Inside Bend Question

[JeffA]

Hi All, yesterday I discovered a new creek where I discovered a little color in the pan. In the attached picture is an inside bend with a nice pile-up of rocks from when the water flow was much higher. My question is, what part of that pile of that rocks would you more experienced prospectors test? More towards the middle, closer to the bank? I ask because the digging here is extremely tough. Thanks in advance, Jeff

 

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[arizau]

Hi All, yesterday I discovered a new creek where I discovered a little color in the pan. In the attached picture is an inside bend with a nice pile-up of rocks from when the water flow was much higher. My question is, what part of that pile of that rocks would you more experienced prospectors test? More towards the middle, closer to the bank? I ask because the digging here is extremely tough. Thanks in advance, Jeff

View attachment 1730799

Take a garden rake down there and rake the cobbles out of the way. There is probably an underlying layer of sand and gravel on top of the base cobbles that can be more easily scooped up and processed along with what is between them.

 

[JeffA]

The cobbles and rocks keep going down. I dug one hole about 1.5-2ft deep and it took a lot of effort....no gold in that hole. That's why I ask if anyone may have some insight into where I should dig. I don't mind putting in the effort, but if a certain part may have better chances than another, that's where I prefer to put the labor in lol

 

[placertogo]

Just to the left of the center near those larger cobbles. There was heavy flow to move those and the flow slowed just where they dropped and any gold in the flow should have dropped there also. Probably deep to bedrock but you would find some flood gold among those cobbles.

 

[slink]

Just sample pan many spots. I am not talking 2ft deep holes get a pan full see what it gives. Like it dig more don't like it test another spot. Trust your pan. Sample sample sample sometimes that great spot is not where it seems most likely its 1 ft away from your last hole

 

[arizau]

The flow across that bar probably takes a straight line across towards the near shore. I would sample that right hand side area of the bar....and the near shore. There may be gold deep but I would concentrate my efforts on the easier stuff first which is the flood material that lays on and around embedded cobbles beneath the loose ones on the surface. Once you remove them their underlayment will probably be submerged anyway then your efforts will be even more difficult.

Good luck

 

[JeffA]

Awesome, thanks so much for the insight guys! I'll be there tomorrow with one of our brand new members. I'll let you know how we make out!

 

[JeffA]

Those rocks may look like cobbles, but most are the size of softballs or larger, and everything from pebbles up to boulders. It is all very hard packed, extremely difficult to get a shovel in. I'm not sure how deep down bedrock is, but hope to find out. What I've found so far has been embedded within the banks. I'll be there for a full day tomorrow, so should have a much better idea of the spot by the time I return home tomorrow night. One more question....the horseflies are a real pain there, quite relentless. Any suggestions for dealing with them?

 

[DizzyDigger]

I'm guessing the water is flowing left to right?

If so, here's where I would look.

 

[JeffA]

I'm guessing the water is flowing left to right?

If so, here's where I would look.

View attachment 1730830

Awesome, thanks so much Dizz! The hole I dug was more in towards the middle of the 3 spots you circled. I'll check all 3 of your circled spots tomorrow and let you know how I made out....and yes the flow is left to right. Jeff

 

[goldenmojo]

Take some sort of prying bar with you to loosen the cobble. I see you have a sluice with you but sampling with a pan is the way to go to tell if it is worth working. If you find a good amount of color on the bar you can spend a 1/2 day- 1 day chucking cobble to get yourself a small ditch from the top to the bottom of the bar just wide and deep enough to get your sluice in. Throw an angled wing dam or supported tarp at the head of the bar out into the stream to divert the flow and then you can work the bar with your sluice every day all day. My mining buds and I once made a 60' long channel on a small bar that had lots of color and worked it for a couple of months. Good Luck. Here is a pic of about half of the trough.

 

[BillA]

hmm, so how hard are you willing to work for float gold? (here and there, hit and miss)
and yes, moving big packed rocks is hell
but if you want more than float, you will have to dig test pits - where is the issue

can you divert or channel the stream (eew, N. Calif.) I guess not

 

[JeffA]

In RI and southern MA all you really find is flour gold, I've yet to see a picker around here and don't know if I will. I'm certainly trying though, and what is most important is the fact that I'm learning in the process. At some point I plan to relocate West to a better gold area. By the time I get there, I'll have plenty of experience in testing, panning, sluicing, exploring, reading creeks and rivers, etc. Thank you Goldenmojo for your advice. If I do find some gold in that cobble bar I will to some degree do what you're saying. I do test pans here and there, but honestly I find a more valid test in my area is to test a 5 gal bucket of classified material through my sluice, then pan that. It's an Angus Mackirk, so the cleanout is under 30 seconds, and it catches flour gold great. At my best location I've found thus far, a bucket of 1/4" classified material yields 5-7 little pieces. That's how I determine for myself if an area is worth my while based on the area I live in. Heading there shortly, I'll update later tonight on my results! Thanks again everyone for your tips, it has given me some direction outside the box of my own thinking....which is in itself growth/learning. Jeff

 

[A2coins]

Good luck looks promising

 

[brianc053]

Can't wait to hear how today's prospecting went!
- Brian

 

[JeffA]

Well we tried all the 3 spots Dizz circled, unfortunately none of them produced. Where we did find gold was along the left side where the cobbles meet the bank, and in another bank nearby. Still lots of exploring to do on this creek, I find it quite interesting, and untouched. We both brought some cons home to pan, so we'll let you know how we each did over the next couple of days, as well as upload some pics if the take was good. In my test bucket from where the cobbles meet the bank along the left side, I pulled out 6 small pieces which was cool.

 

[Gold4Mike]

I'm certainly no expert and still learning myself, but from what I've read/learned I would start toward the head of the bend and as tight in (or to the bank) as possible. That also seems to be where I've done my best. That being said, you never know until you test. My first spot would have probably been where Dizzy marked #1, but small enough area to test all areas.

 

[OwenT]

Well we tried all the 3 spots Dizz circled, unfortunately none of them produced. Where we did find gold was along the left side where the cobbles meet the bank, and in another bank nearby. Still lots of exploring to do on this creek, I find it quite interesting, and untouched. We both brought some cons home to pan, so we'll let you know how we each did over the next couple of days, as well as upload some pics if the take was good. In my test bucket from where the cobbles meet the bank along the left side, I pulled out 6 small pieces which was cool.

I've also usually been able to find fine gold in the area where the bar ends and meets the banks, it seems that maybe gold tends to hang up in the vegetation and different terrain or maybe even that as the water washes away the bank material, the gold tends to stay put?

 

[KevinInColorado]

Just to keep you encouraged, I have found two pickers in western Mass and I know Brian053 found one because I was with him the day it happened! (2 different spots btw)

 

[brianc053]

Just to keep you encouraged, I have found two pickers in western Mass and I know Brian053 found one because I was with him the day it happened! (2 different spots btw)

It’s true...picture of mine attached: