HELP ME

[pablack]

I've been reading this forum for a couple of years and you all seem very nice. I need some help. My wife, four year old son and I have been panning several times the past couple of years and have yet to find a spec of anything. I being a transplant from L.A. and my wife a tried and true Oregonian I wanted too experience a little country life and let my son experience something I never did as a child. Just a spec of gold would make me a happy camper. We do this more for my son than anything else, but a little reward would be nice to. We live in Salem and have traveled up past Sweet Home several times to," Quartz Creek" I believe that is the name. Any suggestions or comments will be greatly appreciated.

 

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[Cynangyl]

awww before Mama passed on David and I were in Salem at least every other weekend! If you look in the tnet member hunts we are all hoping to get together in June over by John Day....would be a good chance to meet up with some knowledable folks and learn a lot about where to go and such. David and I found gold over there in the John Day area last summer so perhaps you would go home with some specks from there and definitely a lot of good info on areas to go to! Would love to get the chance to meet you as well. Hopefully we will be back up in your area this summer as well and maybe find some gold together!

 

[lgadbois]

There is very fine flour gold almost everywhere in Washington, Oregon, and California. The problem is that the particle size is so small, they can easily float away due to the surface tension in the water. Ocean beaches and river bars showing black sand will have gold along with them, though it is difficult to recover.

If you are panning properly, you will have mostly black sand left at the bottom of the pan. The stones, clay, and lighter detrious will be gone. By washing the black sand across the bottom of the pan using a circular motion of the water, the trailing edge will show the "heavies" that include gold, silver, platinum, garnet dust, lead, etc. If you need practice to develope your finesse, you can use lead filings in the pans to see if you are able to wash out the light material while keeping the heavy.

The best places to pan are the areas of known mining activity. The best areas in Oregon are around Baker on the Eastern edge of the state, and in the Jacksonville area near the Southern border. The Gold Prospector's Association of America, as well as other clubs, have claims that are available to members. Locating gold paystreaks in some of the other areas of the state is possible, but it will require a lot of time, patience, and work.

 

[MRDUKE]

hay i live a little far from you guys, but if you ever get down around roseburg , me and my wife would be happy to take you out, we don,t find a lot but we always get a little coler, it,s a great hobbie, but it makes it a lot funner if you can find just a little bit of gold, just so you don,t fell skunked, anyway good luck and don,t give up..

 

[elkman13]

What kind of pan do you use?? If you use metal (the best) you need to make sure you burn it black first. Don't get it around any veggie oil. Most gold is in NE or SW. N of Johnday is good but it has a lot of claims on areas with gold. Know someone who found some gold with metal detector at the edge of a dredged area. Then had to dry pan. If there was much gold someone would be mining it.

 

[lgadbois]

I own several different types of pans. The pan I like the best is a green round Gravity Trap. In my opinion, the green square pans are the fastest and easiest to use, but I still prefer the round one.

 

[elkman13]

As you go around and around with the last of a pan full of ore, you will see black sand and the gold will get hung up on the metal just enough. That will show gold at the tailing edge. You won't see the smallest flower very well against the green. ( only my experience using both).

 

[stryker-one]

Stryker-one here,

Go I-5 south and exit to Brownsville go east to the Calapooia river go up Calapooia river road and find a place to park. Any moss on rocks in the Calapooia river will contain dirt and from my own experience a color of gold. The spec may be the size of glitter but there should be a color or two in each panning of moss.


Pull moss from rock and place in pan. Submerge pan in water and tear apart moss while under water in pan shake out dirt under water while moss is in pan, do this till there is no dirt in moss roots. Discard moss, drain off brown water and pan concentrates that came from moss. If you do this you will find color--and it will be gold. I have not one time failed to find color on the Calapooia.

Let me know.
Stryker

 

[lizardman]

Let me make it easy for you. Head south to Wolf Creek, Oregon. Anywhere along the lower end of Graves creek near the confluence of the Rogue. Pan the moss of the rocks. I guarantee you will get about a $1.50 a pan of nice fat little flakes. I used to do it when I was living on Graves creek and had nothing else to do.

 

[pablack]

I would like to thank everyone for the suggestions. We have planned two little trips in August. Wish us luck.

 

[Cynangyl]

GOOD LUCK!!