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.

 

[russau]

Yep I did also ! It was because of "old age brain fade on my part!" I really like Clay's direct answers to our questions ! He knows how to get to the point quickly! I miss his comments !

 

[southfork]

I stopped posting also because of

Assembler​

 

[Goldwasher]

I used to post quit a bit. im still prospecting . But, I left TnET due to assembler as well. came back after months and see the same nonsense.

 

[Bodfish Mike]

I still post and follow - but I agree he has ruined this Forum and all the smart great info most had to add -- I have learned a lot from you all. I can use Google just as well as him.
Come on back and just ignore and don't reply to his/she/LGBQ/AI we can win this Forum back.
Cheers Mike

 

[desertgolddigger]

I still post and follow - but I agree he has ruined this Forum and all the smart great info most had to add -- I have learned a lot from you all. I can use Google just as well as him.
Come on back and just ignore and don't reply to his/she/LGBQ/AI we can win this Forum back.
Cheers Mike

Hi Mike, Thanks so much for your reply. I really don't want to leave, but this person needs to know how they have ruined the enjoyment we were having. There are at least half dozen of us who've quit posting. I also would like to see all of us back, but that won't happen if this person keeps insisting on making things difficult.

 

[desertgolddigger]

It cooled off enough, low of 78F, to do a little placer mining. After two rounds, working up the wash, with not so good results, I worked down the wash, and got what I consider, good results with over one hundred pieces/specks. Road work was done as usual. It was nice getting away from the four walls after a week of 110F+ temperatures. High is now around a frigid 105F.

I'm happy to be back posting. I enjoy writing about my trials and Tribble-lations of gold mining. Hopefully I can remain here, and maybe see a few more of you return to test the waters of the Forum.

 

[arizau]

It cooled off enough, low of 78F, to do a little placer mining. After two rounds, working up the wash, with not so good results, I worked down the wash, and got what I consider, good results with over one hundred pieces/specks. Road work was done as usual. It was nice getting away from the four walls after a week of 110F+ temperatures. High is now around a frigid 105F.

I'm happy to be back posting. I enjoy writing about my trials and Tribble-lations of gold mining. Hopefully I can remain here, and maybe see a few more of you return to test the waters of the Forum.

Glad you decided to resume posting your efforts again!
I know you have done some hillside prospecting in the past. Maybe, since you are now working richer ground that is downstream, those hillsides deserve a little prospecting.
Good luck.

 

[desertgolddigger]

Glad you decided to resume posting your efforts again!
I know you have done some hillside prospecting in the past. Maybe, since you are now working richer ground that is downstream, those hillsides deserve a little prospecting.
Good luck.

The hillside above this wash have many old timer digs. I would imagine this hillside has been prospected completely. There probably are lots more veins, but I'd basically have to excavate the whole hillside in order to find one. I have difficulty walking any distance now due to arthritis in both feet, my right hip, and lower back, so such activities are unlikely, as I'd probably fall, and get hurt. I have enough challenge climbing and descending the wash I'm placer mining in.

 

[DizzyDigger]

The hillside above this wash have many old timer digs. I would imagine this hillside has been prospected completely. There probably are lots more veins, but I'd basically have to excavate the whole hillside in order to find one. I have difficulty walking any distance now due to arthritis in both feet, my right hip, and lower back, so such activities are unlikely, as I'd probably fall, and get hurt. I have enough challenge climbing and descending the wash I'm placer mining in.

Very happy to see that you didn't run off and are going to continue the thread....

As for the aches and pains, it's good that you're respecting what your body is telling you
not to do, especially when there's a chance of falling and really screwing something up.
Nobodies getting rich out there, so do what you enjoy and don't worry about the rest.

 

[N-Lionberger]

I blocked him but it makes following along with threads difficult because he fills in so much space with random randomness. Wind tunnels and fish oil. Giving weird advice to questions that weren’t asked.

 

[N-Lionberger]

I hear you on aches and pains I peeled my toenail off in the creek last trip up to the mine.

 

[desertgolddigger]

I hear you on aches and pains I peeled my toenail off in the creek last trip up to the mine.

OUCH!!!! I know what that feels like.

