What's up with Idaho's gold?

[Fiery Creations]

Grew up in Northern California. On a lot of rivers you couldn't fall without landing on flood gold right on the surface. In all the prospecting I've done in Idaho after the last 5 years it seems like it's not worth it. I've hiked way up side creeks in the wilderness to detect old areas and ground sluices, ran buckets of materials through a sluice for an amount that is barely weighable, and cleaned out countless bedrock cracks.

Does the gold here just not move? I would think every spring there would be flood gold. The most confusing part is the bedrock cracks I check while diving down and sniping. I find plenty of old bullets and split shot so I know heavies are dropping out. But in 5 years I haven't even seen the tiniest color in a crack. I'm driving all the way back to Ca in a few days because it seems more worth the time than doing anything here. I've watched a lot of Youtube videos of people dredging, sluicing, high banking, and panning and for the most part it doesn't look like there is much to be had. Which is weird considering the gold rush history in this area. The places in California that weren't worth my time sluicing would be a dream to find here.

Occasionally I find an area that someone dredged out bedrock so I imagine they had a good reason to. But test panning nearby I find little to no color.

 

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[ArfieBoy]

Sorry to hear of your lack of finding gold in Idaho. Idaho has a long history of gold mining and ghost towns. I would think you should be finding color at least. Good luck on you trip to California. Hope someone comes along and helps you out with the Idaho gold. Welcome to the forum from Oregon.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Flour gold doesn't settle. Most of the coarse gold in Idaho has been found. There's still some out there, but it requires some serious effort. For just flour gold, the Snake and Salmon are both full of it. Check the sand bars, and creek mouths
Jim

 

[Fiery Creations]

Flour gold doesn't settle. Most of the coarse gold in Idaho has been found. There's still some out there, but it requires some serious effort. For just flour gold, the Snake and Salmon are both full of it. Check the sand bars, and creek mouths
Jim

So far this is the best day. Under half a gram. Even the mining shop guy said if you find $15 worth in one cubic yard you’re doing well. Guess here it’s definitely something you need to enjoy, because fuel costs more.


What do you consider “serious effort?”

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Serious effort involves filing claims, doing exploratory drilling or excavation, etc. Most people never involve themselves in that.
Jim

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Do you have a valid claim on that dream N. California river/creek ground?
Seems you have a good spot to come back to that might be worth spending time on. In my N. Cal. experience the flour isn’t worth the effort. The weight is in flat slivers, pickers, and small nuggets. That ground is many times already claimed up and held onto. Flour is always everywhere to impress novices. I like to toss it back into the river and watch them freak out right after they ask..”You mean that’s gold?!!” I’m not kidding. I’ve done that since I was a teen age wood cutter. Get out there and chase that gold.

 

[Fiery Creations]

Do you have a valid claim on that dream N. California river/creek ground?
Seems you have a good spot to come back to that might be worth spending time on. In my N. Cal. experience the flour isn’t worth the effort. The weight is in flat slivers, pickers, and small nuggets. That ground is many times already claimed up and held onto. Flour is always everywhere to impress novices. I like to toss it back into the river and watch them freak out right after they ask..”You mean that’s gold?!!” I’m not kidding. I’ve done that since I was a teen age wood cutter. Get out there and chase that gold.

It’s not claimable. Just went back and it looks like someone cleaned it out completely.

Yeah I haven’t even found anything in Idaho worth putting in a bottle. Always release it back into nature.

 

[southfork]

Thanks' throw the flour back I save it all when melted it all looks the same.

 

[Fiery Creations]

Thanks' throw the flour back I save it all when melted it all looks the same.

If you wanna move 40 buckets for 15 bucks have at it 😂

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Thanks' throw the flour back I save it all when melted it all looks the same.

I will think of you next time I seed the river. You HAVE to think of the next generation. It’s awful greedy to try and get it all.

Confession: Many times during the winter, I also stomp that red mud off my boots in the parking lot somewhere and just walk away from it.

 

[Assembler]

I will think of you next time I seed the river. You HAVE to think of the next generation. It’s awful greedy to try and get it all.

Confession: Many times during the winter, I also stomp that red mud off my boots in the parking lot somewhere and just walk away from it.

Some deposits have few to no pickers, nuggets just fine flour values.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Some deposits have few to no pickers, nuggets just fine flour values.

I fully understand that. I’ve watched them pour Tony B.’s flour gold onto the scales over and over on the Gold Rush show.

Just having fun. I’d never toss a measurable amount of gold away.

Flood deposited flour gold takes a lot of work to add up around here, but it’s easy to get some colors in a pan, just grab a clump of grass roots or moss, wash, rinse, and repeat.