Smyth Creek California Gold Prospecting-Season One

[yotaboy86]

I had a chance to look at the slide a few weeks ago and yikes ..wouldnt want to be digging there when that happened lol. That does suck about your secret spot though ...hope you find an even better one

 

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[Jeff95531]

Yep, disappointing for sure. To add insult to injury, there was a second slide up creek and that has maintained the "lake" right on top of my spot. That second slide came down like gangbusters, the first one more like a glacier. The pinch at the outlet is 75% smaller now so the water is really rushing.







The latest storms we had surely fueled the fire. Got to within 6' of flood stage (33') on the Smith. Gusts to 75 MPH, trees down, roads closed, flooding, power outages, etc. We had power but no tv or internet for a couple of days.

 

[yotaboy86]

Maybe you will get lucky and those slides dumped a bunch of gold for you lol...i must have missed the second slide or i didnt go far enough i didnt know that there were two slides ..thanks for posting the cool pics

 

[63bkpkr]

Hi Jeff,
Yotaboy kinda took the words right out of my mind, all that mountain moving could have disturbed some interesting material. All that dirt up on the hill is still mighty unstable but maybe snooping around the edges would be ok. Just a thought..................63bkpkr

 

[Jeff95531]

I did think about it last year but that ground is really unstable. Maybe if the creek drops enough this fall, I'll wade across with a shovel and bucket, get a sample and hightail it outta there.

 

[Jeff95531]

First of all, I want to thank the other Jeff (goldenIrishman) for taking a full two hours on the phone with me today as he taught me how to navigate maps and work in Land Matters. I can now "do" the maps quicker than my computer can load them (trust me, that's not that fast). With what happened at Smyth Creek Two this winter, it's time to look elsewhere for sites...and we found a lot of good info to get me started. For this and other reasons, I've decided to let this thread expire as (if) anything else is done at the old site it will be a sidebar. Between Jeff and Clay (Land Matters), they have given me enough info and knowledge to strike out on my own in the world of prospecting for a claim here in CA. It's a pipe dream for now, but like I say:

"We're not there yet but we're closer than we've ever been".

I hope to share some of the knowledge I gained today in the new thread as well as the adventures of getting there. Between Jeff (and all the other knowledgeable people here) covering claim acquisition, maybe I can offer help to others with finding a place to start with.

Ps One thing that had my head spinning is the "green dots" on my Land Matters map. They show where old places used to be. (sure, I've done my research but all of the places of historical significance I have found have been outlawed to detecting...these are to be found on the internet IF you know exactly what to look for.) So OMG, dust off the metal detector...here I come!!! To be honest, I don't care if it's a double eagle or a nugget!

Decisions...decisions...



Best of luck to all this season and keep us posted.

 

[goldenIrishman]

I'm glad I was able to help you to further your abilities in some small way Jeff. Prospecting and mining are not something that you're ever going to learn all there is to know. I've been at it for years off and on (more on lately of course) and I'm still learning new things all the time. When we think that we've learned everything about any subject, it's most likely that something is going to jump up and bite us in places we'd much rather not have bitten! All we can do is keep an open mind and not be afraid to try new ideas and methods.

I always enjoy our talks on the phone and hope that we both remain in good enough health to keep prospecting and sharing our joy of the "Art Form" for years to come. Now... That being said.... Get your butt down here and start learning the desert methods!

 

[Jeff95531]

I think I'll wait till you get closer to Vegas...baby

 

[goldenIrishman]

OH GAWD!!!!! The two of us in Vegas?!?!?! What a scarey thought (for the residents of Vegas!)

 

[AuSomeness]

I just wanted to let you know Jeff95531 that I have really enjoyed this thread. I am still on my journey to being comfortable with calling myself a miner. I know I'll get there eventually, but it's encouraging to read the stories of others who are on the same path. We can certainly all learn from each other here... that's what makes TN fantastic! I look forward to reading your future updates!

 

[Jeff95531]

Thanks AU. I am back to prospecting for new spots as it's doubtful I'll be able to mine the last area...maybe late fall but not depending on it. I have been using the Land Matters maps and features and slowly getting better at it. I doubt I would (or could) be able to file a claim near me but can have fun trying to find something worthy. One of the things I'm looking at is going up into the mountains (and hopefully closer to a "source") so I have been reading up on geology, formations and images of rocks. Recently, the subject of loaming came up and Mad Marshall was finding gold in a bank a long way from the river...likely gold left over from unsucesfull hydro sluicing. They never get it all is my new mantra.

Thanks for the kind words and good luck to you sir!

