By any chance, is anyone going to big bar tomorrow?

[FlyingProspector]

So I think I'll head up to the Mokelumne Big Bar tomorrow morning for a day of sluicing with my newly built sluice box. I know there's quite a few of you in the area so if anybody isn't busy tomorrow and you want to do some prospecting and chat with somebody I will be up there! Just park, hike downstream a little and you should see a big guy in a green flannel playing in the dirt, come say hello!

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Cry Of The Eagle: History And Legends Of The Cherokee Indians And Their Buried Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[FlyingProspector]

By the way, what's the most anyone here's ever found at this location?

 

[kuger]

1848 one of Stevensons Regiment found a 1 lber.......

 

[FlyingProspector]

Fancy! Would you sell something like that or hang on to it for a trophy? How about anybody here? A couple grams or so?

 

[sidvail]

Is this a free panning area? I'd really like to come over in that direction - but have little knowledge of the area. Any public lands that allow primitive camping along there anywhere? I'd love to come over and stay a week I live in Fairfield and day trips are a bit expensive.

I have a need to get out and play in the dirt.

 

[FlyingProspector]

It is actually just a stretch of the river that BLM made into a place for kayakers and such to launch into the water and there's access to about maybe a quarter mile of the river there and lots of parking and bathrooms. No camping, however. If you're into camping, look into mineral bar in colfax that place is beautiful and lots of river access.

 

[sidvail]

Ah, thanks.

Yeah, I've been doing the Auburn SRA. Mineral bar, Euchre bar, etc. Just want to try another area. I'll be spending the summer up in the mountains (Eldorado) but could really use a 3 to 5 day campout somewhere along a gold bearing river. Just to get my pre-spring fix.

 

[Quickpan Dan]

Hey Sid, could one keep going down casa loma rd all the way down to the river? My map says yes but since you've been down that way, thought is ask. Is it all claimed up, and could you camp down there.

 

[sidvail]

The road down looks VERY rough. I wouldn't take my car past the restrooms personally. But if you've got a truck - or sit a bit higher - sure. I haven't gone down that far though, so not sure what you'll find. There's a set of buildings down at the river, so it looks like the road may be maintained by someone. Be worth a look to see.

I had the same idea - be nice to skip that climb down. The national forest boundary ends right there at the buildings. So camp below them and you'd be fine. Not sure what's happening from the buildings and up river. I'd like to try that area again.

 

[Quickpan Dan]

Cool thanks for the info I need a new destination. Yeah have 4x so were good. Will update after next weekend

 

[sidvail]

I found another spot on the south yuba. upriver from Edwards crossing. BLM land with several free and pay campsites and panning. Up towards Malakoff diggins state park. I may try this one, once it warms up a bit.

http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/media...f_maps.Par.45302.File.dat/soyuba_complete.pdf

 

[Fullpan]

Sidvail - Upriver from edwards was my old stomping ground. You can stay at South Yuba Campground (used to be full of "rainbow" types in the 80's - nice
but kinda useless). From campground its about a fifteen minute hike down to river. Or you can drive on farther, past Malakoff S.P. onto relief hill rd. Watch
for "Missouri Bar" trailhead turn-off. Its farther down to river there but less crowded and you can pack down to a nice gravel bar and set up camp if you're
that energetic! Gold used to avg. close to 2 dwts/day with sluice - don't know nowadays.

 

[sidvail]

ooh, I like this. And checking the weather up around there looks fairly warm for the next week. Hmmm.

I see the river winds in and out of forest service land. Is it all pretty safe to camp in? That's a good looking river.

 

[Quickpan Dan]

My "best friend" left my Estwing rockhammer up there! (Malakof diggins )If you find a rusty hammer call me lol

 

[kuger]

Sidvail - Upriver from edwards was my old stomping ground. You can stay at South Yuba Campground (used to be full of "rainbow" types in the 80's - nice
but kinda useless). From campground its about a fifteen minute hike down to river. Or you can drive on farther, past Malakoff S.P. onto relief hill rd. Watch
for "Missouri Bar" trailhead turn-off. Its farther down to river there but less crowded and you can pack down to a nice gravel bar and set up camp if you're
that energetic! Gold used to avg. close to 2 dwts/day with sluice - don't know nowadays.

I like "Rainbow",type women....they are usually nekid!

 

[Fullpan]

Kuger, I think they all grew up to be wacko-enviro's cause they certainly didn't like working for a living. Nevertheless the wine did flow at night.

sidvail - I spent 10 years off and on in that area - never saw an "officer" and aside from fisherman and a few wandering snipers, had the place to ourselves. Again, this was 25 years ago - could be all different now. If you go, please take plenty of pics!

 

[sidvail]

Okay, I know this is a touchy subject to some - but to others it's a no brainer. The question of legality. An old friend of mine (a priest ) once told me, "It's better to say "sorry", and ask forgiveness than it is to ask permission. Can't remember what the original conversation was about, but I always remembered that lesson. And with the way the situation is today, a lot of those in charge, in control, with authority, etc - don't really know. Their first answer is either 'no', or 'not sure so you'd better not.'

I think if I'm not sure (and I'm pretty good at researching), then I'm just gonna do it. Camp or pan. Like those tailing piles at Mississippi bar. "I'm sorry officer, I didn't see any "No metal detecting" signs anywhere. I thought it was okay."

Am I in for trouble? LOL.

 

[DesertNuggets]

Okay, I know this is a touchy subject to some - but to others it's a no brainer. The question of legality. An old friend of mine (a priest ) once told me, "It's better to say "sorry", and ask forgiveness than it is to ask permission. Can't remember what the original conversation was about, but I always remembered that lesson. And with the way the situation is today, a lot of those in charge, in control, with authority, etc - don't really know. Their first answer is either 'no', or 'not sure so you'd better not.'

I think if I'm not sure (and I'm pretty good at researching), then I'm just gonna do it. Camp or pan. Like those tailing piles at Mississippi bar. "I'm sorry officer, I didn't see any "No metal detecting" signs anywhere. I thought it was okay."

Am I in for trouble? LOL.

That might work on Rangers and public land but I wouldn't prospect on someone else's claim without permission.

 

[sidvail]

Always.

 

[Fullpan]

When I was there - had a handshake arrangement with claimowner for 600/season(this was over a mile upstream from Missouri Bar trail) - can't remember any claimsigns from our bar all the way to near Washington. I truly think, in those days, the claimowners felt that the values in the claims were to be recovered
by using 6, 8, and 10" dredges. That flood gold in the gravel bars was just pocket change for the kids to pan. Although there were few claim signs, the river was claimed up solid for 15-20 miles all the way to Lake Spaulding.

We were more concerned with the bears and the pot growers up on the ridge.