Dizzys Diggin Thread - 2014

[gold tramp]

I met Ken, nice guy.

OVER THE DIVIDE



This is why I walked away from it all, to just hang with my guys n the mnt as long as I can as I have heart troubles and have had I my first heart attack at 36 year old, im now 50 ish still hangin in there but wake everyday thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ that I got another day, you just never know.

Sorry to hear of your loss there Mike, will pray for you and Kens family.
Claudette mill is open site for you to come down to camp out if you would like and you can share in some of our placer digs.

GT.....

 

[KevinInColorado]

What an awful loss. And I agree, an important reminder to live a balanced life since we don't know how long we have...

 

[stephenhansen2]

live life to make a memory worth taking with you. because a smile and the memory that went with it is all you have in the end.

 

[DizzyDigger]

No worries, as I'm doing OK. Losing a friend like that is always a
big shock, but knowing Ken as I did he'd be telling me to get my
ass right back out there chasing gold.

So that's just what I'm gonna do, and will dedicate the balance of
my 2014 mining season to his memory.

Thank you all for the kind words, it means a great deal to me.

Herb: Would love nothing more than to spend a few days down
in your neck-of-the-woods, but I'm afraid my days of long road
trips over for awhile, or at least until I get the surgery done on
my ear. You'll need to learn ASL, as when I do travel after that
I'll be deaf as a post...

Have 2 more trips I need to post about, one on the 14th, and the
other just yesterday. Don't enjoy the classifying, but then sitting
by the river and feeding the Gold Cube allows for a lot of thinkin'
time.

Still have the cons from yesterday to go through, so will post it all
up once I'm through extracting the gold. Not sure how I did yesterday,
as the river was up so high that the area I've been working was under
2' of moving water.

 

[Oakview2]

I remember reading the thread of your trip down south, and I assume that this is the same friend. Prayers for you and for him and for his family.

 

[MinerFortyNiner1952]

My condolences on the loss of your friend

 

[AzViper]

Mike sorry to hear of Kens passing. I too remember you heading south and joining up with your friend last year. My condolences with Kens entire family and to you. Not easy losing a life long friend.

 

[DizzyDigger]

Thank you Keith, Oak and 49er. Oak: Yes, I drove down there in April
and November of last year.

Ken was always pushing me to quit smoking, sleep normal hours (I'm
generally up and night), and to just "get healthier". Somehow he felt
I could overcome the Meniere's this way. What he didn't understand
was that I live a very stress free life, and he lived in the high-speed,
anxiety filled chaos of So. Cal.

Couple months back he and I were talking about our "gold goals" for
this year, and the goal I'd set for myself was 5 grams of the local flood
gold. Doesn't seem like much to some, but I only average about
1-2 10ths of a gram per trip, so getting 5 grams of that will take some
work. Some guys can work hard all day long, but I'm only good for 4-5
hours, start to finish, and the more tired I get the less balance I have,
so there comes a point where, like it or not, it's time to pack up and
head home.

Don't know if I'll make it, but as of today I'm increasing my 2014 goal
to 10 grams. My wife is leaving on Sunday to help out her elderly parents
who live near Chicago, so for the next 2-3 months I'm batchin' it, and all I
officially have to do is take care of the house/yard and keep the cats fed
and happy. Other than that, I can prospect/mine every day if I feel up to it.

*****************************************************************

Time to get the journal caught up with the most recent trips:

Monday, May 12th

Got out to the Longhorn about 0930, spent 15 min. getting all the
gear set up and then went to work digging and classifying. As you can
see from the pic, below, the ground here is just a bit on the rocky side,
so getting 15 gal. of -1/8" material meant I had to wash bucket after
bucket of material:





Just two days before the water level had been 2 ft. lower, so I worked
the best ground available, and that was down close to the water line.

Felt good that day, and had my goal of 15 gal. of -1/8 in about 90 min,
so I took a break for a sandwich (Liverwurst..) and then
got set to start feeding the Cube.

Ran all the material I had, and thought about trying to classify up
another tub of material, but it was getting pretty warm so I packed
it in about 1:30. Truth is, no one else will be working this area so
whatever is here ain't going nowhere, and I can come back any time
I please to dig some more.

Cleaned it all up that evening, and was surprised to see 8 flakes
that were larger than #30 mesh, and then balance of it running
from -30 to -100.

