Difficult Access

[sidvail]

How much of an affect does the difficulty of access have on your prospecting? Like lack of roads, too far to hike, etc. And does elevation also affect it?

I've noticed that the farther up the mountains, or farther past the road system, etc., the less claims are staked. (this could be misleading also, but so far proven true on my few searches).

Now I know that the current road systems in gold county, California (Hwy 49, etc) are a result of many things, gold rush included. So maybe the roads weren't taken that far out due to lack of color in those areas, or mountains too high? Access was too difficult?

I guess what I'm asking is, were the old timers tough enough to hit those hard to reach places? Did they find there was just not enough gold to make it worth while? Did they search up into the mountains as strongly as they did the lower elevations? Do prospectors of today do that?

I know there are a lot of reasons why claims are abandoned. Lack of gold being the foremost. But I bet lack of energy or perseverance is high on the list also. Are those areas worth it to someone who has the time and energy?

I've seen very little discussion on elevation when it comes to gold. I believe Colorado had some very high places (10,000 ft?) that were producing, so 6000 to 8000 feet in California should not be impossible. Of course the higher you go, the less placer you'd find. Not enough tributaries or watersheds to contribute I'd guess. After all, you're at the top.

Just wondering why the lack of claims on what look like great water systems (no dams) with plenty of drop and volume. I'm going to be backpacking in one of these areas I've researched (Eldorado County) and think I'll spend a couple weeks panning some of these higher elevation streams and creeks. Exploring mostly, but you never know. The less people up there, the more chance of finding a nice creek with some color in it.

 

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[Lanny in AB]

Actually, from what I've found, the more remote, the better the chance of coarse gold--especially when detecting. Remoteness, bugs, large predators, isolation, bad roads, lack of supplies or exceptionally expensive supplies can = far less people can = bigger and better gold. It's worked for me before, and that's why I believed it worked so well: if a place is miserable to get to, and the whole experience of getting in is a test of stamina, will, survival abilities, etc., that's why the place isn't swarming with people. Moreover, that's why there's still good gold--it's a mathematical-survival of the gold, ratio thing.

All the best,

Lanny

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/metal-detecting-gold/69-bedrock-gold-mysteries.html

 

[Terry Soloman]

As Lanny said, the further you go, the more money it costs and the tougher you have to be. Not really a mystery. The real, modern day gold prospectors are STILL out there From Tin Shack to Millionaire: Canadian Prospector Leads a New Klondike Gold Rush - ABC News

 

[sidvail]

LOL.

-- mathematical-survival of the gold, ratio thing.

Lanny,
Right on. I thought as much.

You know, backpacking and gold panning work pretty well together. You're out there in the hard to reach places, and you're exploring anyway. Add a gold pan and a rock hammer and you're having even more fun.

So many years of hiking and I never even thought of gold before. Now I can't think of anything else I'd more like to do while I'm out there in the woods than pan. Well, you know, besides the hiking.

 

[UncleMatt]

I hope this applies up in the San Juans, and I can personally attest to the difficulty in getting around wilderness areas with a 90 pound pack on your back above 10,000 feet when there are zero roads to take advantage of. If you don't constantly eat and drink, you quickly become weak. And next time I am taking some oxygen for the end of those long climbs. And if you smoke, forget it! You won't make it! If you hit the hard country, you better be hard, or it will spit you out.

 

[Fullpan]

Interesting subject - should get lots of replies. A large percentage of 49ers WALKED from Sacramento, and beyond, to the mountains (when was the last
time we did that?) - so it wasn't lack of perserverance or energy. Second, ever notice at some point in going up high, the rocks turn to all granite. The
granite rocks up there have some quartz veins with gold but no where near the amount found in the actual Mother Lode Gold Belt. The ML is
a finite area about 20 miles wide by 200 miles long, and anything outside this area, the gold starts to peter out, in general. I leave to others to elaborate.

 

[sidvail]

As Lanny said, the further you go, the more money it costs and the tougher you have to be. Not really a mystery. The real, modern day gold prospectors are STILL out there From Tin Shack to Millionaire: Canadian Prospector Leads a New Klondike Gold Rush - ABC News

Wow, that was a great article. Exploring for the win!

 

[dave wiseman]

In Calaveras county Ca.(motherlode) probably 3/4 of BLM ground is surrounded by private property..and as Fullpan mentioned above certain elevations in some counties there is no gold,silver perhaps.Yes the old timers went everywhere.Back in those bygone days life in general was much much tougher than today and the people for the most part were used to hard times from birth onward.The less populated counties of northern California would offer more opportunities as long as your above Sacramento.Even though BLM ground may be open,people whose property borders the ground in most cases think they own it also,ha,ha.You cannot trespass across private ground to get to public ground without permission and in some cases it has to be in writing.

