M & M Mining the Northern Sierras

[wildminer]

Bummer on the burn. I've got a 12x48 sluice that is setup as a hibanker Even had it set up as an over-under and have all those parts as well as ribbed mat, veranda mat, slick plate and expanded mesh. It's fairly versatile. Also have some 3" stuff, good 3" suction hose, 2" pressure, 2" layflat, 2" y and various fittings and an unused 3" dryland nozzle and a swivel nozzle. Also have a 6.5 Honda clone with a p180 in great shape. All stored indoors. Age and the laws are catching up with me so I've been thinking of departing with this stuff. Located on south Oregon coast. John

 

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[mikep691]

Bummer on the burn. I've got a 12x48 sluice that is setup as a hibanker Even had it set up as an over-under and have all those parts as well as ribbed mat, veranda mat, slick plate and expanded mesh. It's fairly versatile. Also have some 3" stuff, good 3" suction hose, 2" pressure, 2" layflat, 2" y and various fittings and an unused 3" dryland nozzle and a swivel nozzle. Also have a 6.5 Honda clone with a p180 in great shape. All stored indoors. Age and the laws are catching up with me so I've been thinking of departing with this stuff. Located on south Oregon coast. John

Sent you a PM

 

[mikep691]

It was a pretty heartbreaking trip to the claim last week. The total devastation was so hard to take in.

 

[mikep691]

 

[mytimetoshine]

Darn! Sorry that happen Mike.

 

[Mountaineer2020]

Ouch man! Looking for some light maybe pull out the metal detector and start combing those bare hills. The bare ground will only last a couple of seasons before the brush comes back STRONG. If ever there was a time to look for nuggets and treasure it's now.

 

[mikep691]

Ouch man! Looking for some light maybe pull out the metal detector and start combing those bare hills. The bare ground will only last a couple of seasons before the brush comes back STRONG. If ever there was a time to look for nuggets and treasure it's now.

That's part of the plan for sure. Plus, I'm in the process of acquiring new replacement equipment from wildminer this week. Being that everything is now so wide open, we'll have to scale back on "some" of our, uh, activities.

 

[mikep691]

Darn! Sorry that happen Mike.

Eric, the old miner's cabin is now gone and the ground is opened up to where the commode was. More tent space but with it is more visible from the road. We have another possible camp site on the next road up, but we'll have to find some gold upstream to make it worth the move. That may be happening in the coming weeks. Come on up and play.

 

[mytimetoshine]

Eric, the old miner's cabin is now gone and the ground is opened up to where the commode was. More tent space but with it is more visible from the road. We have another possible camp site on the next road up, but we'll have to find some gold upstream to make it worth the move. That may be happening in the coming weeks. Come on up and play.

Ah man! I forgot about the cabin!!!!! Shiiitt!! I got a picture of it in my journal at least. Fire [emoji91] sucks..

 

[mikep691]

A little maintenance is needed for the small Keene/Honda pump, but some of this stuff is getting wet in a couple weeks:


I'll be doing a lot of shovel work, but will be prepared to drag to 2 1/2" nozzle and hose down for the bedrock clean up. The goal will be to open a two yard area of bedrock, which means shoveling about 2 cubic yards of gravel. I'm way out of shape after the wonderful lock down. My only exercise has been 12 ounce curls for months.

 

[wildminer]

12 ounce curls! ha ha, that's a good one Mike,.......... I think.

 

[mytimetoshine]

12 ounce curls! ha ha, that's a good one Mike,.......... I think.

12 ounce curls all day long. Just don't ask Mike about dry ice. Lol

 

[mikep691]

12 ounce curls all day long. Just don't ask Mike about dry ice. Lol

Was good times with Hefty and brother, and others. That is after I got the beer chest unfrozen from the kitchen floor... NOTE: If you plan on drinking beer, don't pack it dry ice. Nuff said

 

[mikep691]

Fifteen minutes, after two weeks of procrastination, the pump is ready for the creek. If all goes well, we're diggin' this weekend. I'm a little worried about camping in a fire dead zone though. There is nothing but dead standing sticks around our campsite. Chainsaw gets a new chain and some love tomorrow.

 

[mikep691]

I checked with FS. No campfire restrictions so it's a go for this weekend. Chainsaws are going in case we need to remove hazard trees around camp. The wind here is blowing too. It's my only worry at camp. I tried not to laugh at the FS minerals rep. She tried to tell me I need a POO and can only do hands and pans. I said I'm allowed to disturb up to 5 acres without a POO, and besides, we only move creek gravels below the high water line. She said fill in your holes, I said it's a creek, Mother nature will take care of that. I don't dare mention the fish love us.

So, a small group of us will risk the tree danger for a few days, do some clean up, and move some gravel. If I remember the good camera, there will be film at 11.

 

[mikep691]

We did make to the claim for a long weekend mini dig. My former landlord and some of his friends made the trek. I was fashionably late. After Saturday, we got the new big boy set up, but couldn't get the P-90 primed right. We just couldn't get the water to go past the pump. I'll be checking all the clamps and foot valve next trip. Then on top of everything else, I had a flair up of my infection that I've been fighting since December. I ended up in so much pain, I just sat in my camp chair for three days.

Here's a few NON mining pics:




That was one honkin' big tree that came down during the fire. I cleaned up some of the stuff that we had left, and lost before the fire but still have more to go. Next trip if this infection is under control will be Memorial Weekend. I'm still looking for someone that would like to spend Friday to Monday at the claim. Good company, good grub and lots of 12 ounce curls can be had.

 

[Reed Lukens]

It looks like the P90 has the aluminum inlet, lots of times it can leak air in right there. One wrap of duct tape around the inlet makes a great seal. Maybe 2 depending on the hose, but it clamps tight

 

[mikep691]

It looks like the P90 has the aluminum inlet, lots of times it can leak air in right there. One wrap of duct tape around the inlet makes a great seal. Maybe 2 depending on the hose, but it clamps tight

I'll try that as I don't see any air bubbles from the foot valve. Just gotta find that roll of duct tape...

 

[mikep691]

Had a spur of the moment trip to the claim last weekend. Some friends that were supposed to show up the previous weekend, finally made it to NorCal so I hauled a$$ for the weekend. We did finally get the P-90 primed. We had to fill the output hose completely full to the foot valve to get it to prime. I had picked an unproven area close to camp that I thought had a couple feet of gravels on the bedrock, but once we started working, it only turned out to be 4"-6", and no gold to be found.

This is when the fun began. First, I dropped a full pack of smokes and my lighter in the creek. Fortunately I had a back up pack. Then while checking other areas downstream, I slipped on a rock with my hurting leg. I landed on the bank, but my rubber boot didn't. The boot filled with cold creek water and when I lifted my foot out of the creek, all that cold water ran up my pant leg to... you guessed it. Now looking like I pee'd myself, we made our way back to camp. After a change of clothes and hanging all the wet ones on my truck, the sprinkles came. Then after dark, it poured. So much for dry clothes.

My friends after helping me get loaded, headed out with their next stop being Happy Camp. I'll be back at the claim this Holiday weekend, and hopefully be on better gold. I'm hoping the pain will ease up enough to get my gear down to the creek as it appears at this time, I'll be working solo.

Hopefully I'll take some pics and video's of the trip.

 

[N-Lionberger]

That's the easiest way I have found to prime a pump, fill it at the output. If you put a T on the garden hose fitting you can pour water in without having to disconnect your pressure hose. If you are extremely lazy like me you can prime your pump through the garden hose fitting with a small bilge pump and a motorcycle battery.