Black Sand beach, would this excite you?

[mofugly13]

Black Sand beach, would this excite you? Update: found gold! See Post #33

I took a walk on the beach today, to an area that supposedly has gold in the black sands. This area is on San Francisco's Ocean Beach and is not open to prospecting. But I am curious to know what you guys think. Not only is the beach covered with black sand fo about 1/2 mile, if not more, but there is also sedimentary layer of black sand visible at the bottom of the cliff. And in one area, black sand "boulders" that have fallen from higher up the cliff.

I have no intention of trying to (illegally) mine any of this, but I like to talk about "what if's."

Apparently, way back when, a mining company was actually established to mine this area, but no actual mining ever happened. Id like to hear thoughts on where you would concentrate your prospecting efforts if one was able to actually mine here.

Its fascinating to know there could be gold just a few miles from my house, in the City of San Francisco.

 

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[Prospecting P.]

I'd take some home in a sandwich bag and test pan it. I know of a beach that's got lots of black sand and good gold but it's at a state park

 

[Oregon Viking]

Ah yes the black sand beaches. We have a few here in southern Oregon.



It takes a LOT!! to see this....

 

[stefen]

Also several black sand beaches near Trinidad Ca that was mined during the gold rush days...

Trinidad is about 300 miles north of SF...

Maybe this is what you referenced...lots of historic pictures and stories on the web of thus specific beach...

The bluffs and the land above are solid black sand and actually contain gold...access to the beaches are limited and also subject to rouge waves and tsunamis...

 

[mofugly13]

How much did you run to see that much gold?

Funny, when I was in grammar school, one of my teachers told us that black aand on the beach was from oil spills. Now I know better.

There is an enormous amount of black. sand on this particular section of beach. I would love to have a few specks. I briefly entertained the idea of bringing a quart peanut butter jar and filling it up...but I try my best to stay on the right side of the law.

Here's an article describing the gold on Ocean Beach:

http://www.trampsofsanfrancisco.com/auriferous-city-eureka-moments-san-francisco/

 

[Prospecting P.]

I've tested the sand off my boots after walking my dog on a beach and found -50 mesh gold.. I figured taking a cool rock, seashell or beach glass from a beach is the same as the sand.

 

[Oregon Viking]

It is my understanding that you can use a pump and a highbanker on Washington beaches.
Of course you might not be in this area.


http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/g...ng-beach-morning-some-black-sand-sifting.html

 

[et1955]

Yes there is some gold on that top area but if you dig down and find a layer that is bluish black in color, you will find the pay streak. Many times richer than what is on top. Winter storms create these layers, it is an interesting site to dig threw the blond sands and hit a 1ft. thick layer of blue black sand. This is what I find when beach mining up here in Washington state at Cape Disappointment and it is never disappointing, nice gold.

 

[et1955]

It is my understanding that you can use a pump and a highbanker on Washington beaches.
Of course you might not be in this area.


http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/g...ng-beach-morning-some-black-sand-sifting.html

Electric high bankers are legal for beach mining here in Wa. state, high banker has to be 10 sqr. ft. in riffle area or less.

 

[Oregon Viking]

Yes there is some gold on that top area but if you dig down and find a layer that is bluish black in color, you will find the pay streak. Many times richer than what is on top. Winter storms create these layers, it is an interesting site to dig threw the blond sands and hit a 1ft. thick layer of blue black sand. This is what I find when beach mining up here in Washington state at Cape Disappointment and it is never disappointing, nice gold.

Wait a minute...Blue black sand? We have beaches here that have a bit of black sand. Gold beach, the town got its name from the gold that was mined from the beach. I had not heard of the blueish black sand though...thank you!

 

[Golden_Crab]

How much did you run to see that much gold?

Funny, when I was in grammar school, one of my teachers told us that black aand on the beach was from oil spills. Now I know better.

There is an enormous amount of black. sand on this particular section of beach. I would love to have a few specks. I briefly entertained the idea of bringing a quart peanut butter jar and filling it up...but I try my best to stay on the right side of the law.

