Swede coming to Cali/Idaho!

[HappySwede]

Hi all,

I'm a 29 year old prospector from the city of Stockholm, Sweden. Despite my urban residence, I try to get away and prospect for gold as much as I can. Due to lack of a proper own location to mine, I try to visit as many new countries to prospect in instead.

So far, I found gold in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Scotland, France, Serbia, Czech Republic and Poland. And as of right now, Im waiting for my VISA to be done for finally visiting the US.

I intend to book a flight for 9th of october or a week later, traveling alone and staying some 11 days. I will be landing in San Francisco.

For unknown reasons, Im kinda in love with Idaho since a few years back and the goal is to visit that place and do some prospecting, probably in the mountains above Boise.

I've however been recommended to try panning in Cali aswell, and Heard about some public free-panning location on the Bear River. Where excatly is this one, or are there several locations?

-What does the law say about light prospecting with a shovel and pan only? If I find a Creek in the middle of nowhere, is it free to pan in both Idaho and Cali, or am I most likely intruding on someones land?

-If so, are there claims where the public can pay to pan? Im willing to do so for decent gold rather than getting in trouble or not finding anything.

-Other input, anything else I should know, or visit or do...?

 

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[HappySwede]

is there any point trying to dig through the tailing piles on land and trying to sample virgin ground underneath? to get an idea how rich the placers once were

 

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[N-Lionberger]

depends on location.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

is there any point trying to dig through the tailing piles on land and trying to sample virgin ground underneath? to get an idea how rich the placers once were

The tough part about that, Goran, is how do we know the ground under the existing tailing piles wasn't worked before the piles were made? That would be a lot of digging to find out. I've often wondered if the river ran over there to the east where the basalt cliffs are. Maybe dig down near the west end of the cliffs? That could be a real hot spot if the river ran by there for thousands of years. It's possible that the bulk of Bonanza Bar was formed by Lake Channel coming into the main channel during the Bonneville flood. Maybe the river originally (before the flood) ran right past where the potato storages are today.
Jim

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

The tough part about that, Goran, is how do we know the ground under the existing tailing piles wasn't worked before the piles were made? That would be a lot of digging to find out. I've often wondered if the river ran over there to the east where the basalt cliffs are. Maybe dig down near the west end of the cliffs? That could be a real hot spot if the river ran by there for thousands of years. It's possible that the bulk of Bonanza Bar was formed by Lake Channel coming into the main channel during the Bonneville flood. Maybe the river originally (before the flood) ran right past where the potato storages are today.
Jim

I think as miners, be it recreational or something more serious, we could all benefit from having a general knowledge of geology.
I would be interesting in attending a field seminar specific to mining geology if something like that existed.

Things change so drastically (geologically speaking) that it would help to know what occurred and when.

 

[HappySwede]

Another day having fun and getting gold. Funny how just 24hrs earlier I was complaining about the heat and now we were sluicing with snow pouring down. Aside from the gold, mr Mason was good company and we probably spent more time talking than working. Salt Lake City appears to be a good city aswell, I dont think I ever seen so many newly built homes in one place.

This trip is soon coming to an end. No more prospecting planned, just some touristing down in the southern parts. The days all flew by...too much fun at once.

 

[utah mason]

Another day having fun and getting gold. Funny how just 24hrs earlier I was complaining about the heat and now we were sluicing with snow pouring down. Aside from the gold, mr Mason was good company and we probably spent more time talking than working. Salt Lake City appears to be a good city aswell, I dont think I ever seen so many newly built homes in one place.

This trip is soon coming to an end. No more prospecting planned, just some touristing down in the southern parts. The days all flew by...too much fun at once.

Fun day! Great to make a new friend! I really enjoyed prospecting and talking with you. Crazy day with the weather, started out blue skies and ended in a snow storm, but that's Utah. Glad you were able to find a couple of REALLY nice nuggets while you were in California. I tried to give Goran the gold from today, but he though it would be harder to explain to airport security that it was gold not drugs, due to its small size : )
We went to a new spot I had high hopes for. The gold wasn't as good as I had hoped for, so I took him to my good old faithful spot. I'll Post a clean up of our trip Saturday or Sunday. Goran knows how to pan! He didn't use a classifier, but was able to pan quick and keep the super fine gold in his pan.
He gave me some vortex matting he thinks will greatly improved my recovery, hopefully I'll get to test it out in the next few weeks. Being the last stop on his prospecting trip he gave me his shovel, small pick and folding chair. Thank you, I will use them often, and think of my new friend!

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[utah mason]

Goran
You asked me the elevation where were at. I said about 5000 ft but I was a bit off, after looking at my map when I got home, we were at about 7000ft

 

[HappySwede]

Jeez we were up that high? Thats higher than the biggest mountain we’ve got in Sweden.

As for the gold, I was worried about failing to separate it from the blacksand, and I dont want to carry blacksand on the plane because I dont think airport security think about gold panning first when they see black powder

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Fun day! Goran knows how to pan! He didn't use a classifier, but was able to pan quick and keep the super fine gold in his pan.

He does indeed! He's better than I am at getting down to clean flour. Glad you guys had a great day! That's a really nice looking stream. It got colder here, too.
It was 51 at 6:00AM, and then got colder as the day went on. No precip, but really windy. Goran saw the best of Idaho as far as weather goes.
jim

 

[HappySwede]

It looks like the weather is rebounding to sunny and quite warm in both northern California and Idaho. This is what Im coming home to...

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Hey Goran, is that Celsius or Fahrenheit? Just checked...that's Celsius.... 41 Fahrenheit. That's just a couple of degrees under our temps Friday and Saturday. We're supposed to warm up to the low 60's through Wednesday, then colder again.
Jim

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Jeez we were up that high? Thats higher than the biggest mountain we’ve got in Sweden.

As for the gold, I was worried about failing to separate it from the blacksand, and I dont want to carry blacksand on the plane because I dont think airport security think about gold panning first when they see black powder

You do kind of look like a criminal....

 

[HappySwede]

You do kind of look like a criminal....

and you look like John Travolta...

 

[utah mason]

and you look like John Travolta...

Which John Travolta?

Or

 

[utah mason]

Jeez we were up that high? Thats higher than the biggest mountain we’ve got in Sweden.

As for the gold, I was worried about failing to separate it from the blacksand, and I dont want to carry blacksand on the plane because I dont think airport security think about gold panning first when they see black powder

It's pretty high up, and we weren't to the peak yet which is 11000ft+

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

and you look like John Travolta...

Jeeze and now the mud slinging starts! Last month someone told me I look like some guy on ice road truckers....Better start cutting back on the beer I guess.

Spent the day working down river. Pleasant day.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Which John Travolta?
View attachment 1508607
Or
View attachment 1508608

I resent that.

 

[HappySwede]

I cant possibly be the first to tell you that?

 

[utah mason]

I resent that.

Please don't take it as a insult, it wasn't meant to be just a bit of light hearted fun.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Please don't take it as a insult, it wasn't meant to be just a bit of light hearted fun.

No worries - takes more than that to rile me up.

I was just messing around too.