Some pics of gold dust

Gravelwasher · Jan 14, 2011

Sluiced this a few weeks back :icon_sunny:

and just got around to panning some of it out. This is about 3 five gallon buckets of gravel washing from a small creek in the Placerville area. Take a look. :dontknow:

Gravelwasher

63bkpkr · Jan 15, 2011

Hi There Gravelwasher,
I would say that stream is flirting with you and just trying to keep you interested by showing a little bit of what more could be there. The color of gold is always so special, Congratulations on the cold weather find!!

63bkpkr

Gravel Hog · Jan 15, 2011

Very nice, :thumbsup:

as you got out and "did it" also, like your other heavies aswell and I see you did some river clean up, lead and who knows what else. :headbang:

Gravelwasher · Jan 15, 2011

Thanks for the encouragement guys!!! I feel the same way about the stream I found that at, cant figure weather to keep at the spot or sample else where today. Well I guess I will just go where ever the road leads me.
It is amazing how the sound of the heavy lead seems to growl on the plastic pan, I can only imagine a gold nugget would sound the same if not better. I hear Georgetown was once called GrowlersBurg because the gold was so large it growled at you. I think I know what they mean now, you could almost pan for nuggets blindfolded and listen to your pan for the round gold to growl, almost..lol. Any gold is good gold, I am lucky to live here in the gold country!! Good diggin to you all and may your pans growl at you!! :icon_sunny:

Gravelwasher

Gravelwasher · Jan 15, 2011

Ok, I went to the same spot again and did some sampling up and down and side to side, found a descent spot with some nice color. Havent made it to bedrock yet but I picked the lead point of a gravel bar that was under water a couple of weeks ago. I took my camera this time so take a look. The gold in the pan is my first pan of the concentrates have about 3 more pans to go and moved a total of 10 five gallon buckets today. :icon_sunny:

Thanks Gravelwasher.

Astrobouncer · Jan 15, 2011

Gravelwasher, thanks for the pictures. It looks like your in a decent spot. However, if its legal to dig into the bank there, I would give that bench deposit a very thorough checking over. I have found really good color in a bench deposit that was similar, by following the rusty oxidized layer.Try sampling a couple spots on it, you might be surprised. The bench deposit I sampled from had a picker in the very first pan.

Hopefully, I am going prospecting tomorrow, so I will try to get some pics as well.

Gravelwasher · Jan 16, 2011

Thanks for the tips, I can use all I can get!! I just finished up with the last pan and they were all as nice as the first, not to bad for 4 hours makes a nice little line in the gold vial. I dug a little in the bank you mentioned Astrobouncer, I dug under a good size quartz rock [about 2 heads in size] but the terrain is slick, steep, berry's, and requires a one way in and out path, anyway there was a lot of white thick clay mixed in. I took the clay and smeared it to the lip of the sluice and ground rocks on it to break it up but it resisted and finally I freed it in fear it would trap gold I was feeding in. Will give the old gravel another try and go after a red layer. Thanks for checking it out!! :hello:

Gravelwasher

Goldwasher · Jan 16, 2011

hey washer nice stuff. The heavies including the large old round lead ball...those are from the other spot maybe

Definately come back from there with lots of the same....found where the paystreak could be....So Camino and I are going for sure Tuesday up to the spot from the pics...goin for bedrock......thats why we need a hi banker......those "benches" Astro is refering to could be good..also in that area down on the creek like where your digging in the pic., thats all rewashed flood distributed tailings....those sluices in that area dumped into settling ponds that were held back by log and brush dams that broke and left all that berry covered overburden....thats why finding where the bedrock is poking out is key.Bedrock+ plus high and dry round rock means there used to be flow and its never been dredged.......could be a good day ifn' ya dont fear a shovel.........

Gravelwasher · Jan 16, 2011

Pvillehunter you are so right a highbanker would be the ticket along with some clay gone or something to help break up the massive amounts of white clay. I love digin with a shovel, no sir not scared at all, too bad I cant get the day off Tuesday. Camino and I are hitting it again today, will keep ya posted. I am getting that feelin that I might come across a nuggett maybe a lost goose egg. :icon_pirat:

Thanks Gravelwasher

liftloop · Jan 16, 2011

Gravelwasher · Jan 18, 2011

Thanks for looking Guys!!! :hello2:

Will post more as it pans out, well I better get to pannin but man is it cold down stairs no heat. burr!! :laughing7:

63bkpkr · Feb 8, 2011

Good Morning Gravelwasher,
You've some nice finer gold there seems like with a few pickers but the best part is the quantity for the amount of gravel moved. And being out there in January!!!! Brrrrrrr! Of course this is a weird winter here in NorCal way to much sunshine and Fine days but while you've got sunshine you might just as well try to get something that is truly golden in the sunlight. I hope to be finished with handyman jobs late this month and then I will take a shot at being out in the mountains myself assuming winter does not settle back in.

HH........ 63bkpkr