 

[TheGoldProspector]

Thank you Keith, Oak and 49er. Oak: Yes, I drove down there in April and November of last year. Ken was always pushing me to quit smoking, sleep normal hours (I'm generally up and night), and to just "get healthier". Somehow he felt I could overcome the Meniere's this way. What he didn't understand was that I live a very stress free life, and he lived in the high-speed, anxiety filled chaos of So. Cal. Couple months back he and I were talking about our "gold goals" for this year, and the goal I'd set for myself was 5 grams of the local flood gold. Doesn't seem like much to some, but I only average about 1-2 10ths of a gram per trip, so getting 5 grams of that will take some work. Some guys can work hard all day long, but I'm only good for 4-5 hours, start to finish, and the more tired I get the less balance I have, so there comes a point where, like it or not, it's time to pack up and head home. Don't know if I'll make it, but as of today I'm increasing my 2014 goal to 10 grams. My wife is leaving on Sunday to help out her elderly parents who live near Chicago, so for the next 2-3 months I'm batchin' it, and all I officially have to do is take care of the house/yard and keep the cats fed and happy. Other than that, I can prospect/mine every day if I feel up to it. ***************************************************************** Time to get the journal caught up with the most recent trips: Monday, May 12th Got out to the Longhorn about 0930, spent 15 min. getting all the gear set up and then went to work digging and classifying. As you can see from the pic, below, the ground here is just a bit on the rocky side, so getting 15 gal. of -1/8" material meant I had to wash bucket after bucket of material: <img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=997665"/> <img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=997667"/> Just two days before the water level had been 2 ft. lower, so I worked the best ground available, and that was down close to the water line. Felt good that day, and had my goal of 15 gal. of -1/8 in about 90 min, so I took a break for a sandwich (Liverwurst..) and then got set to start feeding the Cube. Ran all the material I had, and thought about trying to classify up another tub of material, but it was getting pretty warm so I packed it in about 1:30. Truth is, no one else will be working this area so whatever is here ain't going nowhere, and I can come back any time I please to dig some more. Cleaned it all up that evening, and was surprised to see 8 flakes that were larger than #30 mesh, and then balance of it running from -30 to -100. <img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=997669"/> <img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=997670"/>

You rock! Keep your head up..

Im a youngin and a newbie, however, if you ever would like another prospector around one glorious day- let me know.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Congrats on the production and the bigger flakes Do you keep the larger flakes aside? I put mine in a little "trophy case". The biggest, darkest colored one is from a CO mountain site and was the largest piece any of us (group of 6 prospectors) found that day. Yes, I know these are all small...but hey, this is Colorado, the land of fly poop gold

 

[DizzyDigger]

Friday was not a good day for anything, but I knew I needed
to get out of the house and try to clear my mind of the
shock over Ken's passing. Best way I could do that was to
drive over to the bar and do some diggin, hoping it would
take my mind off it all.

Did spend about 5 hours out there, but the water level
had risen so high the places I've been digging were completely
inaccessible. I didn't really really care much as this trip wasn't
about the gold, but moreso to spend some time chatting with
the Big Guy in the Church of the Wilderness, as that's the only
place I've ever been able to find peace.

Believe I processed 16 3gal. buckets of material, and ended
up with about 15 gal. of -1/8. I set the Gold Cube down low
so I'd be able to sit on a 5gal. bucket and feed the slick plate.
That's another benefit of the GC, as you can feed it standing,
or sitting down.

With the river running high the sound of the flowing water was
like music to my tinnitus filled ears...it has a way of calming nerves
that's better than any pill. About an hour later I'd fed all the material
through the Cube, so I got everything cleaned up and packed back
in the truck, and then took some time to just sit, and ponder all
the great adventures Ken and I had in the past. Varmint hunting,
fishing, chasin' wimmens, quick trips to Vegas for fun...and that was
all before we were 25. There were tough times too; hard times when
bad choices were made...but we survived all of that as well. Ken grew
into one of the best men anyone could want to call "friend".

A stiff breeze had come up while I had been sitting there, and
even with my bad hearing I could hear his voice in the wind,
telling me he was OK, and not to be sad about it.

Had a smile on my face when I left to go home. I'm Ok now.

************************************************

Oh yeah...did get a little bit of color out of that ground. This
was further down the beach were the gold was really starting
to thin out, but it was the only spot I could dig..

 

[KevinInColorado]

What a wonderful way to say your goodbye. Peace brother.

 

[TheGoldProspector]

God speed. One day, the tumultuous wake will settle, and we will become one entity once again.

 

[DizzyDigger]

Ventured back out again on Wed. (21st), and decided to again
work a line parallel to the waters edge, so I extended the cut
that I had made previously, and dug upriver. As usual I dug the
trench about 2' wide and this one ended up about 8' long.

Overall, I took 22 buckets of material out to be classified, and
after classifying there were 7-1/2, 3 gal. buckets of material
to feed the Cube.

This is the first time I've had such a large area to work, and
it's interesting to chart how the flood gold has accumulated
in different concentrations in different areas. It sure isn't
"uniform", but it has become clear that the best areas to dig
are parallel with the water line, as the gold gets smaller the
further up the bank I go.

Here's the area worked this trip (in yellow):





I'm also happy to see that my conditioning/endurance is improving,
and getting more accomplished in a typical 4 hr. trip means more gold
at the end of the day..

This trip..not so much, as I ended up with the usual 1/10th of a gram
of small gold. All of it is under #30 mesh, and most is smaller than #60.


Some -60 gold on the Miller Table


Magnifying bubble? Never seen one on the table before.





