Placer Claim Mined Out?

[desertgolddigger]

I belong to a local club that owns a claim. This club has had this claim for many years, and acquired it after the old timers had mined it previously, and others after they commercial outfits closed up.
I walked quite a bit of the 160 acre claim, and noted that just about every wash had been worked. Most of the surface nuggets has also been detected by those with gold detectors. In other words, this place has been picked over and over and over.
But I m a stubborn type of person, and I figured, just watching how people ram their puffer and blower drywashers, that some gold was just being blown through them. maybe not much, but some small stuff that never got a chance to settle behind the riffles.
I know many of you would never go to the effort of digging for three to four hours through the tailings in these washes. Again, I'm a bit stubborn, and anyway, I just wanted to have some fun locally, instead of driving 300 miles roundtrip to something that gives a little more for less effort.
I've spent the last three weeks, digging a few times a week along about 30 yards of wash, and have recovered just about a gram of gold. That might not seem like much, but I have only dug up 5 grams, not counting this one gram in almost 20 years out here drywashing in the desert of southern California.
As you would know, things always seem to go wrong. My gas powered blower motor decided it was time for the repair shop, and haven't heard from the shop in two weeks. So I purchased a WORX WG521 corded electric leaf blower to use with my Royal Large drywasher. I'm using a portable generator to provide the power. And it actually is working better than with my old gas powered blower. I have to run the blower on the lowest speed, or I just blow everything through the riffles. Results are very good, as I am getting gold specks so small that I will have to use the Blue bowl in order to recover them.
I'm not only getting a little gold, I'm having some fun, and I am getting a good workout. I've lost 10 pounds since I started. So things are going well.
I'm still digging test holes around the old time hard rock mines in the hope I will find where the gold has drifted downhill below these mines. So far just a couple specks here and there. I figure I just have to move laterally one way or the other before I get something better Of course, I' don't really know if the old timers stripped the hillsides. Even if they have, they apparently aren't as thorough as I am. I hope that I may be lucky and find a larger piece of gold that the old timers, previous placer miners, and detectorists have missed.
Hope everyone is having as much fun as I have been having.

 

[desertgolddigger]

What if some of the fine gold is not coming from the quartz?
You may be digging in such an area?
The method of classifying can depend on a few different factors and what you are willing to settle with as an end result.

No, the hillside above has already been worked by old timer and modern miners. I've walked/detected much of this hillside, and found nothing. I've taken dirt samples, and the results were a speck or two of gold just below these worked surface digs, most of which are very small.

I cannot climb slopes anymore due to my neuropathy, and full body arthritis. I'm still able to go to shallow areas of the wash and dig. I just cannot climb anymore. I now have to use a hammer drill to dig, as I can no long swing a pick with enough fore to break up the hard material in the wash.

So you can see, I can't prospect or hard rock mine. As you said, I'm just happy to be digging and drywashing a little to have some fun, and get a little gold. As it is, I did myself in yesterday with all that activity.

I think I'll just be processing what old timer waste pile ore I've got, then terminate my hard rock activities. I just can't do the type of mining anymore.

 

[Assembler]

No, the hillside above has already been worked by old timer and modern miners. I've walked/detected much of this hillside, and found nothing. I've taken dirt samples, and the results were a speck or two of gold just below these worked surface digs, most of which are very small.

I cannot climb slopes anymore due to my neuropathy, and full body arthritis. I'm still able to go to shallow areas of the wash and dig. I just cannot climb anymore. I now have to use a hammer drill to dig, as I can no long swing a pick with enough fore to break up the hard material in the wash.

So you can see, I can't prospect or hard rock mine. As you said, I'm just happy to be digging and drywashing a little to have some fun, and get a little gold. As it is, I did myself in yesterday with all that activity.

I think I'll just be processing what old timer waste pile ore I've got, then terminate my hard rock activities. I just can't do the type of mining anymore.

