Equipment suggestions?

[NCguy]

Hello,
New here and looking for some wisdom in regards to mining equipment.
We have some acreage in western NC. A large Creek runs through the property with many twist, turns and 1-2 foot waterfalls. Creek is about 15-25' wide and averages 1' deep. There are deeper 3-4' pools. Section of Creek on our land is about 2500' long with much of it showing exposed bedrock. There are many drop offs,cracks,boulders...
Ok, my plan has been to dredge the cracks in the bedrock. I thought about a pontoon type dredge but many areas are to shallow being only 6-12" deep.
I've been leaning towards a high banker set up on Creek bank.
My questions are;
Can I set up on bank and use hose to work bedrock and fissureS/cracks....directly from Creek to sluice?
Would I need a semi solid pump or a different type pump.
Most videos I've seen show people pumping clean water to high banker and just shoveling paydirt.
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks, Dan

 

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[oldkoot]

I would look at a Gold Fox Lil Monster Tromell they are small and vary transportable

 

[crashbandicoot]

I hope you find gold!

 

[NCguy]

Thanks for the info.
Here are some pics of our creek. Any help with dredge size would be appreciated.
90 percent of Creek is 6-12" deep with bedrock just under surface. There are some deeper holes around 3' deep. Most dredging will be on bedrock and cracks...

 

[NCguy]

Pics

 

[Nevada Prospector]

Have you tried panning the creek to see if there is anything to dredge?

 

[RTR]

That creek looks good ,what county is it in ?

 

[NCguy]

Have you tried panning the creek to see if there is anything to dredge?

Yes, last summer I shoveled material out of the creek. Probably half of a five gallon bucket from a depression in the bedrock. I got 3-4 small flakes and 1 piece about half the size of a BB.
That was using a borrowed Keene 3' sluice. Was also my first time sluicing anything.

That creek looks good ,what county is it in ?

Im in Burke. This Creek isn't loaded with round stones. It does have small areas of small stone 1/2"-2". In the pics one shot shows large rocks on bedrock. The ground out of the creek to the right is all bedrock covered with leaves,moss and sand. Dark spots in that pic are bedrock. Also shows sand from last flood sitting on bedrock.
Sorry, to be wordy. Just trying to give good info.

 

[RTR]

Yes, last summer I shoveled material out of the creek. Probably half of a five gallon bucket from a depression in the bedrock. I got 3-4 small flakes and 1 piece about half the size of a BB.
That was using a borrowed Keene 3' sluice. Was also my first time sluicing anything.

Im in Burke. This Creek isn't loaded with round stones. It does have small areas of small stone 1/2"-2". In the pics one shot shows large rocks on bedrock. The ground out of the creek to the right is all bedrock covered with leaves,moss and sand. Dark spots in that pic are bedrock. Also shows sand from last flood sitting on bedrock.
Sorry, to be wordy. Just trying to give good info.

Looks good to me ,IF its between Marion and Rutherford .I'd hit it all day loooong First Try panning inside bends of the creek that look good.Then decide what equipt. and how big you want to go with this. Good Luck !
>>> https://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ncmaps/id/593

 

[NCguy]

Looks good to me ,IF its between Marion and Rutherford .I'd hit it all day loooong First Try panning inside bends of the creek that look good.Then decide what equipt. and how big you want to go with this. Good Luck !
>>> https://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ncmaps/id/593 View attachment 1998872

Thanks for the map and well wishes.
My place is top right of your map. Just above "Catawba" river

 

[crashbandicoot]

Those are very pretty pictures of a nice creek.I,d go out there just to sit and watch and listen to the water run,nice sound water makes moving over rocks. Any fish in there?

 

[RTR]

Thanks for the map and well wishes.
My place is top right of your map. Just above "Catawba" river

Well then it looks like your location is just a little North & East of the main gold vain(in the Marion area) . But this map still shows gold- in your area-..... I'd stick with plan "A"....Hit it hard !
And does your creek have any big boulders ?

 

[NCguy]

Those are very pretty pictures of a nice creek.I,d go out there just to sit and watch and listen to the water run,nice sound water makes moving over rocks. Any fish in there?

Thanks and yep, sitting by a creek is healing. Just a few small fish and some big snapping turtles.

Well then it looks like your location is just a little North & East of the main gold vain(in the Marion area) . But this map still shows gold- in your area-..... I'd stick with plan "A"....Hit it hard !
And does your creek have any big boulders ?
View attachment 1998893

We have our first set of pans coming this week and will get started.
There are some large boulders in certain areas. Some larger than a car. I'll try and ad a pic.

 

[RTR]

I'd Try to move those big boulders with a come - a - long & a 5-6 ft crowbar and dig under them . These are my 'go to' tools for such a job. A pan & sluice will work better with classified

material.The sifting screen is 1/4" mesh.And all that stuff fits in a 5 gal. bucket

 

[crashbandicoot]

Thanks RTR for those pics.That little sluice looks like something I,d want when I start looking for some color in the Lower Arkansas River here.My plan is to clean out the sand that accumulates in the rip rap below the last dam on the river and pan that,but that sluice looks like a nice addition to the tool kit.What,s the name of it?Got a lot to learn of course,but I,ve been helped a great deal by my reading here.

 

[RTR]

Thanks RTR for those pics.That little sluice looks like something I,d want when I start looking for some color in the Lower Arkansas River here.My plan is to clean out the sand that accumulates in the rip rap below the last dam on the river and pan that,but that sluice looks like a nice addition to the tool kit.What,s the name of it?Got a lot to learn of course,but I,ve been helped a great deal by my reading here.

Its a Angus MacKirk 'Grubstake' >> https://brokenback.ca/product/angus-mackirk-grubstake-flair-sluice/
MacKirk made tons of different models .Mine is 10 years old and looks/works like new ,and it catches very small/fine gold quite well .Great for packing in to streams only 2+ pounds but still takes a beating

 

[Gare]

What about Mounting a Gold Cube on a Kayak ?

 

[NCguy]

I'd Try to move those big boulders with a come - a - long & a 5-6 ft crowbar and dig under them . These are my 'go to' tools for such a job. A pan & sluice will work better with classified View attachment 1999038 material.The sifting screen is 1/4" mesh.And all that stuff fits in a 5 gal. bucket
View attachment 1999036 View attachment 1999037

Thanks for the pics and info. I have a come a long and some cable so moving rocks should be possible. Some are just too big.
Pans will be here soon but I'm already looking at sluices and dredges.. I like the mini Max 3n1. Also looking at the gold hog piglet.
As mentioned, most of the creek bottom is bedrock with lots of holes, cracks. They are filled with heavy gravel. Some have a 3-6" layer of white sand on top of the bedrock and gravel from the last flood. I tried shoveling out some of the holes in the bedrock but it's hard to get the very bottom stuff in a flowing creek...with a shovel.
Since I plan on cleaning out those holes and cracks would a 2" dredge be underpowered?

 

[RTR]

NC guy
A two inch would probably do it fine. But if you can get a ATV or something in there(to haul in a dredge) a 4 inch would really do the trick,it all depends on how much you wanna spend,how crazy you wanna get w/ this,AND how much Gold you find Before spending Big $$$s....Does that creek ever dry out completely ?

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

The creek looks like a great place to hunt for Indian artifacts too.