panning in new england

[ctjonb]

hello all , I am looking to plan our first prospecting trip with the family and we are unsure about which has better odds of finding gold Vermont or New Hampshire ?? there both about the same distance from my house I just really want the kids to find a picker that would be real fun for them, we do pan in CT but seem to find very fine flour gold or a spec no pickers as of yet. we've been doing this a year now and love it so if anyone has any ideas or sugestions they are most welcome.
Thanks John

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

placertogo
Have you ever tried by the Swiftriver bridge on Porter Rd , I see on Google there is a parking spot there, is there river access?
Pictures on the covered bridge make it look like alot of water in that area.

I think I will try Tunnel Brook in the next few weeks

 

[placertogo]

There is all kinds of bedrock near the covered bridge. I have found some good gold there but you have to get deep into the crevices as the gold has worked itself very deep over the years. There is also recent flood gold on the downstream side of the many boulders upstream from the bedrock area.

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

I read that the sluice has to be under 36 inches for the Nat Forest, the Keene A51 and others are 36" will the rangers give a hard time if it is 36", does it have to "under" 36"?

 

[vtgoldprospector]

Don't forget about VT!

I see all this talk about New Hampshire, what about Vermont?? There are plenty of places even frequently mentioned across the Internet about gold in there. If you are in the southern area I suggest Rock River in S. Newfane along Dover Rd. If it is flowing to heavy then there are a number of tributaries just upriver that will be more manageable. That entire area is marked with color.

If you happen to be in to northern area try Bridgewater Corners. There are several sections of the Ottauquechee River coming from the south and the west which is smack center of very well known gold bearing area.

Best of luck to you all!
Gold Map Maker -- Create your own gold map!

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

vtgoldprospector
It could be that NH has better PR

I always thought that Vermont would be too far from Southeast MA, but to S. Newfane is the same 3 hours for me that the Kanc is. I will make plans to visit VT next year!

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

Finally finished the dirt I brought back, found a bunch of Garnets, the biggest is 3.8 carats although it has to be polished. I found several really good sized ones, along with some pyrite

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

it is 8:45 and pitch black outside and about 55 degrees, my middle son just went outside, I then realized that I haven't seen him for about 15 minutes. I looked outside and there was Dan leaning over my bucket of once panned dirt (panned for gold) with a flashlight looking for garnets and star sapphires! He has the fever as bad as me.

 

[CharlesP]

Lol. That fever stems from a terrible virus that makes you dig in the dirt for something you don't even know Is there, until you find it. I won't even look in the couch for a quarter but I'll flip a boulder over for a speck.
My little 2 year old has the fever to. He copies everything I do and even does it when I'm not around. Good luck. Happy trails.

 

[roadtrip]

Hello. I'm new here. I had a little luck at the Wild Ammonoosuc last month. Found one nice little nugget.

 

[Red James Cash]

When to that parking spot today, it is fairly easy access to the river. The thing that concerned me is that on the parking lot side of the river is a "Private Property No Trespassing" sign, it lists hunting fishing and a couple other things, doesn't specifically say no gold panning, but it concerned me. I went down and took about 20 pounds of river gravel back home with us. Being a concealed carry permit holder in Massachusetts I have to be super careful since even a minor mistomeanor can get your licensed pulled and when that happens they force you to sell all your guns.

Ben i thought i would ease your mind.Massachusettes law does not follow you to New Hampshire. Though in New Hampshire you cant carry loaded concealed without a permit,you can open carry unloaded with no permit.My brother is a Deputy Chief in NH white mountains and he keeps me informed of any law changes up there and i havent heard of any new ones lately.Open carry your pistol as much as you like to in NH.Enjoy the mountains man,the plus of panning for gold there is the gemstones you can also find while panning.

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

I have a Mass LTC, but I also have a NH concealed carry permit, so I am good to go, but I wouldn't try to put a .357 in my pocket, maybe a fanny pack (so the bear would die laughing). Anyhow I will probably going to open carry the .357 but I did get some bear spray, the stuff that would stop a politician, so it may be the way to go, less chance of missing and hitting someone.

