Bedrock and Gold: The mysteries . . .

[Lanny in AB]

Do you love to chase the gold? Please join me--lots of gold hunting tips, stories of finds (successful and not), and prospecting poetry.

Nugget in the bedrock tip:

I had a visit with a mining buddy this past weekend, and he told me of an epic battle to get a nugget out of the bedrock, and of what he learned from the experience. I thought some of you might like to learn from his mistake.

While out detecting one day, he came across a large sheet of bare bedrock. The bedrock was exposed because the area had been blasted off with a water cannon (a monitor), by the old-timers! It was not fractured bedrock, in fact it was totally smooth.

He was not optimistic at all of the prospects of a nugget. But, for some reason (we've all been there) he decided to swing his detector over that bedrock. After a long time, just as he was about to give up on his crazy hunch, he got a signal, right out of that smooth bedrock.

There was no crevice, no sign of a crevice, nada! So, he had to go all the way back to camp to get a small sledge and a chisel. The signal in the rock intrigued him, but he still wasn't overly optimistic. For those of you that have chased signals in a similar situation, sometimes there's a patch of hot mineralization in the bedrock that sounds off, but this spot, according to him, was sharp and clear right in the middle of the signal, not just a general increase of the threshold like you get when you pass over a hot spot in the bedrock.

Anyway, he made it back to the spot and started to chisel his way into the bedrock. If any of you have tried this, it's an awful job, and you usually wind up with cut knuckles--at the least! Regardless, he kept fighting his way down, busting out chunks of bedrock. He kept checking the hole, and the signal remained very strong.

This only puzzled him all the more as he could clearly see that it was solid bedrock with no sign of any crevice. He finally quit at the end of the day, at a depth of about a foot, but still, nothing in the hole.

An experienced nugget shooting friend dropped by the next morning to see him, and asked him how the hunt was going. My buddy related his tale of the mysterious hole in the bedrock, and told the friend to go over and check it out, and see if he could solve the riddle.

Later in the day, the other nugget hunter returned. In his hand was a fine, fat, sassy nugget. It weighed in at about an ounce and a quarter! After my friend returned his eyeballs to their sockets and zapped his heart to start it again, he asked where the nugget had come from.

Imagine his surprise when he heard it came from the mystery hole!! He asked how deep the other guy had gone into the bedrock to get it. "Well, no deeper" was his reply.

So, here's the rest of the story as to what happened. When the successful nugget hunter got to the bedrock, he scanned the surface got the same strong signal as my buddy. He widened out the hole and scanned again. Still a solid tone. He widened the hole some more so he could get his coil in, and here's the key and the lesson in this story, he got a strong signal off the side of the hole, about six inches down, but set back another inch into the side of the bedrock!!

My unlucky friend, the true discoverer of the gorgeous nugget's resting place had gone deep past the signal while digging his hole!!

Now, of course, a good pinpointer would easily solve this problem. The problem was, my buddy didn't have one, so why would he widen the hole, right? Well, the other guy was the one with more experience, and that's why he did. It was a lot more work, but what a payoff!

So, my buddy's butt is still black and blue from where he kicked himself for the next week or so for having lost such an incredible prize.

Some nugget hunting lessons are harder than others to learn. . . .

All the best,

Lanny


P.S. When in gold country--check the bedrock, regardless of whether it looks likely or not! Mother Nature likes to play games sometimes.

 

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[Hefty1]

One tough (deep) crack!!!
Notice the size of the pry bar 63 is holding and how far he was able to push it down into this crack.
Water mark shows the depth.
Any suggestions how to get to the bottom of this
Should be good down there!!!

 

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[EagleDown]

How about a 120v jackhammer. A portable generator should be able to handle it.
I would say that the investment should be worth it. But then, I tend to dream big.

I would start where 63bckpkers right foot is. (In the third picture). You should be able to whittle that piece down into manhandlers. To me, it'd be worth a try.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

Eagle

Oh yeah, from the looks of the bedrock to his left (img 1009), when you get down far enough, you
should find that part is under cut. Theoretically, there should be quite a bit down there.

