Noob in CA, please help plan my first trip

[USACracer]

Hello all,
My first post here. I Like the information that is being shared on this site and thought I would ask for some advice.

My prospecting field experience is a hour of panning with pops 10 years ago, but watching some of these TV shows about gold mining got me thinking about how I drive Hwy 50 and 80 often, why not plan a camping/mining weekend? So i got on the interwebs and read about where to look and how to sluice, and pan. I am hooked on this idea,got the fever, and living soo close to gold country it seems a waste not to try it.

So, a few weeks ago i mentioned to my buddy and girlfriend that i want to go gold mining. Of course they said it was not going to happen.
I will not only prove them wrong, but bring them too.

Here's the plan:

Next weekend I want to go camping fri-sat-sun at Auburn state rec area to try my luck. It is one of the recommended places on the state park page.
Camping at the "mineral bar" and I was going to pack gear and walk a few hundred feet downstream of the campsite, and look for an inside bend.

Then once a spot is found do a few test pans in the area to pick a place to investigate further. Set up sluice box. classify to 1/2"(??) then sluice for an hour or two then check proegress(??)

Is there something i should be planning on differently?

Gear:

Need to get pans and vials
Bought two 5gal buckets with lids and a shovel from wall mart for $9
I have two other buckets already and a mortar mixing tub.
Sluice box - Here's a dilema. First i was gonna buy one off ebay, but as it's getting closer, and i am a cheapo, so I thought I can build one.
Looking around my shop I found a 4x4 sheet of alum that i can make a 4x10x48 box out of.

I was thinking toolbox anti-slip mat for the top of the sluice, and going to OSH to see if they have the right expanded metal.
Any ideas on miner's moss substitute?? I hope to build the whole sluice for less than $20.


Hope to get your input!
The nugget pics are great to see from everyone.
Oh, yeah. I am well aware that all I might come home with is dirty camping gear, and that's fine with me.

 

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[Goodyguy]

Loop pile ribbed carpet instead of miners moss, classify to 1/4" instead of 1/2" forget the expanded metal.
Not sure what type of anti slip mat you mean? Something ribbed with grooves will do, like black rubber floor runner. (install with ribs going across the sluice)

Tweezers or sucker bottle will aid in removing gold from pan.

Go for the gold,
GG~

 

[austin]

From what I've been reading on these threads it is against the law to do anything gold related in Cal., especially in a state park. Better head for Knott's Berry Farm and pan there, at least you get to keep the gold, eat chocolate covered frozen bananas and funnel cake. Besides, the rides are more fun and the bears and bigfoots will leave you alone.

 

[austin]

Austin of San Antonio ... You are correct! Don't come! You can't even touch a rock out here without getting yourself deported! And about Knott's Berry Farm ... it has more gang bangers than the East Fork ... so, you may not want to come for that either. Just saying.

I'm not the one that's coming. USACracer is. As for gangbangers, I spent 30 years in public school teaching them. They're ok, just doing their thing. We had 32 gangs on our campus according to the SAPD. They never caused trouble, never gave trouble in class. I used to dread the honors kids. They were a pain.

 

[midnightmoon]

Welcome USACracer!
Looks like you've done your homework here!
Wish I could be of more help, but I just buy stuff already made. So ... what Goodguy said!
Best of luck to you!

 

[Hoser John]

USA-Drivers Flats outta Auburn is a much better camp with much better gold also. ForestHill Divide is the road and just go downriver from camp to gully feedin or up past the last camp spot for privacy and up a couple a hundred yards and only work bedrock cracks at least 20' away from the waters edge. Caution as river rises and falls drastically and ez to get caught on the south side and then getting back NO FUN. Cherokee bar across the river and access from Kool has some righteous bedrock downstream on the camp side BUT horrible road to get there. Have a ball-hope you take home pounds of our glorious oro puro. Warning for snakes as a banner year also and end a summer is mean meat bee time also so a screen tent to eat /cook food is almost mandatory also-John

 

[Fullpan]

racer, hoser just gave you a pound of golden info.