Here's an article describing the gold on Ocean Beach:

The Auriferous City: Eureka Moments in San Francisco | Tramps of San Francisco

Except the law is on the wrong side of the fence, these laws are all wrong and we all know it :/

 

[Hoser John]

What ya know and what the ratz do is a entirely different subject. Insanity rules and state parks are nothing but trouble. Err on the side of caution in calif,everywhere really as the bootjacks tighten the thumbscrews. Are you all in calif going to turn in all magazines over 10 John

 

[mike(swWash)]

I don't know what makes it blueish in color but it almost looks like wet tar and is always a welcome site when I hit the beach.

Black sand is good but blue is better!

The pictures I took are actual color, not enhanced is any way, and it looks that way even on a cloudy day just not a blue.

 

[kcm]

I would guess the "bluish" color would come from the mixture of gold and PGM's in the black sands. Any thoughts on that?

 

[et1955]

Here is a pic of the area I mined at Cape Disappointment and the high banker I built

 

[mytimetoshine]

I've tested the sand at Ocean beach and got nothing...

 

[mike(swWash)]

On the long beach peninsula the best gold deposits are on the very south end of Long Beach in Beards Hollow you can drive right up to it at low tide, load up and go to the nearby creek for water and let the kids run wild while you have fun, or on the north end of Benson beach with walk in access only and use a recirc system.

Catching some gold is an easy, sure thing with a beach type set up but cleaning the cons is the real challenge

 

[arizau]

I took a walk on the beach today, to an area that supposedly has gold in the black sands.

Apparently, way back when, a mining company was actually established to mine this area, but no actual mining ever happened. Id like to hear thoughts on where you would concentrate your prospecting efforts if one was able to actually mine here.

If a mining project was proposed but they did not go into production then it was probably determined that the project would not be profitable.

In Oregon some mining was done in elevated ancient blacksand deposits hundreds of yards and even miles from where the ocean was at the time and is today. As far as what many do today (including myself) then go for the easy pickings and that is loose concentrated black sand deposits on the beaches that are visible. Like mike(swWash) said in a post sometime in the past, one may find seams that are now covered by sand but can be dug to without too much effort also.

 

[Oregon Viking]

If a mining project was proposed but they did not go into production then it was probably determined that the project would not be profitable.

In Oregon some mining was done in elevated ancient blacksand deposits hundreds of yards and even miles from where the ocean was at the time and is today. As far as what many do today (including myself) then go for the easy pickings and that is loose concentrated black sand deposits on the beaches that are visible. Like mike(swWash) said in a post sometime in the past, one may find seams that are now covered by sand but can be dug to without too much effort also.

Yeh buddy! Nesika beach is my new go to spot, problem is without a creek near by, I have to bring the heavy black sand home!
I'am working on a highbanker build....deep V mat or hog mat...I need to determine which hog mat will work. Bring my own water for above the vegetation line. Gold cube is lighter, better for that -100 sand and perfect for the task at hand. Years ago you could use 4 wheelers on Nesika beach....THAT would be the way to go!

 

[Caribou369]

The black sands on Ocean Beach in SF are magnetite sands which have washed down from the Sierras. There's very, very, very fine gold (-200 mesh fine) in it. There's very little, though. The deposits concentrate at the southern end of Ocean beach, which is usually not as busy as the northern end. I couldn't find any specifics on running motorized gold mining equipment, but Ocean Beach is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation / Conservancy area and likely a highbanker would attract some very unwelcome attention and very possibly get you a citation from the rangers. I wouldn't advise it. But, if you want to pan all day long, I'm sure no one would mind. Just keep in mind it can be very windy (35mph plus), with blowing sand, fog, damp cold, and blinding sun on any given day, even if it's perfectly nice or not so bad inland. Also the waves can be treacherous, so watch out!

Reed Lukens made a video of gold detecting / prospecting at Ocean Beach a few years ago; I haven't watched this in its entirety but this will give you some idea (and he was out on a pretty nice day for it, too):



Let us know how it goes if you get out.

Heavy pans,
Caribou369

PS: You might want to look into one of these, I've seen some good reviews on this tech for cleanup fine gold: http://goldpanprospectors.com/sluices.html