The Gilded Couple (The Gilded Lens) - A golden journey.

OP
OP
The Gilded Lens

The Gilded Lens

Sr. Member
Oct 13, 2014
476
815
The Sierra Nevadas
Detector(s) used
Garrett 14" Pan, Garrett 15" Super Sluice Pan, Bazooka 36" Sniper,
Hand Dredge
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
About the "Here she is in action" pictures, lovely colors and lovely water! I miss both!!.......................63bkpkr

Thanks! I took the Nikon out with us. The water was crystal clear, but also pretty dang cold. I only have slogger's rain boots and their mid calf and I stepped in a "rapid" and flooded them. Then decided I didn't care and went the whole day with soggy feet. LOL.
 

OP
OP
The Gilded Lens

The Gilded Lens

Sr. Member
Oct 13, 2014
476
815
The Sierra Nevadas
Detector(s) used
Garrett 14" Pan, Garrett 15" Super Sluice Pan, Bazooka 36" Sniper,
Hand Dredge
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
I find it tragic that I can volunteer to teach people how to gold pan at a place where even panning is barely tolerated. Their rules state, "no digging" and "hands and pans only". What is the point in stirring up the the public's (especially the kids') dreams and sense of adventure to then be slapped in the face and told they can't even really do what they just learned in the river? Sure, it's fine to play and splash in this here synthetic panning adventure tub where you must throw back the gold, but don't you dare dig around in that there river! :icon_scratch:
tragic.jpg
 

DizzyDigger

Gold Member
Dec 9, 2012
5,883
11,644
Concrete, WA
Detector(s) used
Nokta FoRs Gold, a Gold Cube, 2 Keene Sluices and Lord only knows how many pans....not to mention a load of other gear my wife still doesn't know about!
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
I find it tragic that I can volunteer to teach people how to gold pan at a place where even panning is barely tolerated. Their rules state, "no digging" and "hands and pans only". What is the point in stirring up the the public's (especially the kids') dreams and sense of adventure to then be slapped in the face and told they can't even really do what they just learned in the river? Sure, it's fine to play and splash in this here synthetic panning adventure tub where you must throw back the gold, but don't you dare dig around in that there river! :icon_scratch:

Well, that's one way of looking at it.

If I were in your shoes, I'd be dancing about having an opportunity
to educate so many people about what prospecting is all about.

Teach 'em how to pan, get them hooked, and share a few prospecting
stories with them. When they begin asking questions about "where" they
can go, you can tell them about where they can go, and the current laws.
Seriously, don't go overboard on the drama and sharing how pissed-off
you are about it...speak like a professional, and allow them come to their
own conclusions. We're there to share the love of prospecting and to welcome
new prospectors into the gang, not turn people off by telling them there's
no place to go to get some of their own.

Most important though is actually teaching them how to pan. In
the event they do go looking for some wild gold, they'll have a
much greater chance for success if you've shown them the way.

Any sane person will "conclude" that the current regulations are
completely ridiculous.

New prospectors are full of zeal to get out there and get some
gold in their poke, and they are also much more energetic about
spreading the word about the current legal situation. They are
going to tell their families, the people they work with, and anyone
else that will listen.

It's what we, as a community, need to do a lot more of. I'd be happy
to fill in for you if I wasn't so far away!
 

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OP
OP
The Gilded Lens

The Gilded Lens

Sr. Member
Oct 13, 2014
476
815
The Sierra Nevadas
Detector(s) used
Garrett 14" Pan, Garrett 15" Super Sluice Pan, Bazooka 36" Sniper,
Hand Dredge
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Well, that's one way of looking at it.

If I were in your shoes, I'd be dancing about having an opportunity
to educate so many people about what prospecting is all about.

Teach 'em how to pan, get them hooked, and share a few prospecting
stories with them. When they begin asking questions about "where" they
can go, you can tell them about where they can go, and the current laws.
Seriously, don't go overboard on the drama and sharing how pissed-off
you are about it...speak like a professional, and allow them come to their
own conclusions. We're there to share the love of prospecting and to welcome
new prospectors into the gang, not turn people off by telling them there's
no place to go to get some of their own.

Most important though is actually teaching them how to pan. In
the event they do go looking for some wild gold, they'll have a
much greater chance for success if you've shown them the way.

Any sane person will "conclude" that the current regulations are
completely ridiculous.

New prospectors are full of zeal to get out there and get some
gold in their poke, and they are also much more energetic about
spreading the word about the current legal situation. They are
going to tell their families, the people they work with, and anyone
else that will listen.

It's what we, as a community, need to do a lot more of. I'd be happy
to fill in for you if I wasn't so far away!

Good word, Diz. Maybe someday I will volunteer for that and spark many little fires in the hearts of future miners. :D I just don't know how long i'd be able to stand being around the greenies.
 