 

[Hefty1]

Hey Eagle
That is what my wife said
And that be 63bckpkers foot.
Thanks

Hefty

 

[EagleDown]

Sorry about that My Friend. I was getting so excited about the possibilities here,
I forgot who I was talking to.

I've used an electric jackhammer quite a bit, you'd be surprised at what you can do with one of them. Just check on how much amperage it draws so that you know that the generator is up to the job.

Eagle

 

[Hefty1]

I will look into that......thanks Eagle

Hefty

 

[63bkpkr]

Hey EagleDown,
Two very interesting ideas, jack hammer and "undercut". When we were working the crack there were many sections on the side walls that were filled with dirt and therefore were essentially undercuts. I think a quick trip back there with a long section of wire with a nice right angle bend with say a 3/4" leg will clarify if there are undercuts present or even better one nice long one. This gets more interesting all the time! The adventure continues!!

63bkpkr

 

[EagleDown]

Hey EagleDown,
Two very interesting ideas, jack hammer and "undercut". When we were working the crack there were many sections on the side walls that were filled with dirt and therefore were essentially undercuts. I think a quick trip back there with a long section of wire with a nice right angle bend with say a 3/4" leg will clarify if there are undercuts present or even better one nice long one. This gets more interesting all the time! The adventure continues!!

63bkpkr

Halito 63bkpkr,

I wish I were part of the adventure, but alas, I live too far away at this time. I can see several possibilities in the photos. I might be "pushing 75", but I'd even take a turn on the jackhammer.

Eagle

 

[63bkpkr]

EagleDown,
In 8 years I will be at that number and Good For You!! Yes, some of the suggestions & thoughts brought out by T-Neters have caused our eyes to widen in an "I had not thought about that" sort of expression. I suspect the F&G folks would not like our disturbing the bedrock but then as prospectors maybe it is ok?? But we've ideas about removing all the contents of the crack without breaking the rock so we will see how the ideas work out. The "undercut" thought was an eye opener for me and later this week I will go back in to run an "L" shaped rod down there to see if I can detect an undercut at the bottom on either side or elsewhere. I would just as soon clean the crack while leaving the existing rock as is and going back to it in two years to see what is in it then. Could be "A Never Ending Story"!

I've a deal going with my Son. In 2076 he and I will do the 4th of July celebration together and then go out for a backpacking trip. Every now and then I will remind him about our deal, he gives me a silly grin and says "OK Dad". We will see.

Keep on prospecting, 63bkpkr

 

[EagleDown]

Let me know where you'll be celebrating and I'll meet you there with my backpack on.



Eagle

 

[63bkpkr]

Eagle,
Keep posting on TNet so I know where you are and I will send you an invite in June 2076!

Now that we are in the general area of this topic, check out a DVD Documentary called "Knives over Forks". The DVD presents hard facts about what happens when people start and stay with a fruit and vegetable diet. It is AWESOME information. Related to the documentary is a book of the same title with recipes And, two other books reinforce this information: The Engine #2 Diet, Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease. The diet not only reduces heart problems but Many other diet related health problems. Sorry folks but if you want to live longer and be able to Enjoy that life you need to give up meat and dairy products. I hope you have not just deleted this post due to the last sentence as this method has been shown to work by "Them" as well as by little ol me. You've read Hefty's comments about me and how hard I work, carry heavy packs etc, well it is from this type of diet.

All my best to all of us and I look forward to seeing you for the backpacking trip in July of 2076. 63bkpkr

 

[EagleDown]

That sounds like a date. I'll be watching for the invite.

On another note, just wondering, wouldn't it make sense to take out a portion of the
bed rock. I would make a super "heavies" trap, and be easier to clean out the next
time. Fill it back in with head sized boulders that new gold can work down through.

I think the main problem with FG would be just leaving the hole open.

Of course, it's been my experience that FG and BLM don't like to strain themselves.
If they can't drive in, or at least ride a dirt bike in, they'll never see it.
In any case, whatever you do, it's sure to be interesting.

I already know that I need more veggies and fruits in my diet. As for the meat,
It would be hard to change a lifetime of preferences at my age.

