Interesting discovery today

[goldenIrishman]

Well we got hammered pretty hard by the monsoons here last night and this morning I went out to check the washes. I went to check the area I had just started testing to find that it had all been filled back in and the pile of rocks I had stacked up to get them out of the way had been washed downstream.

Being a inquisitive type I followed the wash down stream into an area that I had not been into before and low and behold what do I find? Someone at some time in the past had taken rocks and cement and dammed the wash! The dam wasn't all that high being all of maybe three feet tall but it has rock and sand backed up for about 40 feet! Talk about a great gold trap! There was a little water flowing over the dam so I got out my trowel and backpacker pan which I always take with me and started testing right next to the dam. First pan showed a little color as well as some of the largest Garnets I've found in the wash here to date.

Since I only had limited tools to work with today, I did what I could before I had to get back to the homestead and do the "Munchkin Wrangling" thing. Since tomorrow is Saturday and I know what to expect, I'll be hauling out some equipment that is better suited for the task at hand. I'm thinking that if I can get the built up sand and rocks classified and out of the way, water should fill it back in for a bit and give me plenty to run the recirc sluice without having to haul H2O from the house. It should also help to keep any more gold that washes down from "flat boarding" as it will have water there already that is level and deeper then the channel upstream thus allowing the gold to drop out of the flow.

As to the dam I can tell it's been there for a very long time by the condition of the cement holding the rocks in place. I'm thinking that it was setup for watering cattle some time in the past as it's range land and range cattle are all over it. Filled in as it is it's not doing the cattle any good so I can see no reason that anyone should complain about me clearing it out. If all that sand just happens to be processed at the same time......

 

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[63bkpkr]

Nice find and good thinking on your part. There are those things we are given and sometimes we do not recognize them as gifts till some time later! Good luck on clearing out your watering trough...................63bkpkr

 

[kazcoro]

Sounds like a good place to vacuum down to bedrock. You guys get some gully washers there, and after who knows how many years....

 

[Jeff95531]

Good prospecting find GI. Keep us posted!

 

[goldenIrishman]

Planning on hitting it again tomorrow A.M. with some proper equipment this time. Wanted to do it today but life got in the way yet again.

 

[Rob in KS]

Don't forget the camera.....we want pictures!!

 

[B H Prospector]

Ditto on all the coments above! Hope you hit a bonanza. Keep us posted please.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Exciting!

 

[goldenIrishman]

If ya'll don't mind waiting for the pictures I'll take some. I'm "old school" when it comes to photography and still shoot on real film. Well... that and I can't afford the Sony A series body the will accept the lenses I have. I can't see (or justify) getting all new lenses to go with a digital and Sony is the only one that makes a DSLR that can use the glass I've got. Even when I do get a DSLR I'll still keep the 35MM bodies as there's still some things that digital just can't do like old school film can.

 

[Jeff95531]

Hey, no problem. But you KNOW how we love pics, so I'll get you started Fred...err I mean Jeff

Here is the equipment you have, just so people know it's going to be a while...


Here's Jeff at his new spot...


And all the gold he found when he used the area for a recirc site.


See, now all you gotta do is tell the story. You are very welcome!

 

[goldenIrishman]

ROFLMAO!!!!!! You don't know how close those pictures are to the truth my friend!!! I've even got the Fred Flintstone feet! I've got such a hard time finding comfy footwear because my dogs are so wide.

Oh... Robi wants to know if ALL Jeffs are wise a$$es...... I keep trying to tell her all the good guys are named Jeff.

Anyway.... Robi, the dogs (3 rotties for those that don't already know) and I went out there this morning to find that the water was barely a trickle which was both good and bad. Good because I could start moving materials right next to the dam and bad because I didn't have enough to run the sluice even with the recirc system. It's going to take some major work to get it down to bedrock and when it comes to removing the bigger rocks I'm a "one man show". We still made some progress and I even hauled out 10 gallons of classified materials. Getting the stuff back to the house was a major hump as that section of the wash is in some very rough terrain. I'll run it through the sluice in the morning and see what we come up with.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Sounds like you need one of these to make those trips easier with the buckets: http://www.gold-n-sand.com/broller-coaster/4556715029

...it is a big wheeled bucket carrier they work great

 

[Sawyer]

I was at Ft. Huachuca in the early 70's. Really loved that country! Did not have the MD or prospecting hobbies then. Would love to go back for a month or two and do nothing but hunt for gold and silver! I know there is "GOLD IN THEM THAR HILLS"!! Good luck to you, I hope you hit it big! Just being out there looking is hitting it big!