OP
OP
The Gilded Lens

The Gilded Lens

Sr. Member
Oct 13, 2014
476
815
The Sierra Nevadas
Detector(s) used
Garrett 14" Pan, Garrett 15" Super Sluice Pan, Bazooka 36" Sniper,
Hand Dredge
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Good word, Diz. Maybe someday I will volunteer for that and spark many little fires in the hearts of future miners. :D I just don't know how long i'd be able to stand being around the greenies.

well shoot, it won't be this year. There volunteer training is this weekend and I work on those days. Maybe next year.
 

OP
OP
The Gilded Lens

The Gilded Lens

Sr. Member
Oct 13, 2014
476
815
The Sierra Nevadas
Detector(s) used
Garrett 14" Pan, Garrett 15" Super Sluice Pan, Bazooka 36" Sniper,
Hand Dredge
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Finally got out panning, probably be the last time before Mr. Gilded's surgery in a few days. Just went to a state park area to try out our new Super Sluice pans. LOL it's like panning with platters! I really like it though, especially since we have a lot of black sands in the area.

The river is so low! It's about as low as it was in the summer! Warm too, I ended up sitting in it up to my stomach and wasn't even cold! Might have to get a metal detector and just walk the river bed in August, LOL. I'm sure that wouldn't be allowed. Do you think this suspended-ish boulder is big enough? For scale Mr. Gilded is 6ft 8in. So that's a big boulder! We were getting a lot of nice little flakes such as this lil' guy pictured.
_DSC0740 copy.jpg
flake.jpg
 

Last edited:
OP
OP
The Gilded Lens

The Gilded Lens

Sr. Member
Oct 13, 2014
476
815
The Sierra Nevadas
Detector(s) used
Garrett 14" Pan, Garrett 15" Super Sluice Pan, Bazooka 36" Sniper,
Hand Dredge
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
_DSC0697.jpg
We noticed that the trail had been weed whacked, sometimes even up the side of an embankment for no apparent reason, and wondered why they would go through all the trouble of doing that given the "let nature be" mentality; then wondered why in the world the poison oak was allowed to literally engulf the hillsides and encroach the trail. That's biodiversity for you! Leaves of three wipe with me! They should give the con crews cortisone shots and then send them out to dig it all up.

_DSC0703.jpg
 

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goldenmojo

Bronze Member
Dec 9, 2013
1,867
4,756
N. California
Detector(s) used
Bazooka Prospector-Sniper-Supermini Thanks Todd & Chris, Goldhog Multisluice Thanks Doc, My Land Matters Thanks Claydiggins, 6 Senses
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
The boulder is big enough but not suspended very high off of the ground from what I can see. It is more of a lone soldier.

IMG_3289.JPG

Check the boulders in this pic across the river that are casting shadows. These are suspended and leave traps to catch gold. Also check out the bedrock across the river. There are all kinds of catches in this type of rock and even the small boulders up on the top of that bedrock can be holding fines, flakes and pickers. The bush at the top of the bedrock on the left side that has a round rock and then slabs laying flat is a holding place for gold. Everyone walks by these and opt to dig out a single deep hole that is lower that is in the bedrock. Those holes usually don't have much because of the small catch area that is exposed as the slurry is moving by. That flat area will catch and if it has a wall or an area that is higher with multiple slow flows into it will catch well also.

IMG_20141206_213236.jpg

Here is one that was pulled out of a very small pocket about the size of a coffee cup. It was 15 feet elevation above the water and 40' off of the water.

Be careful sticking your hands under shady boulders on a hot summer day. Check everytime!
 

Last edited:
OP
OP
The Gilded Lens

The Gilded Lens

Sr. Member
Oct 13, 2014
476
815
The Sierra Nevadas
Detector(s) used
Garrett 14" Pan, Garrett 15" Super Sluice Pan, Bazooka 36" Sniper,
Hand Dredge
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
The boulder is big enough but not suspended very high off of the ground from what I can see. It is more of a lone soldier.

View attachment 1151579

Check the ones across the river that are casting shadows. These are suspended and leave traps to catch gold. Also check out the bedrock across the river. There are all kinds of catches in this type of rock and even the small boulders up on the top of that bedrock can be holding fines, flakes and pickers.

View attachment 1151583

Here is one that was pulled out of a very small pocket about the size of a coffee cup. It was 15 feet elevation above the water and 40' off of the water.

Be careful sticking your hands under shady boulders on a hot summer day. Check everytime!

LOL yeah, I'd never mess with that giant boulder, it is cool though!

I got under this guy for a little bit and got a lot of black sands and some flakes, and lots of fines, but didn't have the tools on me to get in the smaller spaces. Yeah, lots of little snakes and spiders under the rocks!

_DSC0715.jpg
 

goldenmojo

Bronze Member
Dec 9, 2013
1,867
4,756
N. California
Detector(s) used
Bazooka Prospector-Sniper-Supermini Thanks Todd & Chris, Goldhog Multisluice Thanks Doc, My Land Matters Thanks Claydiggins, 6 Senses
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Scrapers,screwdrivers, paint bushes, toothbrush, heavy brush, spoons and a nylon turkey baster.
 