As I say; I look 60, feel 40 and work like I'm 30. Hope I'm not heading into a
second childhood.

 

[EagleDown]

Halito Lanny,

Hey, tell your friend that I'm impressed with the tray. I think I'll try to make one for my scales.
Maybe that will give me the incentive to go out and find something to weigh.

Love the pictures with the tray full. At least the Summer wasn't a total waste.

I plan on going to the desert tomorrow, where I use to sweep the gold out of the caliche. But, I'll be using the MXT in an area where several (that I know of) nuggets have been found, a couple weighing over 2oz each. Personally, I'd settle for a couple of 3 or 4 gram nuggets.

Anyway, I'll let you know if I did any good when I get back. Meanwhile, I'll be hoping for one of your
great stories when I return about Sat. or Sunday.

Love and Respect,

Eagle

 

[EagleDown]

For an update on the trip to the desert, it didn't happen. I was going with my closest friend
(in the area), and his girlfriend is undergoing cancer treatments. She wasn't feeling well, so
he decided to spend the week-end with her.

But, the good news is, we'll be leaving here early Monday morning to head up to the Merced
River. There should be a lot of bedrock exposed for using the MXT.

Once we get there, we'll be staying at the last campground on the road down river. Just in case
any of my friends are able to meet up with me/us. I'll be more than happy to show you around.

Also, I'll be going to the Verizon store to make sure that I have cell phone access when I get
into Mariposa, in just a few minutes.

Eagle

 

[Lanny in AB]

Hefty, Eagle, and 63,

That crack sure does look like it's got potential. I've read Eagle's musings on the subject and he's got some great input for you. I'd chase that crack until it visually pinches right out, and then maybe go a bit beyond that as sometimes cracks deeper down have snapped shut. But, after a bit of chiseling, you should be able to tell if it's an old crevice underneath as you'll see all kinds of oxidized (red or purplish) material in the rock if there's a closed crevice underneath. Be wary though as sometimes you'll only get the oxidized material for a few inches and then it disappears, and if you can't find any more trace as you chisel deeper, you're most likely at the very end. However, I've chased some of those snapped-shut crevices before and got wonderful gold out of them.

Get a big (7-8 ft.) heavy bar and bust the crevice open as far as you can, and then use a series of different chisels ( big, wide-tipped masonry chisels, flat chisels, little bent screwdrivers or crevice cleaners to scratch and scrape the bottom of the crack) to completely clean every bit (can't overemphasize this) of material out of the crevice, and then go on an investigation to see if it continues past where you can visually see the end.

Eagle--the tray is made of aluminum and it's the slickest tray I've ever used for pouring out, and helping to sort out gold. I hope your trip happens soon, and be sure to keep us updated. Your wealth of knowledge is most welcome on this thread.

All the best, and thanks to the three of you for your great posts,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

I see you have a big bar--make sure it's heavy enough (thick enough steel), with a wider chisel tip (not a pointed tip) to get in to the crevice to split it.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[63bkpkr]

Hi Lanny & All,
This particular bar has a bend in it at the chisel end making it a bit difficult to work with. As of yet Hefty has not been able to work on this project as "other" things at home have been more pressing as they were weather related and needed to be done now. I'm sure that just as soon as he can he will be back on this project.

Myself, I've come back out of the mountains for the year after having spent 3 months "out there", having picked up a little gold, having strained many body parts while carrying my pack in and out of many canyons, having met several miners and having been invited to join one particular fellow at an awesome claim IF the dredging ban is lifted. He'd heard that Governor Brown has told the Fish & Game folks to get this study done quickly and supposedly they told him it would be complete sometime in January 2012. Has anyone else heard this A question about the mining offer that was extended to me - for a $5000 fee, good for one year, I would share in 50% of the gold recovered while the claim holder would supply a 5" dredge, highbanker and sundry related items. I would provide assistance to him as well as labor. I was shown some good looking gold both in pictures as well as in my hand. Does this sound like a reasonable offer?? What else do I need to ask or know about the operation??