 

[63bkpkr]

USAC,

As for rubber matting go to ace hardware and check out the "Carpet Runner" matting, kinda what GoodGuy told you.
Hoser's got you hooked up with a spot. Stay in touch with the weather conditions as a 20% - 30% of rain next week. CASluicebox.com for less expensive ready made items and pseudo local. Make sure you carry water with you, a way to filter water out of creeks/river and your tummies will thank you. Might consider having a good first aid kit with you that includes a snake bite kit, like Hoser was saying. Check out "How to Pan for Gold" on internet for how to videos of using a gold pan. Get/bring some small lead birdshot and practice with it and dirt in your pan. When you end up with the birdshot in the pan then you have a much better idea of how to pan and keep gold in the pan. Plan on enjoying time out with your friends and maybe seeing some color but if not have fun with your friends.......63bkpkr

 

[austin]

Hey Austin! Yea, I got the part that USACracer is here. I'm just stuck at work [I know, some folks wish they had that problem] and cranky and thought maybe you were poking fun at my state and all and yeah.
You had gang bangers that never caused trouble?! Indeed, you are a very good teacher. So, p l e a s e come, and practice your magic on our
So. Cal. gang bangers.

Just don't touch our gold!!!!

In the cultures, the strongest gets the respect. There was nothing special about me. Just average, but I had fun. Just handled the little darlings. One of the gang leaders(Kings) had the same last name as me so I called him mijo(my son). Called the girls my cha, chas for (muchachas). Asked them all one day outside at lunch if they went to camp like other kids. Does your mom sew your street name in your underwear so it won't get lost? Do you have competitions with other camps like beer run or drive-by shooting. Do the counselors come up early and paint everything white so you can show up and tag it up? I had a great deal of fun with the hundreds of these kids I had. I am an anglo, but I grew up in a latino culture here and have dated only african americans and latinas all my life. The kids are just regular kids that are usually missing a parent or a stable home life. The gang becomes the family. Just that simple. You got a little testy about me teasing you about Cal. How would you like to be belittled always because of your ethnicity, your clothing, your culture and then allowed to slip(or sometimes be pushed) through the cracks at school. I have seen families gather from all over the SW and Mexico because their kid graduated from high school and was the first person in the family to do so. I was just an average teacher, trying to help my students.

 

[Lanny in AB]

Very kind of you guys to help the new guy out. Very generous.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[midnightmoon]

Hey USA!

Gear ... there's a couple of things you might consider that's not on your list ... a pry bar and a long, flat head screwdriver. Comes in handy for moving material or clearing crevices.

Hope you check back in and let us know how your first weekend went!

 

[USACracer]

Update

Thanks for the helpful input!

Gold guy - Yes I have some large tweezers, will get a snuffer bottle
Midnight moon- I will for sure bring a 2', 4' pry bars and screwdrivers.
Hoser John - Thanks for the heads up!, I don't have my 4x4 ready for use yet, so this is a car trip. The web says don't go to that campground without a high clearance vehicle. Maybe next time with the truck.

Not too excited about snakes, but yes first aid kit will be with us. I will be extra observant where we step. Thanks for the warning.

I went to the store today and got some metal and carpet.
Here are the pics of the start of my sluice box project.

Here is the carpet i got. The grooves may not be deep enough, but i will try it.

Then cut the sheet down and started making the riffles,

I set the riffle angle to about 45* and started tacking them in, about 6" apart

Then I ran out of welding wire for my mig, so that's all the fab i got done today.

I was going to use my friends sheet metal brake to bend the box, but he was not around today. maybe tomorrow.
I will add more pics as it comes together.

Happy hunting all

 

[419GottaMinute]

Sounds like you're about ready. If you forget anything, there is a new mining shop in colfax, Mountain Man Mining. They're nice folks, and if you strike it rich, they pay between 80% and 90% of spot for placer gold. John is the name of owner of the mining side( they also carry ammo and camping supplies), tell him Kris sent ya.