You are digging in a spot that most are not digging for the past 25 years. Just keep going and don't be surprised if the gold is coming from a different rock source.
Now you are being more resourceful by thinking using the hammer drill to loosen up before digging.
As far as hard rock goes just try the detector if you think the rock deserves a little deep look after you spot enough color with your eyes.

 

[desertgolddigger]

You are digging in a spot that most are not digging for the past 25 years. Just keep going and don't be surprised if the gold is coming from a different rock source.
Now you are being more resourceful by thinking using the hammer drill to loosen up before digging.
As far as hard rock goes just try the detector if you think the rock deserves a little deep look after you spot enough color with your eyes.

I purchased an MD20 metal detector years ago, and all these previous hard rock digs are void of detectable gold.

All the old hard rock mines are probably not leaching gold anymore. All the leached gold is either working its way downhill, or in the wash.

I've always hoped, when digging into the downhill slope below these old hard rock mines, that I'd come across another one no one had found. But digging into the slope is hard, long work, and though I get some gold every time, it's only about 3/100 gram per ton of material moved. Not a lot of incentive to break ones back.

Assembler, a question: Do you go out and mine, or is your main activity on the web giving advice? I'm interested in your mining background, and if you're some kind of graduate of engineering?

 

[Assembler]

I purchased an MD20 metal detector years ago, and all these previous hard rock digs are void of detectable gold.

All the old hard rock mines are probably not leaching gold anymore. All the leached gold is either working its way downhill, or in the wash.

I've always hoped, when digging into the downhill slope below these old hard rock mines, that I'd come across another one no one had found. But digging into the slope is hard, long work, and though I get some gold every time, it's only about 3/100 gram per ton of material moved. Not a lot of incentive to break ones back.

Assembler, a question: Do you go out and mine, or is your main activity on the web giving advice? I'm interested in your mining background, and if you're some kind of graduate of engineering?

Are you using the MD20 to trace color in the rocks that you spot with your eyes first?
Like most people here on this form most questions are not fully answered.

 

[Assembler]

I purchased an MD20 metal detector years ago, and all these previous hard rock digs are void of detectable gold.

All the old hard rock mines are probably not leaching gold anymore. All the leached gold is either working its way downhill, or in the wash.

I've always hoped, when digging into the downhill slope below these old hard rock mines, that I'd come across another one no one had found. But digging into the slope is hard, long work, and though I get some gold every time, it's only about 3/100 gram per ton of material moved. Not a lot of incentive to break ones back.

Assembler, a question: Do you go out and mine, or is your main activity on the web giving advice? I'm interested in your mining background, and if you're some kind of graduate of engineering?

You are on a spot now that is better than 3/100 gram per ton. You may want to find out where it is if it is nearby.

 

[desertgolddigger]

Gotten too hot to do placer mining. In five sessions I got 6/10th of a gram. Each session I moved about 1500 pounds of rock and dirt, with the classified amount ending up filling 10 pails each session (about 400 pounds).

Last year I was only getting about 1/20th gram from 2200 pounds of rock and dirt processed, with drywashable material about 600 pounds.

I think I have a decent spot. Amount each day varies from 1/20 to 1/6th gram, but but on average 1/10th gram. With gold prices, I'm at least paying for my generator and travel fuel. Never going to make money, but it's good exercise, and I can help our Club out by making our claim roads more passable, laying down the rock/gravel, and drywash tailings.

 

[desertgolddigger]

One other note. Last week, while drywashing, I dug up a quartz rock, which is basically a bunch of small roundish crystals. I brought it home, and today I looked carefully with 30x loupe. I saw lots of tiny goldish specks all over this rock. Thinking it might just be pyrites, I tapped the rock very hard a few time on my panning table, swept the dislodged particles into a pan.

Results, after trying to fracture what I thought might be pyrites were six specks of gold.

Now I just need to wait until it gets cooler, and I can process this rock to see how much gold it contains. I still need to wait for the heat to pass so my machines don't get cooked, and my troughs of water don't lose six inches of water per day.