Attached are only three pictures, out of the many I took this year, depicting the extremes of the weather I was involved with this summer as well as a shot of "all" the gold and some of the lead I recovered this year. A lot of work, a lot of learning with more needed and a great deal of enjoyment was had through all of my adventures this summer. Hefty provided me with a major feast at his claim and it was SOOO enjoyed and the bread I'd baked in camp went well with one of the meals we had together. He and I moved some serious gravel and by next season our backs should have healed from the effort we expended. The final results of "the Crack" will be interesting to learn about.

The gold you see mostly came from dry bedrock situations, the water was a bit cold to be in without a wet suit and that was Not going to be carried in as well as everything else I carried. Very little gold came from moving gravel on my own. I moved some very large boulders with either bar or cable & hoists with very little to show for all the effort. Again, the adventure was worth it. Finally, "all" the gold you see along with some lead sits on top of a U.S. Dime. Was it worth it? I've never before been out for three months and though some of it was very hard, I would not have missed it and will always remember this very special year!

The detecting I did was with a Whites GMT and I ran it hot all the time. Yes it was noisy so I could have easily missed smaller gold but when it zip-zipped there was almost always a target. I always had the machine on auto ground balance and though I wanted to try it in manual balance I never got to it. I had mixed results with the largest coil for this machine and I admit to not having enough time with it to understand it's proper use. The Sierra coil is heavy, it really floats and therefore requires some muscle power to keep it under the water which limits its usefulness for checking underwater bedrock cracks as it is very tiring to keep it under the water. During my time out there I had one switch go bad on the GMT but then I've had the machine since 2007 so the problem could have been caused by me. Whites repaired it and got it back to me very quickly, they are all about customer service and I'm very pleased with them.

All my best to all, 63bkpkr

 

[Lanny in AB]

63--really enjoyed your post, and I love the incredible pictures you take. I admire your courage and stamina on your three month sojourn of golden odyssey. On a related note, I've been to California a few times, and I've been in the mountains as well. But, for some reason, it had never struck me the extremes of temperature and the wide variance in climate your environment provides that far south! I mean, here where I live, I expect that, and it is highly predictable, and most often dreaded. However, taking in to consideration the altitude of some of your ranges, I think I'm beginning to understand the resources Mother Nature has to create with.

As far as your poke of gold that you've posted on the dime, I've seen many, many gold-seekers do incredibly far worse. I know that amount of gold might not make you feel like you've accomplished all that much, but you need to remember that you now know many places not to look, and many techniques that you'll forever abandon. You've now equipped yourself with refined skills in multiple disciplines for chasing the gold.

Please, always feel free to post your adventures and magnificent pictures on this thread. You, Hefty Sushi, Eagle, Nuggy and other erstwhile posters are welcome to enhance this thread at any time. As well, I welcome input from sincere, fellow gold-seekers, as any repository of knowledge (especially this one) is always in need of some more pertinent, helpful information, as well as some good, solid laughter and entertainment from time to time.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

Hi there,

As an update, Sushi Dog asked me to let you know that he's sad and sorry that he's been doggone up against it for the last little while, making it unable to keep the rest of us informed with reports of his normal howling successes (or boondoggle mishaps) here on the Internet. He's not in the dog pound, nor is he in the dog house; nonetheless, he hasn't been able to get off his chain either. His extenuating circumstances have flat-out stopped him from chasin' the gold.

But, he wants you all to know he misses you, and that he'll be hounding along soon sniffin' out the gold again, and when that happens, he'll be one happy pooch! Furthermore, he'll have the opportunity every gold hound desires--the chance to catch up with all of his tire-chasin' gold-chasin' buddies.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

Some pictures from some of this summer's adventures.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[63bkpkr]

Hi Lanny,
Is that a picture of yourself looking at us?? Well sir you have some Mighty Fine country to play in as all your pictures testify to and that trout OH! The gold is of course neat but the country you've shown us is absolutely breath taking! Thank you for sharing!!

I'm back in the city as winter closes in on us here in NorCal, it was a good summer but now it is time to find a job and get the savings account perked up.

Again, thanks for sharing, 63bkpkr