Prospecting trip ideas?

[Fermion]

I think we are too busy this year finishing up a house we have built entirely ourselves, but I want to take a decent long trip in 2025 to do some gold hunting.

We live in Washington state.

The places I am considering are:

Nome beach mining or creek (don't ask me why, I am just fascinated with that area)
Some Alaskan creek dredging (maybe one of the camp packages)
Some place south of us trying out dry washing

What would be your idea, for about 2 months? I probably don't want to go south during the summer, and we ride snowmachines here in the winter so don't want to miss too much of that.

 

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[Fermion]

Further reflection, it might be a good idea to join a club. It looks like most of the clubs in Washington are on the west side. I am only an hour from Idaho though, so maybe that would be an option. If a club had trips they organized, it would be a fun way to do some prospecting.

 

[russau]

I'm a dredger SOOOOO my choice for me would be a Alaskan gold dredgeing trip . I did just that back in 2000 up on Birch Creek with Mic Manns location for 2 1/2 weeks and loved it !

 

[Fermion]

I'm a dredger SOOOOO my choice for me would be a Alaskan gold dredgeing trip . I did just that back in 2000 up on Birch Creek with Mic Manns location for 2 1/2 weeks and loved it !

I was thinking something like that would be a blast. I watched a video from Brian (a diver on Vern's ship on Bering Sea Gold) where he took a 9 day trip to Chicken, Alaska with Gold Fever Prospecting Camp.

They seem to provide boats, dredges, fuel, lodging (tents of course), meals, and cleanup. It is expensive, about $5300 per person for a 9 day trip, but it does look like you can get a few grams back in gold. The more I think about it, it probably isn't that expensive, considering how much it would cost to buy a 6 inch dredge, find a claim, get 9 days of food, find a boat, buy a tent, purchase gas.

It could be a way to find out if I really like river dredging.

 

[N-Lionberger]

5300 dollar grubstake I could get all my supplies for a season before gold dust and ai would be living like a king!

 

[Fermion]

5300 dollar grubstake I could get all my supplies for a season before gold dust and ai would be living like a king!

Isn't a 6" dredge alone cost $10,000 to $20,000 new?

 

[russau]

and of course shipping all of that to Alaska would be a killer ! and "IF" all of it really did get there in time for you to use it ! Shipping now - a -days has been VERY iffy!

 

[digger joe52]

I think we are too busy this year finishing up a house we have built entirely ourselves, but I want to take a decent long trip in 2025 to do some gold hunting.

We live in Washington state.

The places I am considering are:

Nome beach mining or creek (don't ask me why, I am just fascinated with that area)
Some Alaskan creek dredging (maybe one of the camp packages)
Some place south of us trying out dry washing

What would be your idea, for about 2 months? I probably don't want to go south during the summer, and we ride snowmachines here in the winter so don't want to miss too much of that.

I it creek dredging

 

[N-Lionberger]

Isn't a 6" dredge alone cost $10,000 to $20,000 new?

My 5” suits me fine