Couple questions about gpaa

[gldguy1]

So a co worker of mine was telling me how he is a gpaa member and there are tons of places here in cali to prospect on their claims etc, as well as tons of claims all over the country. Is the 100.00 worth the investment to have access to all the claims they offer? I read somewhere that most gpaa claims are no good and picked over. Anyone here have any insight on weather it's worth the 100.00? Thanks everyone

 

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[Jason in Enid]

I joined for the same reason. After visiting a number of claims, I discovered the same thing as your friend. The claims are dead. On top of that, the GPAA wont do the paperwork to allow dredging on club claims.

The GPAA owns very few of the claims in their guide book, the majority are donated claims. the GPAA pays the yearly fees in exchange for member access but they can be taken back by the owner at any time. Also think about it, if you own a good gold claim, are you going to to let a club come in and strip it out for free?

 

[RobertF]

If you park your car, walk five feet away, and start digging, yes, GPAA claims are played out.

 

[gldguy1]

I appreciate everyone's insight on this and would like anyone else who has used the gpaa claims info if possible. I went on the site and it looks like you can bring family and a friend as long as that friend stays with you at all times which might be kinda ok. Does gpaa allow high banking by chance on any of their claims? I guess I can always call them however I like to get my info from "customers" rather than the people who want my money. Again I appreciate everyone's input.

 

[Jason in Enid]

.... Does gpaa allow high banking by chance on any of their claims? ....

Youd better start by checking the laws in your area. The rules are different everywhere. Some places its outlawed, others require XXX feet from the water and no discharge allowed to touch the water, others dont have restrictions. Even if laws say yes, it MAY still be a NO. In CO its legal to dredge and highbank but it requires paperwork filing for club claims and GPAA wont do it, so their claims are restricted to pans and sluice only, no motorized.

Since I let my membership lapse, I cant look up current rules for any claims. Apparently Robert seems to be a member so he should be able to answer your question for any specific location

 

[Bejay]

A friend bought a new 2 inch Keene dredge. He kept wanting to go try it out on a GPAA claim that I had always been told was played out/worked. Finally after pestering me endlessly I agreed to take him out and give it a go. Long story short: We hit major pickers and nuggets; all the major gravel had been washed away by winter floods and left huge boulders laying on bedrock with pockets of gravels. We worked it for 3 years and pulled some of our best gold from this played out claim. A placer claim can often change. Mining rules and regs have to be dealt with no matter what claim or public land you decided to venture onto. We ended up using a 3 inch dredge that proved far more beneficial though.

Bejay

 

[gldguy1]

So after talking to the wife she told me to go ahead and sign up, she also used the good old gold is where you find it on me also lol. I figure for 100.00 it might be fun, as for dredging and motorized stuff I live in ca and well you all know how it is here. I really appreciate everyone's advice. I usually just hit the local rivers and have fun that way and find pretty good color, but after my co worker built up the gpaa stuff thought I would get some advice on it. Heavy pans all

 

[Obsessive]

I recently signed up for the GPAA but haven't been out any of their claims yet. If you'd like someone to explore a few of them with lemme know.

At this point Ive only researched a few of their claims via mylandmatters and the diggings webistes, and tried to plot out the few coords they provide and find the claim boundaries. I do find the GPAA website claim info to be a little lacking and not that consistent. They give you coords for the "ingress point" and where the center of the claim is on some, on others they give you coords for opposite corners. There has to be more info somewhere, Im just not sure where that some might be yet.

Ive also heard that a lot of them are played out, but I hear that about a lot of things and don't always find it to be true. I think RobertF has a good point, you just got a go a bit further than the other guys to find the good stuff.... I hope at least.

 

[Goldfinger450]

I knew the Original "Buzzard" and his sons who started the GPAA, Good Men, The GPAA does open up a lot of sites where you can go a bit further and still find more than color, I have not been around any GPAA functions in a very long time, BUT in my estimation if you want to travel around the west you can get into some excellent FUN at GPAA sites and meet folks that can send you to some exciting spots. I should send them a Hundred just to help keep recreational sites open for people.

 

[loco oro]

I find being a member of the gpaa to be rewarding even though I am on the east coast where there are no claims but the biweeklies and monthly publications filled with history, current laws and proposals,plus there are shows and outings,they're also a great defender of our rights worth every penny in my opinion, although the ldma here in the east is trying to negotiate a deal to allow spill over from their NC camp onto a friends land ,currently closed to most,I would rather keep it that way. As it is relatively rich and untouched for 150yrs, I still regard gpaa as a benefit to recreational mining community

 

[Goldwasher]

It's like 89 bucks the first year. less after. They are working on their website. I think it's pretty cool that you can put in your zipcode and see the closest claims to you and prospecting shops.