Not feeling too hot these past couple days, so I decided to go
back through all the black sand from the past dozen trips. First
thing I panned through it all, taking as much light stuff out as
possible. Then, I had about a half-gallon of pure black sand, and
classified that into +60, -60 to 100, and -100.

Been running this on the Miller table the past two nights, and
have just about finished up with the +60 and -60 to 100. Oddly,
so far I've found the most gold in the +60 material (it's already
been run once). Didn't find much, but every couple teaspoons
a small piece will pop up that was completely missed the first time
around. Got quite a bit of the -100 material, so that's gonna take
a little time..which I've got plenty of at the moment.

 

[Jeff95531]

"it's interesting to chart how the flood gold has accumulated
in different concentrations in different areas. It sure isn't
"uniform", but it has become clear that the best areas to dig
are parallel with the water line, as the gold gets smaller the
further up the bank I go."

That's some good chit right there.

Thanks for the stories and updates DD. Life's little responsibilities have changed lots of my plans for 2014...so not much prospecting getting done on my end. Plus, the near home trips have produced gold (couple flakes in 5 gl) where I've found none before...tells me I''m ready to go after it. Just a little envious of your bachelor days...could use a few of those right now.
Anyways...you're getting me motivated to MAKE time and get out there Mike. Thanks for sharing and keep it up.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Nice gold. I really love how much you are learning and sharing the learning. Keep up the good work!!

 

[DizzyDigger]

He got the Gold Mine, and I got the Shaft!

Ventured out Tuesday afternoon with my neighbor, Phil
(aka Gnatnutz).

Got to the bar about 12:30, and I pointed out to Phil where
I've worked, and the ground still un-worked. He picked out
a good spot, and I thought I had too.

Phil got his Bazooka Prospector all set up in the only spot with
water flowing fast enough, and I went right to work digging and
classifying buckets of material to feed the Cube.


(Phil)

Phil's spot is in the forefront, and I was digging the spot on
the right (with all the buckets around it). He borrowed just one
of my 3gal. buckets, and got right to digging and feeding the
Bazooka.

I busted my ass for 2 hrs. digging and classifying....

We were there a total of about 6 hrs., and in that time I classified
21 buckets down to 7, 3gal buckets of -1/8". Phil ran something
like 35 buckets through his Bazooka. Left for home about 6:30pm.

Phil had been test panning his cons (he cleaned out after every
10 buckets), and we knew he was digging some very good gold.
OTOH, I had no idea how much I was getting. I did sample the
area, and found a few flakes in the first pan, so figured I was doing
OK, too.



Now, if I was thinkin' straight I'da come home and gone to bed at
a normal hour, but instead Phil and I sat in my shop till 2am. running
all his cons, which completely fouled up my sleep schedule (again)...

It was worth it though to see all that beautiful gold!





Congrats to Gnatnutz for a banner day of diggin! I figure he
ended up with close to 2.5 10ths of a gr.

Didn't get to my cup of cons till Wed. night (was up all night)
and didn't do squat in comparison. Like the title says...

He got the Gold Mine, and I got the Shaft....

And no, I'm not the least bit unhappy with what I brought home..it's nice
gold, and has been added to my "2014 bottle".

Gonna be nice weather today, so I'm planning on spending as much
of the day as possible out on the bar. Not sure if Phil is workin' today,
but if he is I'm borrowing that Bazooka!

Bazooka question: Other than the price difference, is there any performance
difference between the 30" and 36" Prospector models?

And...HELL YES I'm gonna order one just as soon as I can
get the $$$ together!

 

[DizzyDigger]

Just sittin' down now to go through the days cons. Phil
had to work so I was able to borrow his Bazooka..

Didn't take any pics at the river, but with the river on the
drop I was able to extend the hole Phil started right down
to the rivers edge.

Saw quite a few pieces sliding down the feed plate on the
Bazooka, but won't know the total till I get 'er all cleaned
up later this evening.

Get me fingers crossed, for sure...(I gotta do better than
he did!).

 

[425jesse]

I have a 30" sniper and the 36" prospector. The sniper is a great box that hooks into my pack and it's very light. I usually run about 10 buckets unclassified (4 or 5 I'd I've classified to 1/2") before clean out. Cleans out fast and easy. The prospector is a beast! Could feed it all day with very few clean outs, and loads of gold! I like em both!! Sniper takes lots less water than the prospector, so keep that in mind too! Hope you enjoyed your time with the bazookas!!

 

[Jeff95531]

Just sittin' down now to go through the days cons. Phil
had to work so I was able to borrow his Bazooka..

Didn't take any pics at the river, but with the river on the
drop I was able to extend the hole Phil started right down
to the rivers edge.

Saw quite a few pieces sliding down the feed plate on the
Bazooka, but won't know the total till I get 'er all cleaned
up later this evening.

Get me fingers crossed, for sure...(I gotta do better than
he did!).

Hey DD. How's come you extended Phil's hole towards the river instead of running parallel?