The story of Hermit John’s Gold. I think I found the spot, but no Gold.

[Churchofdirt]

Buddy,

Almost anywhere you go in the Sheepholes, you crack apart a few big rocks and you can find some pickers and fines. Those mountains are shot through with old mines. That arrastra is like all the other mine stuff there. It was last worked mostly through the early 1950s. Notice they used cement to hold the rocks together.

The Hermit John will have a rocked well next to a mine. I have been all up and down the West and North sides of those mountains. I have snuck around to the East Side (Wilderness), but didn't spend a lot of time there. I have a few ideas about the Hermit John, but if it WAS in the Sheepholes, then it was found and mined out a loooooooooooong time ago. Almost every inch of those mountains was under claim at one time or another.

Mike

The notion you can crack open just about any rock and find gold in the sheepholes is hilarious and 💯 not the case at all ! LMFAO

 

[gold tramp]

The notion you can crack open just about any rock and find gold in the sheepholes is hilarious and 💯 not the case at all ! LMFAO

He thinks there were stamp mills up there ..
For what ore ?

I found hermit John's gold and L.O.Longs lost gold.
Gt...

 

[Churchofdirt]

He thinks there were stamp mills up there ..
For what ore ?

I found hermit John's gold and L.O.Longs lost gold.
Gt...

U haven't seen a stamp mill of any kind around That mountain range. I find it hard to believe that hermit John's gold has bin found in the the last 80+ years in the sheep's that is. possibly prior to 1950 but other than that I'd have to hear something pretty convincing to change my stance of that. The lost shotgun mine is a different story, I'm not to familiar with that legend other than a local guy here found the shotgun years ago..... In the dark other than that

 

[Churchofdirt]

U haven't seen a stamp mill of any kind around That mountain range. I find it hard to believe that hermit John's gold has bin found in the the last 80+ years in the sheep's that is. possibly prior to 1950 but other than that I'd have to hear something pretty convincing to change my stance of that. The lost shotgun mine is a different story, I'm not to familiar with that legend other than a local guy here found the shotgun years ago..... In the dark other than that

*I haven't seen lol....

 

[gold tramp]

U haven't seen a stamp mill of any kind around That mountain range. I find it hard to believe that hermit John's gold has bin found in the the last 80+ years in the sheep's that is. possibly prior to 1950 but other than that I'd have to hear something pretty convincing to change my stance of that. The lost shotgun mine is a different story, I'm not to familiar with that legend other than a local guy here found the shotgun years ago..... In the dark other than that

How do you know hermit John's story even legit..
Anyways like I said I found them, story coming soon...
Gt..

 

[Churchofdirt]

How do you know hermit John's story even legit..
Anyways like I said I found them, story coming soon...
Gt..

Hermit john story may not b legit and in my opinion both have questionable parts.... If I interpreted both stories correctly.... if the hermit was coming from his mine in the sheep's he would've been coming from the south not the east like the story says. the lost shot gun mine..... If Long got hurt 15 miles east of dale dry lake that would put him on the north east side of the sheep's which he would've had to basically crawl over Even an uneducated prospector has a sense of direction especially in those days.... So why would he have gone up and over the sheep's towards Dale lake rather than b line it on flat ground to amboy which had more resources at the time than anywhere else in the immediate area. Also in all these stories they talk about water being scarce which it was to an extent but there was an unlimited supply of water little more than a days hike away which In those days was basic. All these stories give small bits of what actually occurred so really hard to say. But if u think you actually found both I'd love too hear what you have to say, Feel free to email me 29churchofdirt29@gmail.com lol. I have hiked all over them mountains as I have lived in 29 palms/Joshua tree over 40years, I have some theories as well

 

[gold tramp]

Hermit john story may not b legit and in my opinion both have questionable parts.... If I interpreted both stories correctly.... if the hermit was coming from his mine in the sheep's he would've been coming from the south not the east like the story says. the lost shot gun mine..... If Long got hurt 15 miles east of dale dry lake that would put him on the north east side of the sheep's which he would've had to basically crawl over Even an uneducated prospector has a sense of direction especially in those days.... So why would he have gone up and over the sheep's towards Dale lake rather than b line it on flat ground to amboy which had more resources at the time than anywhere else in the immediate area. Also in all these stories they talk about water being scarce which it was to an extent but there was an unlimited supply of water little more than a days hike away which In those days was basic. All these stories give small bits of what actually occurred so really hard to say. But if u think you actually found both I'd love too hear what you have to say, Feel free to email me 29churchofdirt29@gmail.com lol. I have hiked all over them mountains as I have lived in 29 palms/Joshua tree over 40years, I have some theories as well

You have to wait on my story it's still being polished.
Wondering if you ever found gold in the Sheepholes ?
Last question do we know each other ?

