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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[NeoTokyo]

Wonderful Video Lanny.
The Tangerine Dream like music went very well with the video.

 

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[Lanny in AB]

Wonderful Video Lanny.
The Tangerine Dream like music went very well with the video.

Thanks--I enjoyed the video a lot. I've explored some old hardrock mines in the past, but never to the extent this crew went to. It was a major expedition.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

When I drive to Vegas to see my son, and then head to Arizona to chase the gold, I always stop in to see this guy (Roger) at his prospecting shop. He really knows his stuff. I found this little video on him while I was looking for something to help out a newbie on the prospecting forum that wanted some info. on his area.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

Now that the white stuff's starting to fall close to my area--I need something like this to keep me going until spring.

All the best,

Lanny

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPMDtjxt-Gw&feature=related

Some advertising at the end of this--so you'll have to copy and paste the link, or click and try it and then view it yourself--sorry.

 

[nuggy]

Hi Lanny, don't know if you would have spotted this but I imagine you might enjoy it. Though I'm sure, like me you would be aware of the possibility of gold in quartz - my imagination never quite stretched to this sort of weight!

..link.>>> http://golddetecting.4umer.net/...roduces-12-kilos-of-gold

Hope all is going well in your collecting of the sassy stuff, though I suppose with your winter on it's way we will see more from you on here.

Good Luck Nuggy

 

[Lanny in AB]

Nuggy,

That's a fantastic link! It's an eye-popper for sure.

All the best, and as always, it's great to hear from you again,

Lanny

 

[EagleDown]

AT LAST!!

Thank you Nuggy!!

AT LAST!!! After all these years, the story of "King Midas" finally makes sense. He just had a severe case of the bacterium; "Cupriavidus metallidurans".

I have to wonder; If we had some of the host materials from this awsome piece of quartz, could we put it in a vat of 'gold (III) tetrachloride' and find that there are still viable bacteria to multiply and start producing gold for us?

Ouch, I think my head's exploding!

Thanks Lanny, for all of the new thoughts I'm having! But, I don't want to take up too much of your fantastic thread. So, since I've found something new to write about in my thread, I'll save these thoughts for there.

Thanks again my friend, for all of your great advice, photos and shared experiences. It's always a real pleasure to visit your thread.

All the best to you,

Eagle

 

[gold nuggets]

Thanks Lanny for that video...sure has some really nice "pickers" in it!
That will keep the fever high all winter or give ya nightmares...one or the other.
And thanks Nuggy for that great link....nice gold there too for sure. Headin' to
Eagle's thread to take a look....again. You guys are great!
Gold Nuggets

 

[trsrseeker]

Lanny, awesome thread! Taken me a week or so to read it all as time allowed. You do have a great writing style and ability! Thank you for all the time you have put into this thread. Would love to hear more of your specific experiences with the GPX 5000 and the MD 20 as your time allows over the winter. Hope it has been a great summer for you.

 

[Lanny in AB]

If you've never seen anyone digging right in the bedrock and bringing up broken bedrock--here's some action for you.



I only wish I could have a big strip of that bedrock cleared so I could detect it!

All the best,

Lanny

What the heck--here he is running some dirt. Take a peek at what he's up to. He has quite an interesting little set-up.

 

[Lanny in AB]

Eagle,

It's always great to have you drop in. I like your idea of seeing what could happen. You've always got very interesting ideas, and if people haven't had a chance to visit your thread yet, they're truly missing out on some great information about chasin' the gold.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/t...st-treasures-mariposa-ca-photos-added-46.html

Make sure you've got some time, or be sure you visit many times as there's lots of great stuff to read.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

Thanks Lanny for that video...sure has some really nice "pickers" in it!
That will keep the fever high all winter or give ya nightmares...one or the other.
And thanks Nuggy for that great link....nice gold there too for sure. Headin' to
Eagle's thread to take a look....again. You guys are great!
Gold Nuggets

I hope it doesn't drive me crazy and give me nightmares. It's sure tough this time of year not being able to chase the gold.

All the people that drop in here make this thread a great resource.

All the best, and thanks for dropping in,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

Lanny, awesome thread! Taken me a week or so to read it all as time allowed. You do have a great writing style and ability! Thank you for all the time you have put into this thread. Would love to hear more of your specific experiences with the GPX 5000 and the MD 20 as your time allows over the winter. Hope it has been a great summer for you.

My sincere thanks! You, and others like you, are the only reward writer's like Eagle and I ever receive for the many, many hours we invest in our writing.

I write when I get a chunk of time, and I do have other stories to tell, so we'll see if the planets align one of these days. Perhaps when I'm hunkered down in a nasty blizzard something might happen to get me going on some more stories.

