Arizona Soil

[Fuzzy699]

Im a newbie with a question. I live in the desert area of Arizona. I have an ACE 250. What I am wondering is : With the baked hard ground of the desert is there a reasonably easy way of digging hits without using dynamite and a backhole? I dont want to destroy anything I find in attempts of busting through the soil. Thanks for any help

 

[Frankn]

The soil that I have worked in AZ. was on claims in the Quartsite area. It was basically dust and gulf ball size rocks: impossible to dig in. Out there I had success using a 3 prong garden hoe. I would locate a nugget then rake it out. I would then go thru it with my HF pinpointer and remove the nugget.

​

 

[Fuzzy699]

Thanks I will give that a try.

 

[niffler]

My choice: Estwing geo paleo pick...I beat the hell out of mine and it still has almost all of the paint. I pryed big slabs of basalt apart looking for opals. It's too tough for description. Niffler