Do you think this would be a good dredging spot?

[mpgken]

I am thinking this spot would be good for dredging. Right where the cross hair is the creek is narrow and then widens into a pool and then narrows again. I don't have any first hand on the ground knowledge of this spot yet. I only spotted this on the satellite image. It is on my claims so I don't need advice about making sure it isn't claimed and all that. Just looking for opinions on if people think it would be worth dredging. Thanks.

 

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[Hoser John]

Not enough to comprehend to be of any assistance-John

 

[Ragnor]

Nope, too much ice It's a bend. But how's the pans? Sample , sample, sample and then hope for the best. You want a steep drop in the bedrock on a flat spot. That much I can tell you. Cross cutting crevices....

 

[mpgken]

Ragnor, Thanks.

I was asking for thoughts because as I see this, the water narrows which increases the speed and will move the heavies, then it dumps into the pool where the water speed decreases and the heavies will drop out. The narrow section above the pool is solid rock on both sides and higher than the water level so with runoff the water wouldn't flatten out but increase in height and speed moving more material. Am I right?

Last years image was better and I could zoom in more. Unfortunately I did not save that one. I don't know how old this image is, Zoomearth doesn't give that info.

The center of the pool looks like it has filled in and has brush growing in it. There is a 20 foot water fall about half a mile below this pool and from looking at it in the satellite image this one does have a drop in bedrock and I am guessing the water drops about a couple of feet.

My thoughts are that because the narrow section above the pool will increase the speed of the water it will also move the heavies, then when it enters the pool the water slows down and the heavies drop out.

A few claims upstream had a big operation running for several years and they pulled out a lot of gold. They have moved downstream now to where the waterfall is below my claims and have been working that claim for about 11 years running a 40yds/hour plant. The guys tell me there is a lot of gold on the upper claims and they have been talking about starting up there again. They say the gold up there is chunkier than where they are now. So my claims are in between and since there is gold below and above, it would have to pass through my claims.

I just wanted to get others opinions on this spot because I can talk myself into anything if I try and I thought if others thought like I did then I may not be crazy, but if everyone says I am crazy then I may need to rethink this.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[Ragnor]

Well, here is the problem. It don't always work like it's supposed to. Things happen that we can't explain or account for. I spent 3 days of my 15 day window last year working up into an inside corner full of huge boulders. Had a 40 year old+ tree growing on em that had died. I knew no one had worked that area in over 50 years. I was sure there was going to be a pile of gold in there. There was gold working in to it. I got my biggest nugget on the way in there. But when I finally reached that good looking material in the big boulders it was barren. Apparently that flood that deposited it had come from a non gold bearing tributary. On the up side I now know those rock colors mean no gold. Then I tried the long flat bottom I was sure would have nice gold. Guess what, no gold. Then I went down around the corner where the creek widens and drops. I went down about four feet and hit giant slabs of bedrock that I couldn't move. I got a nugget right there in a single shovel of dirt some years ago. And I got good gold sniping the bedrock right beside it. But going down further I got nothing ,not even on bedrock. I know there is gold there. I had one day I was on the gold and it was good. But the forces that move the gold do not always act according to common physics. Otherwise it would be easy. Things happen when we are not looking. When we would not want to be looking. As giant 30 foot ice walls tsunami-ing down the creek piling everything in the wrong corner like a bulldozer. You just never know until you test it.

I didnt want to hear it when I was told "no one can tell you where the gold is" , I didn't believe it. LOL It's plain simple physics right!? Well it's not and they can't. Gold follows some kind of special physics. The only way you can do it is by sampling. The truth is though if you sample enough and dredge enough and record what you find in every location there is a formula that you can use to figure out where the gold is and how much is in each location. But that delves into very advanced fractal mathmatics and I dont actually have that memorized. But it can be done. The more gold you find and the more locations you test, the better chance you have. Eventually with enough practice and experience that super computer in your brain will just do that math for you. But you have to put in the time to get it the data.

So that's my .57 cents worth. time for some more coffee.....

 

[mpgken]

Thank, I appreciate your thoughts and help. I'll just have to sample it and see.

 

[enamel7]

In my experience, fast water then deep water means the deep water is a scour hole. The gold will be at the top area downstream of the hole. Found many a nugget following that knowledge given to me by an old timer. Never find much of anything in the hole.

 

[mpgken]

Good advice. I'll look there. That may be where it is all hiding.

 

[N-Lionberger]

How big is your dredge? 40YPH is a pretty good clip.

 

[maverick41950]

How big is your dredge? 40YPH is a pretty good clip.

Read again. He did NOT say this was his dredge. He said it was a big operation running there.

 

[mpgken]

The 40YPH wash plant is downstream from my claims.

My dredge is 2.5 inch. Can't go much bigger because I have a limited size on my back that I can carry. Size and weight are the restricting factors. I can't drive to the creek presently and as far as I know the sides have permafrost. No trails and no roads so far. May look at putting an atv trail in this summer if there is enough gold to make it worthwhile.

 

[N-Lionberger]

Ah sorry wrote that comment wrong, your neighbors running 40 yph is a good clip.