All the best, and thanks again for your kind words,

Lanny

 

[TerryC]

Lanny, your thread is as relevent today as when you started it NINE YEARS ago! Bravo! Take care, my friend. Terry

 

[Fullpan]

Lanny, that nip & tuck video part 3(?) was the most entertaining mining video i've seen in months! Talk about a high energy, original thinker type character I don't think he's getting more recovery than others, but he sure would be refreshing to be around for a couple days

 

[Lanny in AB]

Terry,

Thanks for taking the time to drop in and let me know that what I've done makes a difference--I really appreciate it.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

Lanny, that nip & tuck video part 3(?) was the most entertaining mining video i've seen in months! Talk about a high energy, original thinker type character I don't think he's getting more recovery than others, but he sure would be refreshing to be around for a couple days

I've actually met the guy! And, he is very ambitious.

He used to wear a necklace made of small gold ingots that ran completely around his neck--he figured out a way to cast them using the rectangular shapes in the handle of a pipe wrench for a mold.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

Here's an oldie but goodie from an older T-Net post sent back to me from a connecting thread many years ago. I enjoyed it so much that I kept a copy. I hope you enjoy it too.

Here's a bit of OZ nugget history.
Posted by Dave
December 10, 1999 at 00:03:35

G'day All


In the beautiful spring of 1988 (Dec), I made my pilgrimage to the Victorian goldfields. One of the places I had to visit, was a pretty little valley called Rheola. It is on the edge of some attractive granite hills and was the site of one of the more spectacular of Victoria's nuggety rushes (Berlin Rush). Much of the old diggings remains intact. The best description comes from the book "Dunolly"written by James Flett. (Hawthorn Press Pty Ltd. Melbourne. ISBN 0 7256 01123 X.


On 21 August 1868, a prospector by the name of Alexander Cleland discovered a sixty-ounce nugget in his first hole in the gully named after him - Cleland's Gully. The rush started quietly and the Mining Warden - Mr. Orme thought that:


"the rush may not be permanent to any degree. Despite this, nuggets from two hundred and eighty six ounces down were recorded, twenty-eight in all down to twenty-three ounces, making a total of nearly 2,000 ounces of gold in large nuggets alone for the three months of 1868. And this despite Orme's statement that the diggers refused to give any details of their finds. This amazing rush developed in magnitude in 1869. Early in the year two old residents (Snip) found a nugget fifty-six pounds in weight that yielded five hundred and ninety-three ounces of gold, which was the largest yet. (Snip) In that month others of two hundred and forty-four, two hundred and forty, one hundred and one, fifty-six and forty ounces were found. In April, pieces sixty, fifty and twenty-six ounces; in May a forty-two ounce piece, and in June nuggets three hundred and thirty-six, seventy-six, fifty-two, twenty-six and twenty-four ounces. In July at Berlin, nuggets thirty-six, twenty-seven and thirty two ounces were recorded. In August a thirty-four and a twenty ounce nugget."


"In September, Chinese found a piece of four hundred and eighty ounces and others two hundred and forty (in Cleland's Gully) one hundred and ninety-two in Catto's paddock by Chinese, eighty ounces in the same place and forty, twenty-eight and a half, and twenty ounces. In this month also, Mr. Dunn reported a six hundred-ounce piece found in Catto's paddock. In November there were records of a two hundred ounce nugget (Snip) fifty-eight ounces, and in December nuggets one hundred and nineteen, eighty-nine, eighty-one and thirty ounces."


"In 1870, early in the year, the Berlin Rush reached its height with over 3,000 on the field and coaches running regularly from Bendigo and elsewhere, with stores and hotels thick on the diggings. In this year the nuggets found were prodigious and to detail them would be monotonous. They included "The Viscount Canterbury" unearthed (Snip) at a depth of eight feet in John's paddock. It was 1,114 ounces. The other, the "Vicountess Canterbury" of nine hundred and twelve ounces was found at a depth of six and a half feet. (Snip) John Catto (Snip) said that he saw great pieces of gold brought for sale that had been cut off even larger pieces by the Chinese here. (Snip) It was apparently a reasonably orderly rush and police cases averaged about two per week. (Happy Diggers?) Dunolly Express (newspaper) barely reported Berlin Rush, which continued in a smaller degree for many years. In 1871 the "Kum Tow" nugget of seven hundred and eighteen ounces was found by Loo Ching and party in Catto's paddock. (Snip) and the "Precious" by another Chinese party; that of Ah Chang on 1 May. It was 1,717 ounces and the fifth largest found in the state."