 

[Lanny in AB]

As Lanny said, the further you go, the more money it costs and the tougher you have to be. Not really a mystery. The real, modern day gold prospectors are STILL out there From Tin Shack to Millionaire: Canadian Prospector Leads a New Klondike Gold Rush - ABC News

If you've never checked out the link Terry has provided here--you really should--it's all about the dream, and how for two people, it finally came true in a huge way. But, it didn't go to their heads, and the main guy in the article still likes to get out and dig in the dirt, like we all do.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[spillercanyon]

The old timers were extremely tough. I go to the southern CA desert at least once a year to hike old miner trails, they were tough. I've hiked a thin trail 9 miles one way to find a whole mining area, mill included. They carried everything on mules, I'm talking whole mills. We found one mine that had a tram across a 1,000 foot revine to the face of a 2000' cliff where their mine was. That being said, there are places they missed waiting to be found and there are places that didn't get worked too much because of the difficulty to get to them. I don't think modern prospectors, or our current society for that matter, is nearly as tough as the old timers so I think there are a lot of areas that have not been worked hard for the past 100 years that are prime to be worked again and detected for the first time. As Fullpan said, the gold producing areas are limited in size, if you hike into the high country of the Sierras, you'll hit granitic rock with very little gold in it. As you near the crest of the Sierra, that changes as you can find roof pendants and areas where the metamorphic rocks have not been eroded away and then you are back into areas that potentially have good gold, as can be seen by the number of gold mines on the back side of Sierras. The Rockies have much more sedimentary and metamorphic rock at high elevations and thus have the correct host rock at high elevations to contain good gold. I concentrate on areas that are tough to get to that lie within known gold country. Good Luck!

 

[sidvail]

Spillercanyon,
I agree. We're a bit softer than our ancestors. Of course, that's why we strive, to make our lives easier and fuller. But with that comes a dependency on comfort, technologies, etc. But that also gives us a bit of an edge on our ancestors. We have technology that makes it easier to get to those places, better equipment, etc. We have roads systems they did not have. I'm sure I'll find some cool stuff out there. Might be some gold in it, might not.

I see what you say about the Rockies. Hence more gold higher up. Sierra's do have all that granite to deal with, but wow, the hiking is awesome. Either way, it's gonna be fun.

 

[Astrobouncer]

My chunky gold spot is about as remote as one can get round these parts.

 

[Gravelwasher]

Sometimes I hike way out past the dirt roads and when I get their I find evidence that cars used to be able to drive out to the spot, like in the thirties judging by axle dates. Sometimes they had better access to the good spots than we do today. Too many yellow gates and closed land and way more no trespassing signs to contend with. I have panned as high up as union valley reservoir and you will find out, lots of granite and not much quartz ='s not much gold. But the adventure is fun and the mountain views spectacular. I dont smoke but have heard reports of high elevation climbers smoking to get themselves used to a lack of oxygen, to condition the body to extract it more efficiently or just get used to the thinner air. Happy trails..Gravelwasher

 

[Aurabbit79er]

I'm a prospector. if it is known to have gold and I think it's possible to get to it, I'm there, by motor coach, bike or on foot. For a day or a week.
IF I can't go right now I will figure out a way to get there, and I will find the gold and I will have fun doing it.

 

[Red James Cash]

You want gold?Go where people arent.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Great info here but the idea of smoking to improve lungs is just silly stupid. Smoking reduces not only lung capacity but also reduces blood flow to muscles..all bad.

Mine it and recycle it!

 

[NeoTokyo]

Pretty simple, Gold is where you find it.
I found all of my Gold this year very close to trails and parking.
but yes, the further out the fewer the people that are looking for the golden stuff.

 

[Hoser John]

Anytime you think you are where no miners gone before-just whip out a detector and you'll soon see the folly of your thought as shot/bbs/iron objects abound. I ALWAYS mine as far back in the boonies as I can get,down the steepest cliffs,fastest nastiest waters,deeper the better and THEN you find gold -John

 

[mellowyellow]

Anytime you think you are where no miners gone before-just whip out a detector and you'll soon see the folly of your thought as shot/bbs/iron objects abound. I ALWAYS mine as far back in the boonies as I can get,down the steepest cliffs,fastest nastiest waters,deeper the better and THEN you find gold -John

John, where u been?? I was getting worried about ya. Good to see u back in action.

 

[Oakview2]

When Hoser ain't around and quite, must be on to a good paystreak