Gt...

 

[Churchofdirt]

You have to wait on my story it's still being polished.
Wondering if you ever found gold in the Sheepholes ?
Last question do we know each other ?

Gt...

Found plenty of ore but no actual gold. If you no me the churchofdirt is a dead give away. It's possible you can't make the connection between the two tho. Like I said u can email me, I take it u live in the area?

 

[gold tramp]

Found plenty of ore but no actual gold. If you no me the churchofdirt is a dead give away. It's possible you can't make the connection between the two tho. Like I said u can email me, I take it u live in the area?

No I don't know who you are, and yes I live in wonder valley, I'm the guy who has an arrasta in my front yard that works no stamp mill.

 

[Churchofdirt]

No I don't know who you are, and yes I live in wonder valley, I'm the guy who has an arrasta in my front yard that works no stamp mill.

Um..... Ok

 

[Churchofdirt]

Um..... Ok

As far as u finding both these mines...... why would telling what u found need to b "polished"? Facts of finding them shouldn't involve any polishing unless of course the story your going to tell needs to sound believable lol.

 

[Churchofdirt]

And no thoughts on what i said about the direction hermit john supposedly came into amboy from? Or why Long didn't go straight to amboy instead of crawling over a mountain range? If you found both I would think you would have thoughts 1 or both. Each of these instances in the stories had raise your eyebrow.....NO?

 

[gold tramp]

I'm writing a small book about the subject, that's why the polish.
I had a family member who knew of these folks that were around back then here in 29.
My uncle had the unfortunate opportunity to fall into a shaft up sheep's, liked to of killed him...

Anyways
I'm not in a hurry to finish my story but like to keep the spark alive in others..
Keep the dirty side down
Gt..

 

[gold tramp]

And no thoughts on what i said about the direction hermit john supposedly came into amboy from? Or why Long didn't go straight to amboy instead of crawling over a mountain range? If you found both I would think you would have thoughts 1 or both. Each of these instances in the stories had raise your eyebrow.....NO?

Long had wagon only place he crawled to was back to his camp...
Miners never give up details, hell there more worried somebody's just gonna follow the tracks.
It's the gold curse...
Gt.....

 

[Churchofdirt]

I'm writing a small book about the subject, that's why the polish.
I had a family member who knew of these folks that were around back then here in 29.
My uncle had the unfortunate opportunity to fall into a shaft up sheep's, liked to of killed him...

Anyways
I'm not in a hurry to finish my story but like to keep the spark alive in others..
Keep the dirty side down
Gt..

The dirty side should b told as well to an extent in my opinion. Hard to get the full perspective without it

 

[Churchofdirt]

Long had wagon only place he crawled to was back to his camp...
Miners never give up details, hell there more worried somebody's just gonna follow the tracks.
It's the gold curse...
Gt.....

Look forward to your book. I completely agree and understand about old timers not giving up their secrets. Have you ever heard about the guy who possibly found the shotgun years ago? There's a road in 29 named after the man's last name

 

[gold tramp]

Look forward to your book. I completely agree and understand about old timers not giving up their secrets. Have you ever heard about the guy who possibly found the shotgun years ago? There's a road in 29 named after the man's last name

That shotgun belonged to Mr long, I thought the finder was an old cowboy lived out here. I knew him long time ago, hes dead now I can't remember his name ..
That's why I'm polishing my story time is running out to talk to the one or so Old-timers left...

 

[Churchofdirt]

That shotgun belonged to Mr long, I thought the finder was an old cowboy lived out here. I knew him long time ago, hes dead now I can't remember his name ..
That's why I'm polishing my story time is running out to talk to the one or so Old-timers left...

I'm aware the shotgun was Mr longs....as far as I've been told Mr Sullivan found the shotgun

 

[gold tramp]

I'm aware the shotgun was Mr longs....as far as I've been told Mr Sullivan found the shotgun

The cowboy may have told me Mr Sullivan the year was 1969.
did you know old doc smeeton ?
He talked about longs stuff.

One more thing before I leave this thread.
The hermit john.
It would take much work to uncover the spot I believe is his mine it covered with much blow sand now..
That my opinion I think calumets...

 

[Churchofdirt]

The cowboy may have told me Mr Sullivan the year was 1969.
did you know old doc smeeton ?
He talked about longs stuff.

One more thing before I leave this thread.
The hermit john.
It would take much work to uncover the spot I believe is his mine it covered with much blow sand now..
That my opinion I think calumets...

I did not ever get to meet doc smeeton. I have a similar opinion about HJ being out in that wilderness area somewhere. The known details would put longs place in the east of the same range I think. Hopefully I'll run into you sometime, I frequent the palms wen they're open forn the food. I have a flyer on the wall behind the bar for off-road recovery wen people get stuck out there