Tributary Gold.

[Assembler]

Right but in order to do some serious drilling I would think a person would need a 2" bore minimum and go up from there and again your talking some drill motor with a lot of power and that ain't going to happen unless I hire a professional with that kind of tool. My best bet is pick/shovel and elbow grease lol.

Remember you are just looking for colors comparing one hole to the other. The idea is if there is no color then move on to a different spot to help you decide where to dig to the 1 - 2-foot level of the drill test hole. This method could help you see the size of a better hand digging area. This method can also help one follow the bedrock as well.

 

[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

Back in the early 80's I operated an anemic ancestor to this:

#15-SCT / Model GSRPST | Giddings Machine Company

www.soilsample.com

Rented it for $50 a week. Charged it out at $100 a day.

Now they build stuff for the moon.

anything is possible.

Soil Sampling Coring Probe | Giddings Machine Company | United States

The most complete line, with the largest variety, of Soil Sampling, Coring and Hydraulic Powered Drilling Equipment available today. Giddings Machine Company

www.soilsample.com

 

[Mine Shaft]

Back in the early 80's I operated an anemic ancestor to this:

#15-SCT / Model GSRPST | Giddings Machine Company

www.soilsample.com

Rented it for $50 a week. Charged it out at $100 a day.

Now they build stuff for the moon.

anything is possible.

Soil Sampling Coring Probe | Giddings Machine Company | United States

The most complete line, with the largest variety, of Soil Sampling, Coring and Hydraulic Powered Drilling Equipment available today. Giddings Machine Company

www.soilsample.com

That's a nice one but No Gas powered equipment allowed on my claim so its back to the ⛏️ and shovel lol.

 

[Mine Shaft]

Remember you are just looking for colors comparing one hole to the other. The idea is if there is no color then move on to a different spot to help you decide where to dig to the 1 - 2-foot level of the drill test hole. This method could help you see the size of a better hand digging area. This method can also help one follow the bedrock as well.

Remember i am limited to a electric drill motor and as I mentioned the bore diameter of the bit should be 2-4" diameter or bigger that would burn through a electric drill battery in no time even if you could Chuck it up for a tool that size plus the odds of hitting rock are I would say 99 percent of the time. If you look at the first photo in this thread what you see on top of the ground is a mirror image what's underground.

 

[Assembler]

Remember i am limited to a electric drill motor and as I mentioned the bore diameter of the bit should be 2-4" diameter or bigger that would burn through a electric drill battery in no time even if you could Chuck it up for a tool that size plus the odds of hitting rock are I would say 99 percent of the time. If you look at the first photo in this thread what you see on top of the ground is a mirror image what's underground.

The idea is just to sample no matter how small so think smaller bit like 3/8". Any colors are good, and no color is a bad hole. The drilling of the hole should be also fairly quick so try 3/8" or maybe smaller. The real sample is in-between the cobble rocks and try to pull out or better yet flush out / suck out (Sucker bottle will work for both flushing and suction of a good sample) the sample is the idea looking for any colors.
Forget trying to get a much larger sample with the 2"-4" drill bit however if and when you decide to use other power equipment then go for it.

Remember getting next to the real bedrock is the real goal at this point to see if the deposit meets your expectations or better. You can try to hand digging everywhere however most will give up at some point if some goals are not being meet.

I should point out that the sucker / flushing bottle will work best if there is a 1-2ft. tubing added to either flush or suck out a sample from the bottom of the test hole.

 

[Assembler]

Back in the early 80's I operated an anemic ancestor to this:

#15-SCT / Model GSRPST | Giddings Machine Company

www.soilsample.com

Rented it for $50 a week. Charged it out at $100 a day.

Now they build stuff for the moon.

anything is possible.

Soil Sampling Coring Probe | Giddings Machine Company | United States

The most complete line, with the largest variety, of Soil Sampling, Coring and Hydraulic Powered Drilling Equipment available today. Giddings Machine Company

www.soilsample.com

Some are not willing to use this kind of equipment until there is work documented on / in a trench or pit as work done on the "Claim". With 31HP it sounds like it works great if one can pull or winch into a claim area.

 

[audigger53]

Hi members, thought I would post my outing to my Claim yesterday. I have found Gold on one of the tributary's before but just a little so I tried a new spot and did one test pan only 6-8 inch deep and 3 colors popped up and happy with that lol so I ran about 4, 1/2 buckets and came away with 26 colors just fine Gold but happy with the results. I will put some time into that area in the future. Anyway good luck in the field take care.

Just a hint for you. Go to Lowes or Home Depot, ect. Tell them you are looking for a 6 foot "Digging Bar"
It will move good sized rocks and you can pan what was under them. IE where the gold has collected. Also the outside bends of the creek where the current has dropped the gold.

 

[Mine Shaft]

Hi @Assembler TY for your feedback/info. The problem with drilling is to many rocks & Boulders I would be spinning my wheels trying to get a sample anywhere close to 1-2' down. ? when you speak of using a 3/8 drill to sample are you saying to sample the material that comes out of the hole when drilling ? I could see using a drill if the material is compacted and not so many large rocks in the way but the ground where I dig is mixed with Sand/pebbles/rocks/boulders so for those reasons i am better off just digging and sampling. There are to many variables using a 3/8 drill in the area i am prospecting i am finding Gold just 3-4" down so how do I know that Gold is coming from 4" or 12" there is just a lot going on when drilling in dirt. I can sample almost any where in that area and find Gold. Again thank you for your info regards Craig. This is what I would be up against if using a Drill it ain't going to happen lol.

