Every dog has his day...

[SchoolOfHardRocks]

Got out to the NFAR again this weekend and did better than ever! Found a nice big flake/ picker along with some smaller ones. I know I'm pretty close to the source! Well just wanted to proudly display my find for encouragement. I know sometimes when I'm in a dry spell it's encouraging to see someone finding some gold. Enjoy.

 

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[Goldwasher]

Just because you found gold that size on the NF doesn't necessarily mean you are close to the "source"....there are a variety of sources in the area.......either way good job cool piece!!!! The forks of the American cut multiple anchient channels and mineralized zones....there are pay layers ....streaks and heavy lines..the flakes can be in pockets and the pockets spotty and hard to trace a pattern....keep at it and just keep doing whatever you were doing.....that flake could have been a previous miners almost....it also could have been miles away a decade or an eon ago!!!

 

[TheGoldProspector]

Got out to the NFAR again this weekend and did better than ever! Found a nice big flake/ picker along with some smaller ones. I know I'm pretty close to the source! Well just wanted to proudly display my find for encouragement. I know sometimes when I'm in a dry spell it's encouraging to see someone finding some gold. Enjoy.

Congrats on the color

 

[SchoolOfHardRocks]

Just because you found gold that size on the NF doesn't necessarily mean you are close to the "source"....there are a variety of sources in the area.......either way good job cool piece!!!! The forks of the American cut multiple anchient channels and mineralized zones....there are pay layers ....streaks and heavy lines..the flakes can be in pockets and the pockets spotty and hard to trace a pattern....keep at it and just keep doing whatever you were doing.....that flake could have been a previous miners almost....it also could have been miles away a decade or an eon ago!!!

Very true and I appreciate your insight. I did leave some detail out as to why I have come to that conclusion... I think i'm getting close because the other pickers i found last week were pretty coarse 7 there is evidence of mining activity (tailings piles & trails) all over above where I'm working....although i am still a rookie and have a lot to learn... so i suppose your opinion outweighs mine lol.

 

[dave wiseman]

Look at even the smallest pieces with a loupe and see if any quartz is still attached...and how rough the gold is.

 

[Goldwasher]

How about this one......that pieces source could be close by..(tailings....diggings)...the source of that piece could be a ways off( lode...tertiary inter-volcanic channel)....you are correct only my opinion...don't discount your boots on the ground assessment!!!! Try to duplicate your technic and success whenever you can, and even when that doesn't work out don't think that you did anything wrong.

 

[Bejay]

Just curious: When a miner says: "close to the source". How close is close? But depending on "where" the gold was actually released from the host rock; the issue "close" can be very illusive. Give thought to the fact that a "chunk" of host rock with a little bit of gold in it can travel a long distance as such before releasing that "picker" that is held within.

I always like the use of the word "closer".

Bejay

 

[SchoolOfHardRocks]

Man..I've heard others say this before "Just when you think you are starting to figure it out, BOOM- not quite" lol.. Thanks guys for your input. It's hard to not become narrow-minded while finding gold, there really is a "lode" of possibilities. I'm sometimes skeptical to post on this site because I'm in fear of being wrong...but that's what this forum is for. I might be on the right track or thinking along the right lines, but the extra information you guys just gave and continue to give can get me to that next level. THANKS!!! & KEEP IT COMIN!!!

 

[TheGoldProspector]

Keep going SoHR

 

[Lanny in AB]

Got out to the NFAR again this weekend and did better than ever! Found a nice big flake/ picker along with some smaller ones. I know I'm pretty close to the source! Well just wanted to proudly display my find for encouragement. I know sometimes when I'm in a dry spell it's encouraging to see someone finding some gold. Enjoy.

Nicely done!

I hope you find where that picker's neighbors are hanging out so you can break up the block party and take the whole shebang home with you.

Keep doing what you're doing, and all the best as you try to find more,

Lanny

 

[Bejay]

My mining partner for the past 35 years always says: "I think that I will do this or that"...."What do you think"?