 

[goldenIrishman]

I know what ya mean Sawyer. I first came out to this area back in the 80s to see friends that were stationed at Fort Huachuca and pretty much fell in love with this area. Of course the area around Sierra Vista has GROWN like a weed since then. That's the reason I'm about an hours drive east from there. I've been exploring the mountains out here since they seem to have a lot less mining activity than the area around S.V. Between the gold, crystals and gems I'm a happy camper.

I was living near Macon, Georgia and decided I wanted to move back out west but didn't want to move back to California so of course this area came to mind. Between the mountains, washes and general desert wildlife it's hard not to think I'm in heaven at times. Having a wonderful lady with me makes it even better and this is especially so when she's as into prospecting as I am.

 

[goldenIrishman]

Sounds like you need one of these to make those trips easier with the buckets: Gold Prospectors Broller Coaster

...it is a big wheeled bucket carrier they work great

I've seen them Kev. Problem is you haven't seen the terrain around here. It MIGHT last for a couple of trips if I was lucky. The toughest part is getting into and out of the washes. Very few places to do that in some areas. Besides that they only haul one bucket at a time. Being the "He-Man" (or is that just plain crazy?) type I do two buckets at a time with my carrier.

 

[goldenIrishman]

Got back to the new digs this morning and grabbed a couple more buckets. When i got back I had time to run about 2 gallons worth of the materials. Plenty of flour as well as some small pieces about half the size of a pin head. This was from right next to the dam and near the top. I'm hoping it gets better as I get deeper. If I could get some rain here so I could use the recirc system I'd be really happy about now. Just enough to get the water flowing without flooding my work area would be perfect.

 

[goldenIrishman]

ASK... and Thou Shalt Recieve!!!!

Well Mother Nature must have been reading the forum here last night as she sent me a nice slow soaking rain for the majority of the night. I should have water back in the wash but not so much as to fill in what I'd already cleared out. Soon as I finish up the morning mud ( ) I'm heading out to check things out. Just taking camera for now as I want to make sure the water level will allow for sluicing BEFORE I haul it all the way out there. It's an easy enough walk without equipment but with can be a pain.

 

[jcazgoldchaser]

Well Mother Nature must have been reading the forum here last night as she sent me a nice slow soaking rain for the majority of the night. I should have water back in the wash but not so much as to fill in what I'd already cleared out. Soon as I finish up the morning mud ( ) I'm heading out to check things out. Just taking camera for now as I want to make sure the water level will allow for sluicing BEFORE I haul it all the way out there. It's an easy enough walk without equipment but with can be a pain.

Can you create holding areas below or upstream? Something that would catch more of a smaller rain? Upstream would be handy if you could release it as you needed more water.

Looking forward to pics! Remember to beware of flash flooding. Watch weather reports of the upstream areas.

 

[Jeff95531]

Good on you and your new spot. I went prospecting for King Salmon today and no color! P**sed me off so much I'm going again tomorrow morning. But I swear, if these fish don't quit embarrassing me, it's back to the gold fields!
Really happy for you Jeff and plz keep us posted.

 

[goldenIrishman]

Got out there with the camera and found that the hole I had cleared out had filled in. However the sand was not all the way back up to the top of the dam so that's a good sign. Got some pictures of the area but I still have to finish the roll of film before I can get it processed and the pictures posted. Kevin will see that the bucket roller would do me no good.

JC: No place to make a holding area that would be close enough to be of any use. As to the flash floods, This wash starts out only about a mile upstream and flows off of College Peak which is right next to our house. I can keep an eye on the weather as I work and be out of there well before anything comes roaring down the channel! Besides... Since I got out of the Army, I don't do foul weather patrols anymore. I had enough of that when I was in! That little dam will hold plenty of working water for the site once I can get it sealed back up. I whipped up a little addition for my recirc sluice last night that will allow me to pump directly from the dam and not loose the water as I work. Simple ladder covered with screen and an old "T" shirt that will pass the gravel but allow the water to drain back into the holding area. WIll be doing testing on it today.

Grasshopper: As far as the Salmon go... I think you would do well to remember that the bait goes on the hook.... NOT on the Sushi platter! Oh wait! I forgot that these are California Salmon. They require sushi to be used as bait due to their high class nature...