Thank you James Flett; definitely a nice little valley, just like the virgin one I'm looking for! As far as I know, the source of these monster nuggets has never been discovered, although I did find a few old shallow reef workings. Rheola in spring anyone? Oh what a lovely thought!


Cheers

All the best,

Lanny

P.S. I dug this out while I was sorting (electronically) through a whole stack of documents as I'm sifting the material I've gathered over the years to narrow down what I'm going to use in my book.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Cool!

 

[Oakview2]

Lannny, Sounds like a road trip with the Minelab might be in the future. Great articles with great history.... Good health and good hunting

Here's an oldie but goodie from an older T-Net post sent back to me from a connecting thread many years ago. I enjoyed it so much that I kept a copy. I hope you enjoy it too.

Here's a bit of OZ nugget history.
Posted by Dave
December 10, 1999 at 00:03:35

G'day All


In the beautiful spring of 1988 (Dec), I made my pilgrimage to the Victorian goldfields. One of the places I had to visit, was a pretty little valley called Rheola. It is on the edge of some attractive granite hills and was the site of one of the more spectacular of Victoria's nuggety rushes (Berlin Rush). Much of the old diggings remains intact. The best description comes from the book "Dunolly"written by James Flett. (Hawthorn Press Pty Ltd. Melbourne. ISBN 0 7256 01123 X.


On 21 August 1868, a prospector by the name of Alexander Cleland discovered a sixty-ounce nugget in his first hole in the gully named after him - Cleland's Gully. The rush started quietly and the Mining Warden - Mr. Orme thought that:


"the rush may not be permanent to any degree. Despite this, nuggets from two hundred and eighty six ounces down were recorded, twenty-eight in all down to twenty-three ounces, making a total of nearly 2,000 ounces of gold in large nuggets alone for the three months of 1868. And this despite Orme's statement that the diggers refused to give any details of their finds. This amazing rush developed in magnitude in 1869. Early in the year two old residents (Snip) found a nugget fifty-six pounds in weight that yielded five hundred and ninety-three ounces of gold, which was the largest yet. (Snip) In that month others of two hundred and forty-four, two hundred and forty, one hundred and one, fifty-six and forty ounces were found. In April, pieces sixty, fifty and twenty-six ounces; in May a forty-two ounce piece, and in June nuggets three hundred and thirty-six, seventy-six, fifty-two, twenty-six and twenty-four ounces. In July at Berlin, nuggets thirty-six, twenty-seven and thirty two ounces were recorded. In August a thirty-four and a twenty ounce nugget."


"In September, Chinese found a piece of four hundred and eighty ounces and others two hundred and forty (in Cleland's Gully) one hundred and ninety-two in Catto's paddock by Chinese, eighty ounces in the same place and forty, twenty-eight and a half, and twenty ounces. In this month also, Mr. Dunn reported a six hundred-ounce piece found in Catto's paddock. In November there were records of a two hundred ounce nugget (Snip) fifty-eight ounces, and in December nuggets one hundred and nineteen, eighty-nine, eighty-one and thirty ounces."


"In 1870, early in the year, the Berlin Rush reached its height with over 3,000 on the field and coaches running regularly from Bendigo and elsewhere, with stores and hotels thick on the diggings. In this year the nuggets found were prodigious and to detail them would be monotonous. They included "The Viscount Canterbury" unearthed (Snip) at a depth of eight feet in John's paddock. It was 1,114 ounces. The other, the "Vicountess Canterbury" of nine hundred and twelve ounces was found at a depth of six and a half feet. (Snip) John Catto (Snip) said that he saw great pieces of gold brought for sale that had been cut off even larger pieces by the Chinese here. (Snip) It was apparently a reasonably orderly rush and police cases averaged about two per week. (Happy Diggers?) Dunolly Express (newspaper) barely reported Berlin Rush, which continued in a smaller degree for many years. In 1871 the "Kum Tow" nugget of seven hundred and eighteen ounces was found by Loo Ching and party in Catto's paddock. (Snip) and the "Precious" by another Chinese party; that of Ah Chang on 1 May. It was 1,717 ounces and the fifth largest found in the state."


Thank you James Flett; definitely a nice little valley, just like the virgin one I'm looking for! As far as I know, the source of these monster nuggets has never been discovered, although I did find a few old shallow reef workings. Rheola in spring anyone? Oh what a lovely thought!


Cheers

All the best,

Lanny

P.S. I dug this out while I was sorting (electronically) through a whole stack of documents as I'm sifting the material I've gathered over the years to narrow down what I'm going to use in my book.