 

[DizzyDigger]

Assembler, a question: Do you go out and mine, or is your main activity on the web giving advice? I'm interested in your mining background, and if you're some kind of graduate of engineering?

The lady has asked an honest question....

 

[Assembler]

The lady has asked an honest question....

Nope.

 

[DizzyDigger]

Nope.

Not surprised. Well, any level of credibility you may have had just went into the shittoir.

 

[Assembler]

Not surprised. Well, any level of credibility you may have had just went into the shittoir. View attachment 2220077

Many people on this forum don't either give answers to questions or just a part answer. Where does that place them?

 

[DizzyDigger]

Many people on this forum don't either give answers to questions or just a part answer. Where does that place them?

Sorry..this is desertgolddigger's thread, and I'm not going to bugger it all up wasting time
playing your games. Adios.

 

[desertgolddigger]

I'm finally tired of Mr. Assembler. I've decided to leave this forum due to his unrelenting pestering. I'm sure, in his mind he thinks he's being helpful, but I'm just tired of him failing to listen to me, when I ask he stop. Sorry, but some people never give up on a subject, and I'm tired of it.

 

[russau]

DGD I agree with your decision ! Although at times A.I. can be a big help BUT it also leaves a person wide open to a lot of stuff we don't want in our computer ! and I don't think any claim is completely ever mine out ! It's just to the point that we get tired of digging only a little return !

 

[Assembler]

I purchased an MD20 metal detector years ago, and all these previous hard rock digs are void of detectable gold.

All the old hard rock mines are probably not leaching gold anymore. All the leached gold is either working its way downhill, or in the wash.

I've always hoped, when digging into the downhill slope below these old hard rock mines, that I'd come across another one no one had found. But digging into the slope is hard, long work, and though I get some gold every time, it's only about 3/100 gram per ton of material moved. Not a lot of incentive to break ones back.

Assembler, a question: Do you go out and mine, or is your main activity on the web giving advice? I'm interested in your mining background, and if you're some kind of graduate of engineering?

You ask a question. Then don't appear to want an answer?
You also point out in the past that there are a number of people using metal detectors at the same club claim?

You are digging on a much better spot as far as finding 1/6th of a gram as weighed out.
You are now seeing colors with your eyes. Sounds good to me.
Good luck.

 

[Assembler]

DGD I agree with your decision ! Although at times A.I. can be a big help BUT it also leaves a person wide open to a lot of stuff we don't want in our computer ! and I don't think any claim is completely ever mine out ! It's just to the point that we get tired of digging only a little return

Now DGD has a spot that returns 1/6th of a gram. DGD is also starting to spot colors by eyesight.
Sounds good to me.
Good luck.

 

[DizzyDigger]

Now DGD has a spot that returns 1/6th of a gram. DGD is also starting to spot colors by eyesight.
Sounds good to me.
Good luck.

Good luck?

Do you not realize that you've pestered this lady so much that she's leaving the forum?
And, Gold Tramp, who's an honest to God, real-deal miner, doesn't want you anywhere
near his thread?
Are you seriously that clueless? Enough already!

That's the last I've got to say to you lest I get myself in hot water. As said, Adios.

 

[russau]

I don't know why TNet don't delete their membership ? after all some member's got deleted for much less and can't come back ! I guess they could try to come back under another name OR something!

 

[Bodfish Mike]

Good luck? View attachment 2220116

Do you not realize that you've pestered this lady so much that she's leaving the forum?
And, Gold Tramp, who's an honest to God, real-deal miner, doesn't want you anywhere
near his thread?
Are you seriously that clueless? Enough already!View attachment 2220117

That's the last I've got to say to you lest I get myself in hot water. As said, Adios.

You left out Clay Diggins

 

[DizzyDigger]

You left out Clay Diggins

Indeed I did. Apologies to Clay....