After many, many years of mining (mostly dredging)...and having a geology background; my answer is "you never know" that illusive gold is funny stuff. I can't tell you how many times I have been fooled. One thing is for sure. When you are finding gold, the obvious good spot where you just found it in is easy to see. But just as often; the good looking spot that should have held gold ends up being a bust.

Persistence is the best tool....utilizing your best knowledge can get you close...but not necessarily the "cats meow"! Most gold getters will tell you "Gold Is Where You find it!" And that is not being fictitious. So when you are finding some....just keep looking and you will be successful if gold is present!

Bejay

 

[SchoolOfHardRocks]

Thanks Guys for sharing, I have learned a lot from all of you.

I just recently saw a post on different site that I am not a member of...I can't put it as elegant as the person who wrote it but they pointed out the relentlessness, tough skin, and the adventure that us prospectors (or in my case weekend worrior prospector) face. We are a different breed and should be proud of what we do..even if we can't help it cuz we have got the fever lol.

 

[g-olden years]

You had fun & adventure -- and you found gold! Good enuf for me & Congrats to you! All Yall Have Fun! You've already paid your dues! Andi

 

[goldenIrishman]

Prospecting for gold is a constant learning experience School. Many of us have been doing this for years now and we're still learning new things every day. Never forget that gold prospecting is one of those rare activities where you can teach an old dog new tricks and on a regular basis! You should never be against trying something new or thinking outside of the box when it comes to prospecting. They say that the gold is where you find it, but there's still a lot of areas that haven't been checked closely.

Now... When ya find that big vein, THEN you're close to the source!

 

[KevinInColorado]

Also props for those calluses, you are clearly working hard in this life!

 

[goldenmojo]

If the rain keeps going you will have a new opportunity to learn the NF. Water level is currently 3250cfs up from 70cfs last week and raising 370 feet per hour. Come on 10,000.......

 

[fishnfacts]

Kevin, you stole my post. That picture of the hard working hands tells me he is close to something good for sure.
You wont find the source if you are not working the ground.

 

[63bkpkr]

SoHr,
It looks like you could be pretty far down on the NFAR and what a lovely place to be! Thank you for the picture of the area and for sharing your joy in finding color, just nothing quite like finding a piece of Gold! Weekend prospector or full time no matter as it is all hard work but being in such a lovely place makes a big difference. Keep thinking like a piece of gold, aka Lanny and others, and you will find more.
Best of success..........63bkpkr

Come on 10,000 cfs heck Come on 30,000 cfs!!

 

[SchoolOfHardRocks]

If the rain keeps going you will have a new opportunity to learn the NF. Water level is currently 3250cfs up from 70cfs last week and raising 370 feet per hour. Come on 10,000.......

You bring up a great point goldenmojo. I have been very curious about the NFAR and it's water levels...

I've been out to the river at least once a week since May of this year. The river has made subtle changes here and there as it's rained a little or lack there of. Well, on Thanksgiving weekend I planned to do some sluicing in the same hole that I worked the weekend prior. When the trail opened up and I could get a good look at the river, I was shocked to see that it was flowing rapidly, murky brown, and about a foot higher than it was the week previous (my hole from last week was now under rapids). So I fell back on Plan B and did some cracking and crevacing which ended up working out..The gold was pretty sweet. So the following weekend I head out to the river again, this time leaving the sluice, shovel, & buckets at home because of my experience the week before. And this time when i reach the river, it's back to normal. What the Hell??!!

What is my best way to guage water levels? We got a lot of rain this week...the water has raised as you said...will it drop by the weekend or no? I've snooped around online a bit and have found some websites that give water levels, but shoot cfs is chinese to me lol.. what's normal cfs for the NFAR?

 

[goldenIrishman]

LOL... School... That's just Mother Natures way of teasing you! River up... River down. Start tracking what the river looks like at different levels. Look for low pressure zones when it's up and remember where they are at. Also by learning what its level is at different rates, You'll know just what to bring with ya.

Out here.... When there's water in the washes, it will be back down to dry usually with in a day or so. There are some advantages to being a desert rat!