Roadtrip - YOU GIVE ME HOPE! There is gold there! I am heading up to Twin Rivers for the day on Thursday and hope to have some luck.

 

[Red James Cash]

Good luck to you Ben,but watch out with the bear spray and the politician.If the politician smells a nickle to be made they'll ignore the bear spray. .Careful of the mountain lions also,it is said there arent any but my brother was pulling in his drive way one night and thats what was sitting on top of his dumpster. Good luck

 

[roadtrip]

Roadtrip - YOU GIVE ME HOPE! There is gold there! I am heading up to Twin Rivers for the day on Thursday and hope to have some luck.

Ben, that's exactly where I was last month. Using a sluice. That little nugget stopped at the edge of the black mat. Got so excited I had to show it to the Twin Rivers campground owner and his son.

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

Ben, that's exactly where I was last month. Using a sluice. That little nugget stopped at the edge of the black mat. Got so excited I had to show it to the Twin Rivers campground owner and his son.

roadtrip - I am envious of you! I am planning to get a sluice for next year. I will be happy with even one flake! Of course I say that and as soon as I get a flake I will be wanting a nugget and then a bigger nugget!

 

[penster]

it is 8:45 and pitch black outside and about 55 degrees, my middle son just went outside, I then realized that I haven't seen him for about 15 minutes. I looked outside and there was Dan leaning over my bucket of once panned dirt (panned for gold) with a flashlight looking for garnets and star sapphires! He has the fever as bad as me.

My 15 year old thinks I'm nuts, but I told him if he had found the flakes in our creek he wouldn't be so hard on me. His dad on the other hand said if I found more gold that dear son is going to be the 'shovel man' for my sluice operation!

 

[roadtrip]

Also found a lot of pyrite at the Wild Ammonoosuc, near Twin Rivers. Most was loose, but some was embedded in rocks. At least, I assume it's pyrite. If not, drinks are on me!

 

[roadtrip]

Went over to the Wild Ammonoosuc yesterday. Wanted to get back to the same place where I found that small nugget. By the time I got there (9am), there were already several people dredging in that area. Tried a spot a little downstream. Ran the sluice until late afternoon. Found a few small pieces.

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

Here I am going to make a statement that will probably get alot of people upset, It wouldn't bother me if dredging were outlawed The reason I say this is that I will never have a dredge, I usually work by myself or with my wife and my legs won't stand for the weight of transporting a dredge. Also using a dredge seems to be more production that relaxation (to me) it is digging up the stream to suck any bit of gold out of it, nothing wrong with that but it doesn't leave much for the rest of us, also I have almost fallen into 5-6 foot deep excavations the dredgers have left.
I personally prefer panning and some sluicing, it is quiet and relaxing. I am not going to get rich, just to find color. Just like when I went fishing I wasn't going to be able to sell it to the market, in fact usually do catch and release.
If there were no dredging then there might be more left for the rest of us.

Of course being new to this my opionion could well change, especially as the bug really gets me!

 

[CharlesP]

Lol. I started a thread that said catch and release gold only. The problem I have with your statement is I am always trying to improve my position in everything I do. Dreading would be the next improvement ill need to make in the prospecting game. Btw some people who live in gold country used to dredge cause that's how they supported themselves in the hills. It's a tough life up there if your not rich or retired.

 

[roadtrip]

I never really looked at dredging that way. Always thought of it as a way to find more gold. Was a little envious because I'll never be able to afford that type of equipment. I have stepped into deep holes before.
By the time I left last Friday, the crowd had cleared away upstream. I walked over to an area I had worked a month earlier. Was curious if anyone had dug deeper into my little hole under a rock. Hole was gone. Rock was gone. Bank was gone. Looked like people pushed a lot of the rocks off the bank, into the water, and were scraping the ground over a clay layer. It was a bit of a mess. Also noticed a lot of trash that I didn't see before. Along the river and the roadside it was scattered with cans, cups, butts, paper, etc. When my brother and I were panning on the Wild AM, we'd occasionally come across some broken glass. We'd pack it up and take it out with our trash. Kind of disturbing looking down at your feet and seeing two hundred cigarette butts.