 

[IDAu]

I blocked him but it makes following along with threads difficult because he fills in so much space with random randomness. Wind tunnels and fish oil. Giving weird advice to questions that weren’t asked.

Same here. It’s amazing that guy/chatbot is so hated here, constantly derailing threads, but still allowed to continue.

 

[DizzyDigger]

Folks, I believe Mr. Assembler got the message...no need to gather up a lynch mob.

Getting back on track...DGD..I know it's smokin' hot down there, so I do hope
you're restricting your working hours! I wouldn't last five minutes out in that
blast furnace.

 

[desertgolddigger]

Folks, I believe Mr. Assembler got the message...no need to gather up a lynch mob.

Getting back on track...DGD..I know it's smokin' hot down there, so I do hope
you're restricting your working hours! I wouldn't last five minutes out in that
blast furnace.

Oh, yes, I only go out when there is at least an overnight low in the mid-70's forecasted. I have two battery powered floodlights, and get started just after 4AM, and am usually done by 8AM. But this past week has been a near blast furnace, so I get to bounce off the four walls. Sigh! Right now its 95F but high humidity (for the desert), and looks like thunderstorms may develop. Big Bear area is supposedly getting 1/4 to 1/2 inch of rain and hour. Not good because of the fires that were up there.

 

[southfork]

Oh, yes, I only go out when there is at least an overnight low in the mid-70's forecasted. I have two battery powered floodlights, and get started just after 4AM, and am usually done by 8AM. But this past week has been a near blast furnace, so I get to bounce off the four walls. Sigh! Right now its 95F but high humidity (for the desert), and looks like thunderstorms may develop. Big Bear area is supposedly getting 1/4 to 1/2 inch of rain and hour. Not good because of the fires that were up there.

We limit our time in the Heat at least me and my wife I'm 79 and would like to get back down in the Canyon. No problem for my Wife or our family I can make it down no problem to our first ravine / drainage on the quad so I'm not out of prospecting. I've had the same appetite my whole life not good I got really sick started about 6 / 7 weeks ago Today. The hospital did their part no surgery Just a lot of pills and a little progress all my fault. But my wife and immediate family one of my daughters and my son you all know have been helping me day and night for the last 6 weeks. close to 245 a year ago 235 when I got sick and I was having major balance issues and mental issues. My wife has been helping me since day one down to 220 today 100 to low 90s the whole-time doctors almost daily all of august and she has me back up to several miles down in Marshall Gold Discovery up and down. My family has saved my life first day with a normal day and thoughts. I forgot my wife drives me down a one lane road where flat landers would piss their pants no offense to where its cooler down on the South Fork of The American. I'm still not of the woods time for Dinner A light one.

 

[desertgolddigger]

We limit our time in the Heat at least me and my wife I'm 79 and would like to get back down in the Canyon. No problem for my Wife or our family I can make it down no problem to our first ravine / drainage on the quad so I'm not out of prospecting. I've had the same appetite my whole life not good I got really sick started about 6 / 7 weeks ago Today. The hospital did their part no surgery Just a lot of pills and a little progress all my fault. But my wife and immediate family one of my daughters and my son you all know have been helping me day and night for the last 6 weeks. close to 245 a year ago 235 when I got sick and I was having major balance issues and mental issues. My wife has been helping me since day one down to 220 today 100 to low 90s the whole-time doctors almost daily all of august and she has me back up to several miles down in Marshall Gold Discovery up and down. My family has saved my life first day with a normal day and thoughts. I forgot my wife drives me down a one lane road where flat landers would piss their pants no offense to where its cooler down on the South Fork of The American. I'm still not of the woods time for Dinner A light one.

Hang in there Guy. Glad you have Family there to help and support. Really glad to hear you had a short outing. That's always a mental boost, which in turn is a boost physically. Keep losing a bit of weight. That'll mean that you seem to have more energy, or at least it feels that way to me.

Both of us are up there in age, but I've always felt I'm in better shape than someone 20 years my junior. I feel my activity of mining, and the little prospecting I've done, keeps me more fit.

 

[southfork]

I used to post quit a bit. im still prospecting . But, I left TnET due to assembler as well. came back after months and see the same nonsense.

We are also still prospecting! But you already know that Seths pappy