Day in NM mining tailings

[Strebs]

Over the last weekend took a trip to Oro Grande to test out my luck. When I first drove up there had no clue were I could find gold. Never mined in a desert climate before. Anyways I found a little dirt road off the side of the main highway. I met a friendly old man named Jim, who was apart of the local prospector club and let me work their claim. Jim said it was an old nugget mine in the early 20's and basically were tossing all the finer gold, and let me run his dry washer for awhile figured it was the least I could do. I made a recirculating sluice and ran about 8 5 gallon buckets and found some pretty good gold!

 

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[KevinInColorado]

Looks like a good time and quite an adventure

 

[Campngolf]

Another example of miners helping miners. Nice color in your pan too.

 

[KiddoTheMiner]

mining in a desert would utterly confuse me

 

[KevinInColorado]

mining in a desert would utterly confuse me

yeah, me too! I'd definitely want to go with an experienced miner!

 

[russau]

I worked a area not far from your location back 15 years ago. your location (im assuming) is close to the water city tank on the hill!

 

[Strebs]

yeah, me too! I'd definitely want to go with an experienced miner!

Yes it is pretty confusing lol.... I figured if I dug down to bedrock, thought I would find the best gold.... Nope. Found like 10 tiny specks. But 2 feet above the bedrock finding pickers all day long!

 

[KevinInColorado]

Yes it is pretty confusing lol.... I figured if I dug down to bedrock, thought I would find the best gold.... Nope. Found like 10 tiny specks. But 2 feet above the bedrock finding pickers all day long!

wow, cool!

 

[goldenIrishman]

mining in a desert would utterly confuse me

I thought so as well until I escaped from the Warner Robins area and got back out west! While it is "Different" it's really not a big change once you work out your water supply system.

 

[gold hound]

I've read that in the desert environment that bedrock is not always the best for gold since there's not enough water to actually fluidize the gravels and sands to let the gold drop to bedrock. A lot of nuggets only found inches deep!