 

[huntsman53]

Great Thread and post Jeff! I don't know how I missed it before but am now glad that I found it and read every post! I know that you have wrote off Smyth Creek Two for the time being as a lost cause but I really think that you should go back to see what the slide brought down. The material in that big one in the pics, really looks interesting and promising and would be worth the time to check it out. Who knows, if it is Gold bearing, there might be some eye finds as in nuggets just laying on the top of the ground waiting for you to come along. What are the rules about digging up in the slide area? Being here in Tennessee, I have no clue as to what you are allowed or not allowed to do! If I had found such a great Gold producing site as where you found the small gravels/rocks and was getting nice Gold, I think that I would see if I could help Mother Nature clear some of the blockages on the creek to get the water levels back down to where you can work the spot again. Who knows, you might only have to move some of the bigger rocks and much of the rest will begin to collapse due to the current. It's just a thought but one that I would consider!

I plan on getting back to my' secret spot on a creek pretty soon and work on getting the overburden off hole with the whitish, greyish and bluish clays where I was getting Gold before. Several flash floods since 2011, really did a job on destroying the spot where an underground stream brought Gold and other heavy metals into the creek that I prospect on. There are several tons of overburden to clear but if I can get to or below the level this spot was before, then I plan and hope to get some or all of the big boulders out that are blocking the underground stream from feeding more Gold and heavy metal laden material into the stream.


Frank

 

[Jeff95531]

Thanks Frank. And you're right, after a typical summer dry spell, all of that fresh stuff can be accessed and tested. Problem is, I gotta get out and about right now cuz it's been too long. We've just had another string of mild storms but good rain producers so some material may be washed down and then downstream. All is flooded and raging in the area now...but I'll get it. Only hand tools and pans are allowed in the area which hasn't really cramped my style. Would like to take a hand suction dredge to the spot as endless cracks and crevices are still available. Some I couldn't find bottom with a six foot branch!

Thanks for taking the time to read my thread. I've enjoyed your posts as well.
Heavy pans to ya
Jeff
Ps I am familiar with too much overburden as well. I once found a great concave cut-out in the solid bedrock bank where a back wash has flowed forever. Problem is I don't know if it's a truck load or 10 truck loads. I tried to do a test hole with a post hole digger, but the sand and gravel kept caving in. And it's still there waiting for me.

 

[Jeff95531]

I just posted this as a response to Lanny in the Bedrock and Gold thread. The site is pretty big and I thought I'd post it here as well to keep my other "gold buddies" up to speed.

I have been looking around the high country here and brought a couple samples home. The first one I called "clear cut view" as timber was being harvested it exposed a fantastic panoramic view. What was even more interesting, over burden had been scraped down to bedrock. Problem was it was 100% clay and no amount of washing and rinsing exposed any gold. The second I called "Panther Flat". I found a boulder about the size of a VW that was shaped like a drop riffle sluice with a hole depression at the back and a flat upright back. One flake. I think the "hole" was too shallow and the fast water cleans it out and as the river drops, it deposits just tennis ball size rocks.

A little off topic but my life has been much like a country song of late. Shortly after my annual physical my Doc called to tell me 1/2 my blood is missing. A colonoscopy is required soon (been there, done that before and it saved my life...cancer found/removed). Then he says to stop drinking alcohol. A daily thing for me but no TD's happy to say.

Then my best friend and constant companion in the whole wide world (Cocoa-almost 13 yo Chocolate Lab) stopped eating and drinking, throwing up...you know the signs. Had to put him down Thursday of the same week. He was always dredging while I was panning and digging and he idolized me like a 6 year old would a super hero.

It's times like these that I need a visit from one of my hero's to keep my chin up.

 

[Oregon Viking]

I hope your health issues are resolved. I'am sorry about your loss, a dog is part of the family.
Panther flat area is a great place to explore.

 

[Sideways Sherry]

Hey Jeff! I hope things are going better. I had a little dog for 15 years, had him long before my son was born, my son never knew a day of life with out him until he passed away. It was like losing my first born son! I have been contemplating getting a dog to prospect with me here of late, until I heard the story of my friend... his new pup... and him getting poison ivy all over his arms, neck and face from snuggling with the pup in the sleeping bag. Maybe I should reconsider, I do miss my companion though!

 

[Jeff95531]

Thanks for checking in Sherry. It's been 6 weeks and health issues still unresolved. Part of the problem living slightly off the grid is my doc that I need to see had a family crisis himself and well...life happens...have to wait till he gets back. I miss my buddy more than I ever thought I could. Karen and I bought a couple bikes to do something different and get some much needed exercise.

I did go out last weekend to explore an old mining area...strictly metal detecting tho. I learned a lot...purposefully got off the beaten path and started by looking for open areas with small growth trees which netted me plenty of nails from the long gone buildings. Then checked around the base of single old growth trees. Expanding from there led me to finding brush covered tailing piles. I was checking those carefully but no hits or nuggets. Then some bush-wacking on some old trails that lead down to the creek. I did find and ax head and an old D ring.

 

[Sideways Sherry]

Well I'm glad you got out and I suppose finding something even if mostly nails is better than nothing. How old do you think the Axe head is?

It's tim for you to get a new puppy!