OP
OP
The Gilded Lens

The Gilded Lens

Sr. Member
Oct 13, 2014
476
815
The Sierra Nevadas
Detector(s) used
Garrett 14" Pan, Garrett 15" Super Sluice Pan, Bazooka 36" Sniper,
Hand Dredge
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
My humble take.

take-4y.jpg

Detail:
_DSC0748.jpg
 

Last edited:
OP
OP
The Gilded Lens

The Gilded Lens

Sr. Member
Oct 13, 2014
476
815
The Sierra Nevadas
Detector(s) used
Garrett 14" Pan, Garrett 15" Super Sluice Pan, Bazooka 36" Sniper,
Hand Dredge
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Mr Gilded did way better than I did, but his spot was too narrow to share.
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1429915572.362026.jpg ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1429915610.126348.jpg

Love the discoloration on that picker. Nice and chunky.
 

OP
OP
The Gilded Lens

The Gilded Lens

Sr. Member
Oct 13, 2014
476
815
The Sierra Nevadas
Detector(s) used
Garrett 14" Pan, Garrett 15" Super Sluice Pan, Bazooka 36" Sniper,
Hand Dredge
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Nice gold!
I see one of these working in that area.

Home - SierraBlaster

Don't i wish! The hippies would eat you alive. Funny when we went down there was a large group of elderly men circled around a bong in the boulders. Must be the river ambassadors of SYRCL. Can't even take take the Zooka there. Hands and pans stupid state park. Heard they enforce it too despite other rules that are thrown out the window. The river has good gold so it's a shame.
 

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goldenmojo

Bronze Member
Dec 9, 2013
1,867
4,756
N. California
Detector(s) used
Bazooka Prospector-Sniper-Supermini Thanks Todd & Chris, Goldhog Multisluice Thanks Doc, My Land Matters Thanks Claydiggins, 6 Senses
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Very nice take of gold take TGL. Maybe you could just get a tye-dye Tshirt that says "Hippies for Sluicing" and wear that when you next hit the river. Also some phrases like " Gold is really cool man" and "I don't judge I just classify" might come in handy. Do you know how to make organic carrot cake in the shape of a Bazooka Sniper?
 

Last edited:
OP
OP
The Gilded Lens

The Gilded Lens

Sr. Member
Oct 13, 2014
476
815
The Sierra Nevadas
Detector(s) used
Garrett 14" Pan, Garrett 15" Super Sluice Pan, Bazooka 36" Sniper,
Hand Dredge
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Very nice take of gold take TGL. Maybe you could just get a tye-dye Tshirt that says "Hippies for Sluicing" and wear that when you next hit the river. Also some phrases like " Gold is really cool man" and "I don't judge I just classify" might come in handy. Do you know how to make organic carrot cake in the shape of a Bazooka Sniper?

Laughing way to hard at this GM! The way I see it, we just have to sluice butt naked with like a pot leaf bandana on our heads or tied around the arm and we can get away with anything at this location. LOL! "I don't judge, I just classify" needs to be a a T-shirt. Hmmmm....
 

OP
OP
The Gilded Lens

The Gilded Lens

Sr. Member
Oct 13, 2014
476
815
The Sierra Nevadas
Detector(s) used
Garrett 14" Pan, Garrett 15" Super Sluice Pan, Bazooka 36" Sniper,
Hand Dredge
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Mr. Gilded's surgery went well. Now he's just healing and going crazy from cabin fever. Yesterday I couldn't take the sad puppy eyes any longer and took him to river on the condition that he behave and that I dig his material.

We had a fun time and the easy hike did us both some good. He behaved, didn't get wet and even got more gold than me.

Ahhhh
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1432079295.122468.jpg

Mr Gilded's last pan of the day. Garrett super sluice pan.
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1432079378.407903.jpg

Intriguing but I couldn't get under it. I was also specifically told not to become flat by my husband.
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1432079472.106370.jpg

Got some flood gold in a dip on this "slide" and a few micros from the base.
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1432079534.121840.jpg

The hole. Someone has been in it since we were there last but ah well they helped me out a bit. Wish they'd fill in their other holes though. Tsk tsk.
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1432079599.385688.jpg

Beautiful sunset on the way home.

ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1432079690.385434.jpg
 

OP
OP
The Gilded Lens

The Gilded Lens

Sr. Member
Oct 13, 2014
476
815
The Sierra Nevadas
Detector(s) used
Garrett 14" Pan, Garrett 15" Super Sluice Pan, Bazooka 36" Sniper,
Hand Dredge
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Derp, I forgot the gold!

Mine
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1432079822.235077.jpg

Mr Gilded's
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1432079921.013602.jpg

Definitely still learning how to read the waterways. Will take any advice on that. Not getting much for the amount of digging in doing.
 

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