Mid-Week Mining at East Fork SG River

[Aurabbit79er]

Howdy, you rusty Old Tin Panners,
Remember I mean that with no disrespect. Old Plastic Panners just didn't seem right.
I'm a 1st. time poster, long time miner. I got hooked through GPAA.
I just recently joined the ranks of the nations millions of unemployed.
I have a year to find another job, so I consider it a forced vacation now.
I started putting $20 gas here and $30 gas there in my coach and catching up on all my honey do's.
Oh my garage is cleaner too, and I have a workbench!
I have just returned from a Mid-Week Mining trip to Heaton Flats on the East Fork SG. Wednesday night to Saturday morning.
I hate going on the weekends now. I Have a small 79 truck cab class C coach. Stayed in the parking lot. Had no problems with the law, or people.
In fact all those we meet were nice. For the first part I took a test bucket Thursday from a few hundred feet above the river (haven't run it yet).
On Friday I worked across from the broken bridge. I needed to field test my newly built Hand Suction Trap Dredge.
I bought everything to build it at Home Depot for under $50.

With so much "Spare" time I also put together a simple little recirculator to clean up my cons.
Check it out.


The Hand Dredge worked perfect, 4 pulls filled the trap. Then I took the tip to the sluice (or bucket). Rotate the trap up 180º and it all dumps out.
About 3' under water, in front of a rock in the river I drew out a half a bucket or so and did a test pan. Zip.
So with tears in my eyes I walked over to the west bank 20' away and found a wet hole with a big rock showing just above the water to dig under.
Cause dam, I already set up the sluice right there. It wasn't so bad, maybe a 1/4 gram from 8 buckets.
I used the gold as my avatar.
Got back to the Coach just after sundown. My lady was worried I was late. That was normal. She took this picture.

I meet a guy who was down from up north who has a creek with gold on his land here in California , and he still dredges.
No law is perfect but this dredging law is wrong.
Hope it ends soon.

 

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[Fullpan]

Welcome to the TN - nice avatar! Your situation reminds me of being laid off years ago. I managed to lease a claim on the Yuba river and commuted a 150
miles one way each week from Reno. Since I had no real responsibilities, I made a profit and saved some gold(with unemployment ins). This was when gold
was about 400/oz. You may be able to locate a good abandoned claim if you get good at the research required. In any case, good luck and remember"the
farther from the bridges, the better the gold"

 

[Aurabbit79er]

"farther from the bridges, the better the gold"
I like that. The East Fork SG River starts at a reservoir and passes under or by 5 bridges.
The bridge where I was just below a hundred feet or so, had fallen and now 2 of the 4- 40'w x 20'h x 3't concrete abutments are laying flat in the river like a couple of boat launches.
It was called the jeep bridge. The course of the river changes every season due to the steep canyon and the heavy rain.
There used to be 6 bridges. A single lane Camp bridge at Follows Camp.
The camp owner built it 70' high out of railroad flat cars.

Fallen span, in foreground, remains buried downstream.
This was the 2005 flood.
The beginning of the end for The Follows Camp.
After 140 years as a gold mine and resort.
Here's the web site. It's still up but the cap is gone.
Follows Camp - East Fork Flooding 2005
I work areas a few miles up stream now, in the wilderness area.
No gas powered equipment allowed.
The last bridge is 5 miles passed the roads end.
The Bridge to Nowhere.
The remnants of a failed highway project back in the 30s
It's used for bungee jumping now. It's a high bridge.

 

[Astrobouncer]

Great pictures thanks for sharing them! Would love to take a vacation to that area one day.

 

[Aurabbit79er]

Yea this is a great spot.
57 miles from home and I can dry camp in my Mining RV on a paved lot at the roads end.
The river is clear water year round. Turns a little gray for a few days after a flood.



I'm not sure but I think this is the closest natural clear stream to L.A.
Holidays can be nuts up there.
The people thin out as you get away from the parking area.