 

[Assembler]

Hi @Assembler TY for your feedback/info. The problem with drilling is to many rocks & Boulders I would be spinning my wheels trying to get a sample anywhere close to 1-2' down. ? when you speak of using a 3/8 drill to sample are you saying to sample the material that comes out of the hole when drilling ? I could see using a drill if the material is compacted and not so many large rocks in the way but the ground where I dig is mixed with Sand/pebbles/rocks/boulders so for those reasons i am better off just digging and sampling. There are to many variables using a 3/8 drill in the area i am prospecting i am finding Gold just 3-4" down so how do I know that Gold is coming from 4" or 12" there is just a lot going on when drilling in dirt. I can sample almost any where in that area and find Gold. Again thank you for your info regards Craig. This is what I would be up against if using a Drill it ain't going to happen lol.

Try drilling right under each boulder you show in the photos 1 - 2 feet and suck or flush out the best you can out of the test drill hole. Perhaps a pry bar will work even better under each boulder. Finding boulders that are not sitting on top of bedrock means one needs to dig deeper.

There are colors everywhere for a number of reasons that you need to pinpoint down. Ask yourself are the colors coming from different ash flows to start with?
Are the colors coming from one or many different types of rocks? One can ask many questions pinpointing the answers is what is important.

 

[Assembler]

Documenting a mineral "Deposit" sitting on top of the bedrock will answer a lot of questions for both yourself as well as the "State" and "Federal" levels.
From what I see in the photos there is some type of ash flow events going on nearby in the past. Pinpointing these events will likely help a lot.

 

[Mine Shaft]

Ash Flow Events ? Do you mean Volcano eruption type event ? if so I don't think so in the inland umpire area maybe Mt Baldy/ Wrightwood area maybe but not sure. The San Bernardino Mountains are about 11 million years old says they were formed by intense tectonic activity and plate movement along the San Andreas Fault system. To be more precise the San Andreas fault is extremely close to my claim just a few miles south.

 

[Assembler]

Ash Flow Events ? Do you mean Volcano eruption type event ? if so I don't think so in the inland umpire area maybe Mt Baldy/ Wrightwood area maybe but not sure. The San Bernardino Mountains are about 11 million years old says they were formed by intense tectonic activity and plate movement along the San Andreas Fault system.

Intense tectonic and general plate movement will cause a number of events including ash eruptions over a 11-million-time frame. The ash may not be from the nearby surface and that could be the source of much of the colors you are finding is the point. Pinpointing answers is called for. For example, are you seeing any colors in the boulders you have at the surface?
What caused the rounding of the boulders you have a pile of?

 

[Assembler]

Is there a fault line at or near San Antonio falls that is right next to Mount Baldy, also Etiwanda falls, Hidden Falls, Bonita falls?

 

[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

Intense tectonic and general plate movement will cause a number of events including ash eruptions over a 11-million-time frame. The ash may not be from the nearby surface and that could be the source of much of the colors you are finding is the point. Pinpointing answers is called for. For example, are you seeing any colors in the boulders you have at the surface?
What caused the rounding of the boulders you have a pile of?

LOL @ the idea of gold in volcanic ash. Get a grip man!

 

[Assembler]

LOL @ the idea of gold in volcanic ash. Get a grip man!

Then getting a grip on the boulders is a starting point and how far the boulders came from. It is the miner's job to get some answers.
Likely a long way down to bedrock to find some answers as well.

 

[Mine Shaft]

Intense tectonic and general plate movement will cause a number of events including ash eruptions over a 11-million-time frame. The ash may not be from the nearby surface and that could be the source of much of the colors you are finding is the point. Pinpointing answers is called for. For example, are you seeing any colors in the boulders you have at the surface?
What caused the rounding of the boulders you have a pile of?

River worn rocks is why they are rounded that area has seen massive floods.

 

[Mine Shaft]

Is there a fault line at or near San Antonio falls that is right next to Mount Baldy, also Etiwanda falls, Hidden Falls, Bonita falls?

Yes several Faults in those areas Eruptions I don't think so. If you Google it you will see where eruptions have occurred in the past 2K - 20K + years ago and those eruptions are hundreds of miles from my area. It says there are 7 active Volcanoes in Ca but none in the area around my local Mountains.

 

[Assembler]

Yes several Faults in those areas Eruptions I don't think so. If you Google it you will see where eruptions have occurred in the past 2K - 20K + years ago and those eruptions are hundreds of miles from my area. It says there are 7 active Volcanoes in Ca but none in the area around my local Mountains.

Don't be surprised if there have been some venting / ash flows coming from Mount Baldy and nearby fault lines that may pass by the fall's areas etc. over the 11-million-year timeframe. The far away volcanoes may or may not even be connected it is your job to piece the answers together.

Not sure why there was a double quote on the first click so I have gone back and corrected.

 

[Assembler]

River worn rocks is why they are rounded that area has seen massive floods.

Question then is how far did the boulders travel and from what direction?
If the massive floods dropped the boulder pile you show, then is the bedrock say a hundred feet down in much of the area below the creek?
If this is the case good luck hand digging down to bedrock.

 

[Mine Shaft]

Question then is how far did the boulders travel and from what direction?
If the massive floods dropped the boulder pile you show, then is the bedrock say a hundred feet down in much of the area below the creek?
If this is the case good luck hand digging down to bedrock.

Question is how did the 6-10 thousand pound boulders make it over a 5 thousand ft mountain ? and end up at 2K feet where my Claim is lol. Its a River not a Creek lol.