A far as claim descriptions. Use the serial number and research it with MLM and at the county to get set boundaries. Just like every other claim you research.

About being pounded. It's always been a funny duality to me how you can hear clubs claim worthless pounded ground...but, the members are also labeled as lazy old white guys who don't dig anyway.

In my opinion GPAA is cheap and a good way to get on ground you are allowed to be on and in areas with other claims and open areas to research.

GLDGUY where do you live? If your in El Dorado County I can get you signed up and membership kit in hand same day no wait for it to ship to you.

I'm an authorized dealer and member sign up and renew location.

 

[Jason in Enid]

About being pounded. It's always been a funny duality to me how you can hear clubs claim worthless pounded ground...but, the members are also labeled as lazy old white guys who don't dig anyway.

Thats pretty damned rude to call anyone who doesnt find worthwhile gold on the GPAA claims as lazy! Every claim I tried had fly specks of gold and few at that. Maybe out there in Cali you just trip over the gold nuggets anyone can pick up, but I've been to claims across the midwest, (colorado to south dakota) and trust me, I put in the effort and walked a lot more than 5 feet from the parking location.

 

[Goldwasher]

Jason. I was referring to what I have heard said about GPAA and other club members.

Other people label people who join clubs as lazy...I don't I never saw where you did either.

I have found gold on GPAA claims I have also been skunked.

I was speaking to general attitude. I didn't mean for that to sound like a negative comment towards you.

 

[cliff162]

If you join Gpaa Please make sure you familiarize yourself with the claim boundaries I have a claim next to a gpaa claim it is very rugged area between them so it is not easy to just wander on to my claim that is clearly posted. Just this summer I found three individuals on my claim who had parked their vehicles at the trail head to my claim. No where near the trails to the gpaa claim . The trail is clearly posted that it is a private claim with my claim name and number on it. It is always the same excuse I thought it was the gpaa claim and they have the map . I join just to have the maps so I no there is absolutely no mistakes. Sick and tired of coming to my claim and finding holes dug trash dumped and tools stolen. Not to say it is all gpaa members but I don’t discriminate any more. I report them all to the sheriffs department and request prosecution . fed up

 

[Assembler]

If you join Gpaa Please make sure you familiarize yourself with the claim boundaries I have a claim next to a gpaa claim it is very rugged area between them so it is not easy to just wander on to my claim that is clearly posted. Just this summer I found three individuals on my claim who had parked their vehicles at the trail head to my claim. No where near the trails to the gpaa claim . The trail is clearly posted that it is a private claim with my claim name and number on it. It is always the same excuse I thought it was the gpaa claim and they have the map . I join just to have the maps so I no there is absolutely no mistakes. Sick and tired of coming to my claim and finding holes dug trash dumped and tools stolen. Not to say it is all gpaa members but I don’t discriminate any more. I report them all to the sheriffs department and request prosecution . fed up

Good for you. Thanks for posting.

 

[Greybear]

So a co worker of mine was telling me how he is a gpaa member and there are tons of places here in cali to prospect on their claims etc, as well as tons of claims all over the country. Is the 100.00 worth the investment to have access to all the claims they offer? I read somewhere that most gpaa claims are no good and picked over. Anyone here have any insight on weather it's worth the 100.00? Thanks everyone

It's worth it if you are going to use it. Some claims are great, others are not that great but all have Gold. Understand you still have to work hard to find gold no matter where you go. Saying a place is picked over amounts to saying a detector site is worked out. The easy targets maybe gone but the older deeper good stuff is still there. I've been a GPAA member for about 20 years no liked it well enough to also buy the LDMA membership. Partly because I full time RV but also because they are good spots to go. Funny thing is the vest place I go is a GPAA property. I average about 1/4 ounce a day with my dredge. Don't ask where because I'm not telling, especially on a public forum. I had to do the research and if someone else want to go there they will have to as well. To me that's part of the fun. Your not going to get Rich at any claim so if that's your intent forget any membership. But if you want a place to go where you don't have to worry about getting on someone else's claim or trespassing give it a try. If you don't like it your only out the one years membership but you also get all the prospecting info, tools and the magazine for a year.


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