of those boulders. Test every 6" as you go down for color. I was thinking the area was a slide zone and was not surprised to hear further up the road was totally blocked.............63bkpkr

I should have clarified that the boulders are in the Smith River area. Instead of choosing the best spot there, I picked an easier spot. The "best spot" is just as you described...boulders stacked up deep and ranging anywhere from tennis ball to bowling ball size. Planning on taking my partner for help as it is a pretty big job for just me. These boulders are in a large dredge field a 100 yards from the river and much further away from any cliff or bank. To me, they look completely out of place, like they came crashing down from outer space AND haven't moved since.

The slide area, falls and gold was a completely different location off 199

 

[63bkpkr]

That is exactly why I was asking as they "looked out of place". Excuse me but you said "CA does not allow on site sluicing", are you in a state or federal Park? In national forests sluicing is allowed, it is dredging that is currently banned in CA. I sluice and others sluice in national forests. I've pictures posted on this site of the gold I detected/panned/sluiced..........63bkpkr

 

[Hefty1]

I agree! However CA does not allow on site sluicing. At least they let me browse.

What does that mean? CA does not allow on site sluicing.

 

[Oakview2]

If he means highbanking or power sluicing, I guess I am in trouble or whomever tells me any different is

 

[Jeff95531]

I was told by a member here that the only place I could prospect was the 6 Rivers National Forest and Recreational Area. This was severely limited however...a single trowel, no sluicing, panning only, can't sell any gold recovered, etc. I found that hard to believe, so I went into the National Park service here in Crescent City. When I asked about recreational gold panning, I was told matter of factly it all was prohibited, including the use of a metal detector.

Then they threw me the bone. Six Rivers (AKA Smith river and it's tributaries) allows very limited gold prospecting from June 1 thru Sept 30. They gave me a copy of the "rules" which I have if anyone is interested. I still didn't want to believe it and went to Gasquet's office and got the same flyer and speech. I've worked in government before, and if you can get any two agencies to agree, that pretty much is it. Of course, dredging has been prohibited statewide since Aug 2010

This is what is going on in Del Norte county CA now. I heard it from a local member, 2 state officials and got it in writing. What I didn't get was documentation (section #) on his position for the Forest Service.

A little background...6 Rivers used to prohibit all prospecting like the rest, but enough pressure was put on them to reconsider and allow limited prospecting which included sluicing. It was later revised to prohibit it.

 

[Fabrication Specialists]

I was told by a member here that the only place I could prospect was the 6 Rivers National Forest and Recreational Area. This was severely limited however...a single trowel, no sluicing, panning only, can't sell any gold recovered, etc. I found that hard to believe, so I went into the National Park service here in Crescent City. When I asked about recreational gold panning, I was told matter of factly it all was prohibited, including the use of a metal detector.

Then they threw me the bone. Six Rivers (AKA Smith river and it's tributaries) allows very limited gold prospecting from June 1 thru Sept 30. They gave me a copy of the "rules" which I have if anyone is interested. I still didn't want to believe it and went to Gasquet's office and got the same flyer and speech. I've worked in government before, and if you can get any two agencies to agree, that pretty much is it. Of course, dredging has been prohibited statewide since Aug 2010

This is what is going on in Del Norte county CA now. I heard it from a local member, 2 state officials and got it in writing. What I didn't get was documentation (section #) on his position for the Forest Service.

A little background...6 Rivers used to prohibit all prospecting like the rest, but enough pressure was put on them to reconsider and allow limited prospecting which included sluicing. It was later revised to prohibit it.

Yes sir I worked for the National Park Service for 7 years as a wildland firefighter and there is NO detecting, panning, drywashing, moving dirt or digging holes, etc. If you're caught with a metal detector or equipment expect to be fined and your equipment confiscated by the LEO. The NPS is no joke, they want to preserve everything so you no touchie!

I would personally steer clear of NPS property, even near the boundaries. Some LEO's don't really "know" where the park boundary is and if they think you in the park your stuff is gone and you'll be going to court to straighten it out. In the meantime your equipment is in evidence until you go to court. It's just not worth the hassle. Just some advice from a former "parkie"

Thanks, Chris

 

[KevinInColorado]

Guys, be careful or you'll confuse a lot of people and make things seem worse than they are. When I look at the smith river on google maps I see a state park and a national forest. Each of those could have different rules but neither is a National Park!

 

[jeff of pa]

I rate 10 small flakes per shovel full as allot of work Jeff
But 10 more then I have now [h=2][/h]