Underwater videos in a CA Sluice box on Cajon Creek

[shovel-humper]

Howdy all..

I'm new to the board, well lurked many moons, but, well here I is. So Ive tried to embed this video to no avail as of yet. I will keep trying to find the how-to and edit the thread once I find the answer.

What we are looking at is a Medium sized CA Sluice (for which Im a borderline zealot) in Cajon Creek, Cali. I am shooting video underwater to show how this sluice processes material. I know that having my hand in the water changes the flow dynamics, but someone might find this interesting to watch. I do not see this perspective floating around so enjoy it for what it is.. me spending quality time with the Mrs. playing with my toys on a nice late summer day. We are playing, and not really working but even still we found a fair amount of 'fly poop gold' so even our meager efforts showed some results.

Also visible in the video briefly are the CA Sluice Small and Large Sluices. In tis box I have modified it to host a flat piece of expanded mesh which is elevated above the box by about 1". The idea was to process in deep fast water and let the water tear through and class for me. After playing long and hard I came to the realization that the grizzly actually slows down processing big time! For almost a year now I have run these wide open no classing.. wait, wait, say that again? Yes, you read right.. no classing, and finding more small gold as a result. I know this is contraindicated according to conventional wisdom, but these boxes catch down to 50- or 60- range. The rifles will fill fast, but they are still catching color.

[video]http://www.caligoldrush.com/prospecting/player/CA_SLUICE_001.wmv[/video]
[video]http://www.caligoldrush.com/prospecting/player/CA_SLUICE_002.wmv[/video]
No Class at all
Quick Clean-up of a CA Sluice

Here's a quick video at Cajon Creek down by Blue Cut

[video]http://www.caligoldrush.com/prospecting/player/Cajon-Creek01.wmv[/video]

 

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[MrCash2u]

Cool video...im looking to get a go pro camera so i can shoot some under water vidz.....i am also at cajon creek alot. Been finding tiny flakes to a few tiny pickers...

 

[shovel-humper]

Yeah Cajon never made us rich but its fun to play around and its close.. but for real gold you gotta get up to San Gabriel. We get flakes and mostlt fly poop @ Cajon, the black sand is so pervassive we bring pounds home each trip. One day Ill screen it down too like 80 or 100 and Im sure its holding good fines.. really fine :0 We always clean up to color but to us its a lot like coming home after a catch-and-release fishing trip.. no dinner to look forward too Give us a shout out if u ever wanna hook up there.

That camera cost $38 at Big Lots, and I feel like I got my moneys worth. I saw the 'new' version in the V.V. store 2 weeks ago for just under $50. They shoot 720hd @ fixed focus. I carry it everywhere now, but shoot in 640x480 because the net compresses anyhow.

This is all you need to pack for the day when finding gold in the SGM..

 

[Rebel73153]

The aluminum angle you pop rivet on? I assume it is to help break stuff up as it runs through the sluice?

 

[shovel-humper]

The aluminum angle you pop rivet on? I assume it is to help break stuff up as it runs through the sluice?

Yes, pop riveted on, then I lay a whole box length of the expanded metal on top of that (you get a look at it in the video sitting off to the side). It worked, it would hang rocks up a little on occasion. But, as you see feeding it with the un-classed scooper is just fine. There is no clay or roots, and Im running it too fast really. Its actually pretty hard to hold the camera steady while reaching over and scooping/dumping.

Regards.

 

[Rebel73153]

So do you think that the angle and the expanded help the Cal. Sluice quite a bit? How do they do without the mods? I am thinking about adding one of them to my arsenal.

 

[MrCash2u]

Holy Cow...thats alot of stuff to back pack...lol i'm heading to cajon creek tomorrow...maybe lytle creek if i have time...hope to find something...cool video...i'm going to go check out big lots to see if they have a water proof camera looks like it takes good videos.

 

[shovel-humper]

Holy Cow...thats alot of stuff to back pack...lol i'm heading to cajon creek tomorrow...maybe lytle creek if i have time...hope to find something...cool video...i'm going to go check out big lots to see if they have a water proof camera looks like it takes good videos.

Its a Kodak MINI HD. Heres a pic of the model that I have, but itll be easy to match up from there. It doesnt take the best either still or out of the water video, but it does pretty ok underwater. I should have gotten 2 for sure!

Regards.

 

[NeoTokyo]

WOW I wouldnt want to pack that in. x_x

Nice video's, very interesting perspective on the sluice.

 

[shovel-humper]

Thanx Neo.. well it sucks muling it in but the rewards are there and we'll pull week long trip w/o restocking. I actually carry a lot of creature comforts too. I have soler power on me and both ac/dc power on that rig. Further, my opinion is the best gold only comes out at night, so we make and carry a lot of light. We eat well too.

Im always looking for another brave soul who wants to test their metal, so if you are/arent scared of what goes bump in the night, hit me up.. this is what a lot of work up there looks like.. but remember.. there ain't no gold in the San Gabriel Mountains -everyone knows that

Regards.

