Beginners Luck Busting Bed Rock

[QNCrazy]

So I was checking out a claim we are doing an outing at next week. There was lots of bedrock. I did some sample of gravel bars, mostly flood gold and not a lot of it. I recently watched a video of busting bedrock. The conditions looked ideal. I forgot to mention I packed into this location so I was packing light.

I grabbed my crow bar and started separating the bedrock. The first bucket yielded a nice picker. I kept working the bedrock for a couple of hours. I found it interesting that there were pockets of gravel and rocks under the bedrock I had moved. Here are a couple of pics.




I also forgot to mention I was running my AM Explorer.

Just thought I’d throw this in for fun. The little guy is seventh generation and my granddaughter (step) will be first generation.

 

[Goldwasher]

Bring a rake or three or four tined long handled cultivator Mike. Just rake cobble out of your way and work the cracks and crevices from the get go.

Nice picker.

 

[Aufisher]

Smart and productive choice! My favorite kind of mining.

 

[Arachnofreak]

One of my favorite ways to mine is popping decomposing bedrock! Most of the pickers I have grabbed in the last few years have been in cracks. The best is in the summertime when the creeks dry up and you can start using a screwdriver to get in the cracks of exposed bedrock in the middle of the creek. Nice find man!

 

[N-Lionberger]

I love decomposing bedrock, some of my best luck using a metal detector for gold is scanning decomposing bedrock to determine where the most black sand has hung up before tearing into it.

 

[Assembler]

I love decomposing bedrock, some of my best luck using a metal detector for gold is scanning decomposing bedrock to determine where the most black sand has hung up before tearing into it.

Good tip and thanks for posting N-Lionberger.

 

[QNCrazy]

Our club had a booth set up at the annual Salmon Festival in Knights Ferry on Saturday. I had the opportunity to speak with a few of the members that have been to this claim in past years. All were impressed with what I found. They all said the same thing regarding this creek being mostly bedrock in the very bottom. I described the area I worked to one of them and they recall a foot or two of overburden gravel in that section of the creek 2-3 years ago. He speculated that the storms last winter moved all that overburden, exposing the bedrock I was working. Befor I left for the day, I ventured upstream and located several good possibilities for future trips. I prepped the area I was working for my return this Saturday. Hopefully the Green Goblin doesn't jump into my hole before I get there. There's one in every club.

Thanks for all the advice. I will be taking the advice given and share with the club members this weekend during our outing.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Great Crew, Nice Gold!

 

[SunshineMiner]

I prepped the area I was working for my return this Saturday. Hopefully the Green Goblin doesn't jump into my hole before I get there. There's one in every club.

Thanks for all the advice. I will be taking the advice given and share with the club members this weekend during our outing.

Oh man, that was yours!? Sorry dude!

Good luck Saturday! Should be nice after this storm moves through and puts a little more water through the ground. I'd almost say that looks like Eagle gold.

 

[QNCrazy]

Close, very close, but no cigar. Are you too good for us now Andrew? Lol! Why don't you come with us on Saturday?

 

[SunshineMiner]

Nice! My first chunky small picker was from up there. Nice and rough!

Too scared more like it . I've been playing too many hippy sports(ultimate frisbee) lately I'm in a league(like softball) that our final day is this saturday. I'll be coming out more after that, and i'll be there for christmas dinner. Joyce mentioned a few single ladies may be there, im not holding my breath though

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Just remember that gold got caught in the bedrock cracks for a reason. If you bust out all the cracks, there will be little place for the gold to catch next flood.

It will take 50-100 years for nice large cracks to develop again.

 

[bpete]

Nice job. sounds like nice property.

 

[spillercanyon]

I'd almost say that looks like Eagle gold.

Most of the gold I have seen from that region is fairly worn, my guess would be outside the east belt Closer to the actual motherlode belt??

 

[SunshineMiner]

Double post

 

[SunshineMiner]

Theres a few chunkier pieces in the area in the bedrock. I dug a couple rough pieces from bedrock holes, that now that i think about, i should go back and break as they were literal holes drilled down and through creating nice crevices. And up on the side too, not in the creek

Edit - I believe the area is part of the mother load belt? I just googled a couple things and found this. I'd say its pretty darn close

 

[TAKODA]

 

[AzViper]

If you want to move, push or spread open a crevice buy this kit. The circled item goes into the crack then attached to the hydraulic press. Harbor Freight $140.00

 

[63bkpkr]

AzViper - what might be the max tonnage the jaws will apply? Yeah, I coulda looked it up myself but this way you get to comment again, maybe about me maybe about the unit maybe about both..thank you.......63bkpkr

 

[AzViper]

AzViper - what might be the max tonnage the jaws will apply? Yeah, I coulda looked it up myself but this way you get to comment again, maybe about me maybe about the unit maybe about both..thank you.......63bkpkr

It says 4 tons, not sure what the max on the spreader might be. There are many companies that make these in many different sizes. Google Hydraulic Spreader then look at images.