one day at Yankee jims...

[419GottaMinute]

Bars and the mining shop, mostly...lol. watrrs to cold up here, almost lost my pan due to numb hands in december at mineral bar. Christmas was great! Got this cool walking axe, jewelry for the wife, and powe r wheels for the kids. Happy new year to everyone!

 

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[419GottaMinute]

Also, saved some gold from this season and made presents for a couple of family members

 

[Fullpan]

Wow, too cool! - Especially that bad-*** walking stick

 

[NeoTokyo]

Hey does anyone know if the creek that runs along the road going to Yankee Jims worth working? I saw a lot of good bedrock but some of it is private property.
There are two properties for sale on the way down that have been 1000% destroyed by vandals, trash everywhere and down in the creek that runs along the road, really sad to see. Neo, The feeder creek is brunch creek and it is my understanding that it is mostly private property. I have seen people prospect the creek and a few die hards but I have not personally tried digging in that creek.. It is sad that ARSA decided to make yankee jims a pay to park and even more sadder that this last year (since ARSA took a finacial interest in Yankee jims the area is now becoming a den for people who dump trash and vandalize..) I am truly amazed how these people can get away with profitig on the free labor of volunteers such as myself and some other individuals who take it upon themselves to walk farther then the cash box to pick up trash. And rely on us to clear trails ect. ect ect,, Anyway I have some knowledge of parking that is only a 5min in extra walk and you don't have to pay.. I strongly urge you to save your money. Also their are 4 mine openining on the colfax side of yankeee jims? did you see them all!

So true, my wife worked for the CCC's and they only pay Min Wage for the hard hard labor they do to clear trails, make trails, clean up area's trashed by storms, snow, man and clean up after fires.

I saw the mine shafts, went into the one near the first waterfall leaving the area and thought better of it about 75' in. Potential gas and Bears stopped me from going in deeper.
It was pretty cool and I would like to go in and metal detect the walls, guess I need a canary.

Bunch creek (or brushy creek, depending on the map) is a bust. Ran about 30 pans there this summer and only got fly speck.

Too bad, there is so much bedrock too, thanks for the heads up.

 

[NeoTokyo]

The pics didnt load at first but damn those are nice gifts.
Also that axe is very cool!

 

[Gravelwasher]

I have to agree way cool walking axe!!!

 

[419GottaMinute]

Madmarshall: if your trick is to prk before or after the bridge on thw side of thw road, doesnt work any more...got cited in october and they changed the signs to specify parking in designated areas only.

 

[MadMarshall]

Madmarshall: if your trick is to prk before or after the bridge on thw side of thw road, doesnt work any more...got cited in october and they changed the signs to specify parking in designated areas only.

Interesting As generally I park on the forest hill side of the bridge and have yet to be cited though I will be now on my guard and I will take it upon myself to find out exactly what they can charge for and where? it was my understanding that only the parking areas associated with the bridge were subject to fees. And having just recently spoken to employee of ARSA when I saw him taking fees I couldn't help ask him some general questions about the area and what was allowed. And was met with the answer that he just got off of vacation an he wasn't really sure what type of prospecting was allowed and really wasn't sure about what areas could a person park and have to pay and what areas he did not if any.. I have called the office and they will tell you the fee parking area is at the bridge. The truth is it depends on who ever happens to be working that day will most likely dictate the fees and rules for that day.. I will also go so far as saying that since the fee at yankee jims I have seen alot of tragedy's not just trash/vandalisim/crude remarks written in quartz at the bottom of river and the list goes on since ARSA has taken a more active role in yankee jims But on the other hand I think I may have seen the fee box and a few fee sighns vandalized as well though I admitt I see that more of a glimpse of good intentions gone about in the wrong way.

 

[Ace2010]

Bars and the mining shop, mostly...lol. watrrs to cold up here, almost lost my pan due to numb hands in december at mineral bar. Christmas was great! Got this cool walking axe, jewelry for the wife, and powe r wheels for the kids. Happy new year to everyone!

Be careful with that axe. A man from my hometown about 15 years ago made himself something similar to that.He managed to fall on it and cut his throat.Didn't survive over 5 minutes. Most people who actually need a walking stick shoud not have one with blades or sharp points.Just saying be careful.
I heard about another guy that was picking up cans off the side of the road with a stick with a nail sticking out of the end and fell and stuck the nail right through his juggler vein.He also made it about 5 minutes.

 

[419GottaMinute]

Jeeze ace! Clumsy pwople should not carry edged weapons, I guess.

 

[Barndawg]

"Careful with that axe Eugene" Floyd

 

[MadMarshall]

"Neotokyo" I saw the mine shafts, went into the one near the first waterfall leaving the area and thought better of it about 75' in. Potential gas and Bears stopped me from going in deeper.
It was pretty cool and I would like to go in and metal detect the walls, guess I need a canary.

the one by the water fall on the colfax side goes in about 2 football feilds and if I remberer right was tagged with satonist crap. I beleive its was the BAUR MINE or the ANNE LAURRIE mine though I have to double check anyway the mine next to Devils falls on the foresthill side has a few different ways to go and I have only ventured in there a few times as recently I noticed a claim sighn ROSHAMBO wich could have been there for years or not can't say as I rarely spend anytime on shirtail. but since I noticed the sighn I stopped entering the mine and sampling though it's very cool!! I ll check to see if it's abondoned or if someone has rights to it. Unsure of the name of this mine I just call it white rabbit Mine. Oh yea I have taken samples from most of the mines in the area I am aware of and almost always color shows up on the foresthill side. though Ill admit that I have just recently started exploring the possibilities of working in a mine so I still have alot to learn and my conclusions maybe somewhat flawed.

 

[NeoTokyo]

Damn, 2 football fields? As long as there are no bears, deadly gas or pitfalls in it then I am game.

The chunk of quarts that I sample had some very fine micro gold in it and some bright silver material as well, pretty neat stuff but so fine that I really cant separate it from the black sands.

 

[Reed Lukens]

Yea, Brushy is ok for swimming but I looked around the falls and never found anything. It is sad that the ASSRA thinks that they can charge people to park. The dam wasn't built, these useless jobs need to be cut to save the taxpayers from paying more taxes, then add paying to park deep in the woods in an unimproved area... We already pay their salaries in taxes, making people pay to park out there is asinine.

On a lighter note I've been in every one of the mines all the way to the end. Take lights for the kids & they will have a blast. I've been doing it every year since I was a child. My dad did the same thing with me back in the 60's, so I carried it on with my friends and children. When you get to the back of the one above Devils Falls, turn out the light for a while & sit there and enjoy the surroundings. When the water is flowing in flood stage you can hear it from the back of the mine. The claim signs are for placer along Shirttail. I used to rent a claim down there off of Shirttail canyon rd. Very nice place and claimed solid from above Devils by the owner. I can't remember his name now but a lot of gold has come out of shirttail. Here's a pic of our dredging on Shirttail.

 

[KevinInColorado]

NeoTokyo, I have a hard time believing you got stumped on panning even superfine gold out. Maybe all my Colorado fine gold experience can help. Wanna send me a sample to experiment on...and give you some tips? Send me a PM if so...

Mine it and recycle it!