Tell us your results too.
Dang N8. Sorry to hear the day was shot to the heavens... I sure hope the next trip is much better. !Not much of any results to tell lol. I hiked penny weight to Stevens and hiked quite a ways up there. Bedrock looked fairly cleaned out and busted up along the way. Sluices, buckets and other types of equipment stashed everywhere. Also garbage everywhere.. broken shovels and other broken mining tools old camping gear thrown around and torn up everywhere. People camping EVERYWHERE out there. Every little side trail going down to the river was occupied by either regular campers or homeless people who were camping out and mining. I didn't want to invade so turned around whenever I came across a camp. All the areas I came across didn't look good for sniping only good if you clear it with a big sluice first. I didn't bother. I'll try Yankee Jims next...
Dang N8. Sorry to hear the day was shot to the heavens... I sure hope the next trip is much better. !
Awesome man, so today wasnt too bad afterall. Glad to hear it.Wasn't a total loss. Got a good hike in and some exploration time. I like exploring places I've never been. Also had someone call on my bazooka that I was selling as I was hiking out so I got that sold =]
Not much of any results to tell lol. I hiked penny weight to Stevens and hiked quite a ways up there. Bedrock looked fairly cleaned out and busted up along the way. Sluices, buckets and other types of equipment stashed everywhere. Also garbage everywhere.. broken shovels and other broken mining tools old camping gear thrown around and torn up everywhere. People camping EVERYWHERE out there. Every little side trail going down to the river was occupied by either regular campers or homeless people who were camping out and mining. I didn't want to invade so turned around whenever I came across a camp. All the areas I came across didn't look good for sniping only good if you clear it with a big sluice first. I didn't bother. I'll try Yankee Jims next...
Hey NuggetN8, Mineral Bar has been insanely picked over as it's the most easily accessible gold bearing location on the NF American. I've prospected here extensively, but don't anymore. It's where a lot of prospectors get their chops before they learn to go elsewhere. I've had the same experience you had; hiking up and encountering the territorial river hobos, the trash.. The trash and the attitudes made me saddened, but the amount of people out there looking for gold made me feel like I was back in the 1850's gold rush. It was exciting and disappointing at the same time. Probably like the real gold rush :-/ If you want to go prospecting in that area I could show you some places I like to go where there's good color. If you're interested shoot me a message with your # and good times to call, and we can chat over the phone about a possible gold adventure in the future. In the mean time, may your pans be yellow! E the P
Hi Erik, I just got home from my first trip up North, I went to Bear River for a couple days then a friend who just moved up there (actually camping out until he brings his family up when school lets out) took me first to Yankee Jims where we went down river a ways, found some color but nothing much, next day we went to Mineral Bar, hiked down river to the gravel bar/rapids at the corner (about 3/4 mile I guess) same result found a little color but not much. I plan on coming up that way a few times from this coming spring through the fall, would love to connect & try some new spots.
Sherry here is a report . Weather will be In the 60's on Thursday and Friday. No chance of rain until late Friday night Water will be cold with variations in flow due to snow melt.
Good Luck to you ALL this week: Happy Holiday to you ALL!
Heavy Pans. God Speed.
(wish I could arrive fashionably late; but it doesn't look like the opportunity has arisen.
Be well Everyone!
Looks like the NFAR area had a storm starting ~ 21Nov, high water peaked ~ 10 AM on the 23rd (600 CFS) and is now down to about 100 CFS which is up from the ~ 40 CFS it has been at for some months now.
Ah the North Fork, my I miss that river and the mountains and etc. For the diligent seeker gold can be found but the further away from the easy to get to spots the better the gold could be, one must still pick their spots with wisdom to put themselves in the most likely spot to be able to find any gold.
And yes the water is likely to be cold as in mid August it is typically 54 F with the sun shining on it from early in the morning. In the late 70's it would be 72 F by noon but a year or two later it dropped to the 54 F area and has stayed there for many years.
Best of success with your efforts..................63bkpkr
View attachment 1084206 The NFAR is a "bit" downhill from this feeder stream picture. Just out of the picture to the left is the hard rock gold mine that the water cut through and delivered the tell tale trail of gold to the heavier water below this spot that drove it all the way down to the NFAR. Must have been awesome to come across the gold from the vein! By the way, getting to this outback location with a light pack is not easy and with an 85 lb pack it is a downright work out though even the scenery is worth the effort. Should you decide to tackle some of the back country be sure you are in really good physical condition or you could be risking your life.