 

[NeoTokyo]

I dont think it needs to be said but I will say it anyways....


HOLY CRAP!

Very very nice nuggets.

If I were closer to you I would take you up on that offer but I am at the top of the state so its a bit of a drive.
I have been meaning to head out with TrinityAu but I have been so busy, just found a voicemail he left me today, it got pushed to the back of my voicemails weeks ago and I didnt even know he called. x_x

Is that open land up there or claims?

 

[shovel-humper]

Hi Neo,

This is public, but the rangers are prickly.. and there are ppl that have been quite intimidated by them. Plus, really its N. East Los Angeles so youve got gang bangers, homeless, drug addits and graffiti down lower in the canyon. Hell its a modern day jungle! Bro you are in gold central up where ur at.. you just gotta get out and get urs! We have a few claims up north, but I havent even gotten up in the last 2yrs now..

Think Amtrak, Greyhound.. or Ontario Int'l Airport is basically at the base of the hill.. just sayin is all

Regards.

 

[MrCash2u]

how long do you stay up in the hills? I would love to go! do you dry wash or sluice? anyways let me know when your next trip is...i would go..i'm in victorville i have been sluicing in east fork for a year now but only nugget alley... let me know when you go again

 

[shovel-humper]

PM sent - So in all fairness we plan our method before we pack our gear. Since Im in the sluicing forum I will tell you that many in that pic were sniped not sluiced. Sniping requires you to carry the least amount of gear. My experience is that it is also feast or famine. I got a video of my buddy pulling a 7.3g'er up on my site. Do you know how hard it is to actually find a nugget on command? Well he did.. just flip the camera on and get at it! Actually, I think I have two vids up of sniping nugs up in SGM.. I think there's a 4.3g'eg pulled also --hmm, I'll have to go look now.. its been a while since I watched it too.. brb. Ok, here is a budy of mine pulling a 2.9g'er in SG. Its a dry video.. kinda boring, but he births that bad boy before your eyes.

Regards.

 

[NeoTokyo]

Ahh yeah, I have seen your sniping video's before, I enjoyed them quite a bit.

 

[shovel-humper]

So this isn't underwater sluicing as the thread's name suggests, but.. Me, the wife-unit and another want(ed) to be prospector friend of our set out on a night recon trip to the SGM a cpl nights ago. We were in the 6000' elevation hiking near a slide when our point man jumped about 30 vertical feet into the air and let out a scream. I came running up to find this guy on the backside of a bolder moving out in a hurry, well it pulled off and down the hill a bit and into a bush. Visions of a new belt flashed before me , but... well. our friend was really shaken up and this was the evening ender for him though he didn't say it, we doubt he'll ever be back.

So without further ado, and since I still can't figure out how to embed flv files here? Here's a link to it on my page: VIDEO So this is where having a small handy video cam comes in handy.

I have to admit that I/we really enjoy this aspect of night prospecting.. we have been stalked many a time by cats. We have seen evidence of bears, seen bears and lost gear/food/camp to bears in the SGM's. Man, this gets the adrenaline flowing! Looove it! We hike up high in the winter/snow and it's just a different world. One word of advice.. always hike with 2 pair of sunglasses, one gets worn normally and one worn backwards to ward off cats.. I like smoked wrap-around safety glasses on both sides. Every time I've been stalked I had a second pair on.. cat's, being ambush artists, I feel, are really thrown off by 'you looking right a them and walking away'. I believe they cant differentiate the face from the back of your head with a large pair of sunglasses on. Or, maybe they can but it causes them to take more time studying me. Each time I became aware of a cat they were spooked by my turning around, so it leads me to believe they had crept up a ways on me to figure out who was watching who. Now please understand that we don't see cats everywhere we go. And we feel totally safe in the SGM's, but it is prudent to prepare for some of these eventualities.

Anyone know how to embed a flv file? Would love to know. I take lots of video if anyone is interested.. I dont get around to editing much, but they are short usually.. thoughts?

Regards.

 

[Rebel73153]

Not only a new belt got away, but a good dinner too. I've stepped on a few of them in my younger days in Ariz. Will get the heart to pumping won't it.

 

[NeoTokyo]

I think I would jump too if I about stepped on that guy.

I think I worry about cats more than bears because they are just so damn good at not letting you know that they are there.
Underwater sniping means your backside is exposed and your face down underwater, cant hear or see anything.

I wish I had a Dog to come with me when I go out but we have not put much thought into adpoting one yet.

 

[shovel-humper]

Well I like the idea of a dog, but in reality its a cat treat up there. One of the guy's spaniels -sp? was attacked in broad daylight by a mountain lion in camp. The cat was not huge.. we're thinking it was a yearling.. not sick looking just took the chance.. you remember that thing yer mom told you about stick 'n stones.. well don't believe it! When applied properly they break bones, but if they are the last line of defense.. you better be a good aim!

Regards.

 

[kuger]

...that is exactly right about the glass's on the back of the head.Same reason you see the folks in India that are in the jungle with masks on the backs of their heads.....Tigers