The Many Lost Treasures of Mariposa, CA (Photos Added)

[EagleDown]

Great looking material, no much au. Lots of clay, lots of dense impacted gravels, had to classify it to try and get it to pan. I like Vini's idea of bulldozing the hill and running it through a washplant, not for the gold, just to protect the road.

I've panned a lot of that old alluvial over the years and have never found much in it. There and even in the river, most of the gold is on or in the bedrock. Never much in the overburden.

 

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[Oakview2]

Eagle, it came from between two large rocks sitting on bedrock. Looked liked Gods stone hungarian riffles. Had hoped for better results, but the tour,and the company made up for the lack of color.... Thanks again

 

[CharlesP]

Sounds like a great trip. If my wife wasn't so dang pregnant i would have been there. Next time. Happy prospecting to you all. Did you guys see any rattlers?

 

[Oakview2]

Hey Charles. You were the missing piece of the puzzle.

 

[vini]

I bet if a guy pulled that dry aluvial off the top of some cracked bedrock....needent say to much more

great pics ron nice nugg rik way to go them other chunks are good too but that hill is dangerous be careful when you go back guys.

I'm thinkin camp out real soon other wise next month starts summer hell up there and it does get stinkin HOT!!!

Have a great week all you diggin dogs

 

[EagleDown]

This is what Bagby looked like in its "heyday". The first time I crossed this bridge, the hotel (left of center) was still there. On this side of the hiway, facing the hotel, was a small cafe if I remember correctly. Most of the other buildings in the photo were gone. This photo was taken before the RR was put in. When I first arrived there, the RR had already been taken out, and a half dozen cabins were along where it use to be, to the right of the bridge.

 

[vini]

Heres another shot of it eagle



Heres a shot i took awhile back who wouldn't love this canyon, except in the summer HAHAHA so F'ing hot!






And a few years back these guys had a nice hole going





Me about 7 years ago with my first little 2 inch dredge, I didnt get it going that day and wanted to shove that piece of garbage in the dink LOL heavy on the steroids back then

 

[Oakview2]

The guy in the hole looks like he has a good spot going. Did you ever get it started? Still have the little Keene backpacker. Great for sampling. Did that one have the two or four stroke motor combo....

 

[EagleDown]

Heres another shot of it eagle

View attachment 778907


Me about 7 years ago with my first little 2 inch dredge, I didnt get it going that day and wanted to shove that piece of garbage in the dink LOL heavy on the steroids back then

View attachment 778910

Nice picture of Bagby. Taken after the Yosemite Valley RR was put in. Still more buildings than my first trip there.

I think the engine on your dredge is a 5hp Briggs, 4 stroker.(?)

 

[vini]

I think its like a 3 hp 4 stroke eagle
yep got her running good but havent used it in 5 years need to get it going again had a lot of trouble with the key screw that holds the fly wheel to the crank had to tap and re thread and then i added a second one , lots of torque on that motor

The frame was made out of electricle conduit i believe keen made them that way for awhile long time ago

 

[EagleDown]

See, I learned something new. I didn't know they used that small of an engine on the small dredges. I had a 5" Treasure Emporium with twin 5hp Briggs & Stratton. Then I switched over to twin 5hp Hondas. It gave me a lot more power and ease of starting. Honda manufactured their engines with roller bearings on the crank shaft. The bearings, in essence, gave the Honda the equivelant of another 1hp.

Well, one thing for sure, you have all the makings of a good high-banker. Just a few modifications.

Eagle

 

[vini]

I have an old Gold King high banker, BOMB banker

We need to meet back up at mccabes flat so you can finish our tour eagle

 

[EagleDown]

I have an old Gold King high banker, BOMB banker

We need to meet back up at mccabes flat so you can finish our tour eagle

Just let me know when you have that bucket of KFC (Original recipe). (lol)

 

[vini]

THAT can be arraigned but getting it to mariposa from fresno will be a problem, thats one of my Favs

 

[EagleDown]

THAT can be arraigned but getting it to mariposa from fresno will be a problem, thats one of my Favs

That's easy! Get two buckets. Surely you wouldn't eat both of them on the way up?? (I like the leg and thigh special) (lol)

Seriously though, I don't think I could make it to the river until my check get here. Probably could make it on the 4th and 5th. Remember though; no motorized contrivances allowed by BLM.

 

[vini]

We'll set something up later i hope, that weekend we're going to claims up in kaiser its the first weekend they open gates for us to pass thru to claims so we're jonesing to get up . I'm a leg/thigh man also with the works love there coleslaw im buying

 

[Oakview2]

Buy it in Oakhurst, hopefully you won't go through it all before you hit the bridge.

 

[EagleDown]

Buy it in Oakhurst, hopefully you won't go through it all before you hit the bridge.

They have a KFC in Oakhurst??

It would never work, he needs it to keep his strength up while driving from Fresno. (lol)

 

[Oakview2]

My bad, I used the store locator and no Oakhurst I thought there was one on Hwy 41 past Burger King

 

[mthunter22]

Friend Lanny, as usual, your kind words make me feel that my writing is not in vain. I just wish that I could remember all of the little stories I was told 50 or 55 years ago. Or at least the little details to them. I have one that I picked up about 55 years ago, concerning a drywash where the bottom was a solid bed of gold nuggets. (It was "found" during the great depression and then lost again.) I don't think you could find anyone today who even remembers the story. (Other than myself.)

Frankly, I've never really understood why, but it seems that my life was created to be a repository of lost treasure stories. Ever since I was in my teens, I have had people wanting to tell me about their experiences hunting for, or losing riches. (Or their Uncle, Cousin, Brother, etc.) I guess I'm a good, none critical listener and people can sense that.

Or who knows, maybe I was being tested by the Spirits with these stories of vast treasures. I must have passed the test, because I never went out of my way to find them and I'm still a poor man financially. But, I've always been rich in friends.

Thank you for your invitation also Lanny!! Who knows, I might drift up to Montana this summer and by chance find myself in Canada.

You just never know.

Eagle

Well if you end up anywhere near or going through the missoula area of montana give me a call and ill offer you a place to stay .. really enjoy your stories. thank you