GPAA and other associations

[REFRYGUY]

Hi I'm kinda new here have already posted but hadn't introduced myself. I'm in Northern California and just recently started gold panning.

How does everyone feel about the gpaa? I was thinking about joining so that I have access to their claims. But i hear that the claims are all used up and dug up. Not worth going to them.

This past weekend I met people who started another association with the intent of protecting our rights, so they have opened up their claims to be explored. As a newbie I see this as the easiest way to have a chance at finding gold with out having to, only use public lands and or figuring out if it is claimed already.

Thoughts on this? and any association like this?

Thanks,
Frank

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

well, if you have the $$, it's certainly doesn't *hurt* to join the organization. But yeah, it's more typically the "retiree armchair" kind of casual RV'r type that joins that group (IMHO). You know, the type who are timid, don't want to hike or deal with potential rules, permissions, laws, etc... The more hard-core of the nugget hunters don't wait around for others to point out "hunt here", blah blah. They will do their own research on tailings piles, nugget region spots, etc...... I know some guys in Sacramento area for example who jeep and hike way back into virgin spots, tailing piles where they're the first ones to ever hunt them, etc.....

 

[Cl1983]

Refryguy where are you from? I'm in Northern California and always looking for someone To pan with. I'm still fairly new as well

 

[REFRYGUY]

@tom i see what you're saying. I'm new to this and have been researching, getting blm maps and looking for area. But since i don't live close it takes time to find out how to get where u really want to go.

@bl I live in Tracy,ca where are you at?

 

[Cl1983]

I'm near eureka but am in the Bay Area fairly often

 

[DizzyDigger]

I joined GPAA several months back, and while it's nice to get the magazine's, etc. that doesn't
amount to much when trying to put gold in the pan. Good articles, etc. and they can be helpful,
but I do believe you could get the same level of education (or better) right here on T-Net.

I've been to several of the GPAA claims, and while we didn't go running all over them, what
I didn't find was much in the way of gold. The claims I visited were pretty much worked to death,
and while there *may* be findable quantities of gold remaining, none of them impressed me
enough to want to go back again.

Most likely my dollars would have been much better spent joining a local club or two, and working
their local claims. So far, I do much better when doing my own prospecting in BLM country, and
don't have to travel near as far.

This year, I'll order a good prospecting mag. (like ICMJ), and then spend my "club dollars"
joining a couple of the local clubs. I'll meet more local people, and likely find more gold
than I would traveling a long distance to a GPAA claim and striking out because GPAA has had the
claim for 20 years, and everybody in the region has prospected the hell out of it.

Just my 2 Centavos worth...YMMV!

 

[REFRYGUY]

@cl let me know when you'll be in the area.

 

[REFRYGUY]

@dizzy thanks for the info and your opinion. I think i will join that association. I think it will help me learn and give me a good chance on funding some gold.

 

[DizzyDigger]

@dizzy thanks for the info and your opinion. I think i will join that association.
I think it will help me learn and give me a good chance on funding some gold.

Again, JMHO but you'll get much more of an education and work better ground by joining a local
club over GPAA. The locals have "club outings", and if you're attending there are a bunch of
folks there willing to teach you what you want to learn, and you'll be working claims where
you will find gold.

 

[REFRYGUY]

When I said, I'm joining I meant a local association, not the gpaa. I like the idea of getting some pointers from those already doing it.

 

[Cl1983]

We have no local clubs around here my only hope would be join the GPAA and hope there's claims on the trinity

 

[DizzyDigger]

We have no local clubs around here my only hope would be join the GPAA and
hope there's claims on the trinity

You're in incredible gold country, and the GPAA shows several claims on the
Trinity and surrounding rivers. I've never been to any of them, but in this case
the GPAA claims might be a good place to start. Would be worth checking around
and asking other local GPAA prospectors if they've done well on those claims.

There is a GPAA Chapter in your area, and I'm sure you could attend a meeting
as a guest and chat with some of the folks there. Be well worth the time spent.
I'm not "anti-GPAA" at all, and no doubt they do have some good claims, it's
just that I haven't found them yet. If home was in N. Calif., odds are likely I
would belong to GPAA as well.

 

[REFRYGUY]

@cl my friend used to live up near the trinity and feather river. Thats where he used to pan and had a sluice in the water I'll ask him for me info and see if i can't point you to a section of the river.

 

[Cl1983]

There's a member or two that live part way over 299 like trinityau but they all live in weaverville which is about 2 1/2 hours away. The local clubs I know of are all in redding which is across 299. I'm near the eel and van duzen rivers and not far from the mad river but am unable to find regulations or even evidence of them being worked for anything more than gravel in the past

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I'm in Salinas. Way too far from gold regions, so never got into naturally occurring gold.