Any info on these places?

nvradar

Hero Member
Dec 27, 2009
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Idaho
Detector(s) used
Whites gm4b, Minelab sd 2200d
Hey all I just returned from a major skunked trip from cali. I know these places have gold but where do you think the best places are to search? I went all over the place and found nails and tin and iron chunks from machinery..... but NO gold!!! I tried to imagine how and why these piles were made and it just doesn't make sense to me. I know long toms were used here with the monitors but how these piles were made doesn't seem to lend itself to a long tom?? Any info and insight would be greatly appreciated. The hole is a drain tunnel that got rid of the long tom tailing I think, no gold there either. I found bed rock in quite a few places and still nothing FOR PITTY SAKE!@!@! NVRADAR
 

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Thats a good question as to how that was done.I have several places as well,they were post "Long Tom era".Usually late 1800's to early 1900's.
That hole is a drift,it went through the hard rock and into the ancient channel,they were usually very profitable,but the very most dangerous of all mines
 

I used to work underground in N. Cal. where we chased the ancient river channel and yes it was rich! I was one that helped clean up the sluice. Man was it beautiful!!!! Any way at this place they blasted I believe I seen 6 tunnels and countless channels. These tunnels were deeper than most and I thought they were for draining the gravel that was run out over the canyon because thats where they all went to. I have been in a couple of shallow ones to md at the entrance and nothing there. These holes ran into each other, the hole was just to the right of the cut. It's about a 30 ft. drop here. No I didn't hang over the edge folks, just extended my arm over and guessed.
 

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NV, making sense of a spot like that, is almost impossible. Chinese were not able to own claims at all, and that looks like it got reworked by them long after the white man left. If that is where i think it is, there was over 2k people in and out of there around 1858. Its really cool getting gold out of there, and the 2200 will do it just fine. Problem is its right off the road! The port wine channel has about a dozen of these pits. Its hard to believe how hard they worked!
 

Look under some of them rock piles as the old miners usually didn't mine where they stacked the rocks., I've done good moving the old chinese rock piles and digging the dirt under them..
 

Hey there minerjoe I'm sure the chinese swept up dang near everything for sure, but there is always something left hiding out. This spot is a good distance out there so prbly not the same ones. Kinda strange how they all do look very similar though. I've been to a few of the prot wine pits before I became interested in the MDing. I know of a couple I'm definitely going to hit this next trip or two.


Nitro I have tried a few times in moving boulders with no luck, I think it may be the best way though. I'm going to look and study some things about this next time I get out. I have some ideas as to where and why a spot should be hiding some nuggets.

Thanks guys NVRADAR
 

Nvradar--I know this reply is overdue--please forgive the lateness of this post.

Yes, it's tough figuring out the why and when of all those sluice stacks and hand stacks. But, one thing remains true--the old-timers, including the Chinese couldn't see what was in the bedrock. Because of that, they were always covering up gold. True, many of them were efficient, but others were in a hurry to get to the next rush. People get tired too, and they're not always as motivated as their boss is.

I've definitely cleaned crevices in spots worked by the Chinese and got nice gold for my troubles. I've detected bedrock they covered with neat hand-stacked rock walls and got nuggets that were down in the bedrock under those stacks, left there because they had no way of telling the gold was there!

I've worked bedrock (covered with rock piles) left by the regular sourdoughs and the Chinese and got nuggets from both types of workings. You have the modern advantage with your detector. Now for the hard part--get a manure fork, bend the tines (heat before with a torch and then cool quickly after bending) at a 90 degree angle about a third of the way down the length of the tines, then cut off the sharp tips. You'll have a great rock rakin' fork that will be springy enough that you won't jar your arms out of the sockets, and flexible enough to move most of those rocks, but still allow the gold to fall through the spaces between the tines back to the ground you're rolling the rocks away from.

Rake off the rocks and detect the ground under those rock piles very carefully. Eventually you'll find some nuggets and flake gold. It's a tough way to get the gold, but it's there.

Oh, I worked with a guy that uncovered a strip of rich pay once (up in the Yukon) that was under the first stack of rocks in a worked area (that's where the first guys in threw the first rocks to start the original placer mining). It was a narrow strip, but very rich. That happens rarely, but often enough to keep it in mind. I've found little pockets of pay that way as well--little spots that were missed--the material will look very different from the sluff that's falling down through the rock stacks--keep that in mind too, and even if your detector doesn't sound off, pan it out.

All the best,

Lanny
 

Lanny
I'm sure you are and always will be very busy giving your sound advice and knowledge to all on these forums and it's GREATLY appreciated. That last paragraph really spoke to me and I will be keeping that in mind forever. Makes absolute perfect sense. :notworthy:

I do think I will try to concentrate on the bedrock. "THE MYSTERIES OF BEDROCK" is some great reading. I'll keep you posted. Many thanks. NVRADAR
 

NVRADAR,

Thanks for your kind words on my thread about the mysteries of bedrock--it's much appreciated. Keep researching, and keep storing up tips that you gather from people that are finding gold, and you'll find some nice gold yourself as you stay with it.

All the best, and thanks again,

Lanny
 

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