Alaskan Pay dirt

[SteveDigsGems]

Earlier this evening I decided to pan some Alaskan pay dirt that I bought from an eBay seller. I bought 1 pound for $15, and it is guaranteed to have gold, because the lady sprinkles a pinch in. I didn't get rich, but I am really happy with the experience I got out of it. I have a lot of friends that want to travel out to my local gold bearing rivers with me to sluice, but before we go, I'm probably going to have them pan some of the dirt in my backyard. It is a good opportunity for them to see how the gold behaves, and it will motivate them for the upcoming trip.





Sorry about the quality, my camera ran out of batteries, this is an iPad picture. I'll get some batteries next time I'm at the store and upload what I found.







-Steve

 

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[keitha43]

Too much huh, I'm sorry. Not everyone is crazy about this stuff like me.

I'm not complaining. I WISH I understood half of those terms used. I have never heard of words like greywacke and vuggy. Heck I can barely spell geology. I asked my daughter if she heard of them and she wanted to know if KevinInColorado sent me some of his homebrew.

 

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[greenerlumber]

I'd love to come up there and meet your bowl turning buddies, (and work a little color outta Quartz Creek!!). My website is the same name as my ID here so feel free to take a look.
Keep up the great work and I think you definitely found Buster or a side vein to it anyway.
Rich.

 

[KevinInColorado]

I'm not complaining. I WISH I understood half of those terms used. I have never heard of words like greywacke and vuggy. Heck I can barely spell geology. I asked my daughter if she heard of them and she wanted to know if KevinInColorado sent me some of his homebrew.

I set a bottle aside for you...when are you coming to CO? :-)
Can't ship to OK, damn gobmint!

 

[GarretDiggingAz]

What? Kevin's having a party? Kids are out for fall break. I'll start driving up today. Sundays agenda. Dig and run dirt through sluice. Find 5 lbs of gold or more. Stop for game and Kevin's brew. Then see if I can detect my first nugget. Monday. Fish for a couple hours and then pan out some more color.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Sounds like fun to me as long as your prepared to dig and fish in the snow!
PS I'm starting to feel bad about hijacking this thread ;-) but I would seriously love to share some home brew and dig together if one of you guys gets up this way!

 

[elkie13]

No it's not snowing yet! Makes me sad we could still be mining

Beautiful fall this year

 

[GarretDiggingAz]

Elkie.
Wish you were digging too. Hell I'll take my pick and older kids up. They dig. We watch and laugh since they'll be complaining about how tired they are after 5 minutes. Lol. Then well run through the small sluice. Unless they consider that heavy machinery.

Kevin
Snow only slows me down. Besides I've got waders. Chest high. Use them fly fishing. As long as water doesn't freeze in highbanker. Do they allow highbankers for prospecting?

 

[KevinInColorado]

Battery powered high bankers are generally allowed. In a few jurisdictions no power tools at all. We just recently got battery powered stuff added to the permitted list in one key area...progress!

PS I love my chest waders for the 6 months starting now. Add some insulated gloves and I'm digging several times a month every month!

 

[GarretDiggingAz]

I'm ready then. Lol. I'm heading to the hills this week to dig some dirt and try some other spots from the GPAA guide. Looking around Prescott area.

 

[elgatodelnoche]

Seems kind of appropriate that the mining season here in Arizona is beginning as the mining season elsewhere is ending. It is not mining season in Arizona until you have pushed your first snowbird down the mountain. I have enjoyed every bit of this thread and hope that elkie13 and her clan get to continue their operation next season.

I have started to include the government in my prayers.....with the intention that they represent us instead of ruling over us.

 

[elkie13]

Yeah us too, we are going to AZ to visit family for Christmas. Maybe it's time to check out the claim my mom has there. Don't push me ok, only gonna be there for a week.

 

[GarretDiggingAz]

We just had our first hobbiest fatality yesterday 10/9/13. Apparently they were hunting a hillside for gold near Benson AZ. When the hill gave way and buried him under 3' of stone and dirt. I believe he was 72.
My wife tells me this after I just got back today from my digging spot. I don't make tunnels in our dirt. Another spot east of me in same area, a guy was digging in the wash a tunnel that looked like it went about 6-8' deep. I said to myself, that it's very unstable earth (sand, gravel,clay, and big river rock) and that I'd never risk that. It was there for about 5-6 months. It collapsed within this last month.
So people coming here to dig in the hillside please use common sense.

 

[elkie13]

Yep I've looked up and found myself dredging under an over hang or a tree. Ive also climbed out of the hole just as a bolder came loose from the wall right were i was standing. in some ways the pick and shovel miner is at more risk than the guy on the tractor. There is no gold worth dying for.

 

[elkie13]

Happy New Year everyone! Look what Santa brought! Won this on an eBay auction believe it or not. Made by a man who builds 300 ton per hour trommels, I feel really fortunate to have found it.

My father in law was kind enough to go get this in California and bring it to his home in Arizona, now to figure out how to get it to Alaska... Can you say Road Trip?

Things with the forest service are looking promising so far, keep your fingers crossed... I'll keep you guys posted.

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

Good looking machine. Wishing you and yours a happy and prosperous new year.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Congrats! I hope you can get it to AK for less than the machine cost ;-)

 

[Gene Slater]

Congrats!

 

[GarretDiggingAz]

He'll I'll drive it up there. I'll just take wife and kids in tow. Great excuse for road trip come summertime. Just have to make sure my son runs pool business for the month I'd be gone. Lol
I'm certain my tundra would pull that. Gas is biggest factor. Just need to leave time to play in Alaska and a couple stops to visit other friends along the way.

 

[GarretDiggingAz]

Elkie

What's been happening? You going to be able to work the claim soon?

 

[elkie13]

Just found out that the powers that be in Washington DC signed our PLAN!!!! Now start the 45 day objection period, unless the Ranger allows us to bypass it, which we are hoping he will. Anyway the net result is, GOD willing, we will be MINING by May 20th if not sooner.

The law was on our side, so they really couldn't say no, but I tell you guys, they sure made us wait!

Hoping for the go ahead sooner. Can you believe we have NO SNOW on the ground? While all of you in the lower 48 are freezing to death, we have had the warmest winter I have ever seen. Strange...

Here's hoping I will have lots of great stuff for you guys this season.