How do you find in place gold deposits?

[OwenT]

I'm interested in doing some hard rock prospecting this summer in the Liberty area. Liberty is the closest gold district I have to home and crystalline gold is found there so the idea of going out and possibly finding some is very exciting. The area has been mined for 150 years. There are a bunch of claims on old mines but I don't know if many are really being worked with any success. I've read things before and have a general idea of how the prospecting process goes (panning a looking for float and going uphill until the trace is lost) but when you're standing on the side of a dry mountain with a shovel and a pan all of the sudden it's not so simple. I'd like to hear if anyone has had success using traditional methods to locate a source and how you do it practically. Is it foolish to assume that after 150 years there are a few veins or pockets that have not been found or were never worked?

 

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[Goodyguy]

Yes, it just takes a lot of hard back breaking work and sometimes (most of the time) you come up empty handed.
It's easier if a stream is down hill from the source. Then you can work the stream to find the sweet spot and go up hill from there.

Here is a thread I started 11 years ago on the subject, Click here:http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/hard-rock-mining/129814-one-way-find-mother-lode.html#post1392653

Since then I have learned the best way to dry pan, much easier than hauling water. The technique also works wet, See video below
The video also answers your questions and shows what you are looking for.............

 

[Mudflap]

Good info Goodguy.

 

[OwenT]

I remember reading that thread, and I remembered what Ray Mills had said about using the tiny pan and spoon, I wonder if it works in other areas. Maybe I'll try starting in the stream and then using the dry panning method since I'm not after fine gold anyway but then maybe a metal detector would be better. One thing about where I want to work is that it's hard considering that I already know there are many veins in the area and ones that have been worked already too so it will be difficult to know if you are tracing a new vein or a known one.

 

[galenrog]

I am assuming you mean Liberty, Washington. Please do your research as to what is accessible. Very little land that is open to mineral claim is open to new claims. That means most of the available public land is already claimed.

There is also quite a lot of private land in the area that is known to have gold. On these parcels, have permission, preferably written, or you could be cited for trespassing.

Other than that, go, play, have fun.

Time for more coffee.

 

[OwenT]

I am assuming you mean Liberty, Washington. Please do your research as to what is accessible. Very little land that is open to mineral claim is open to new claims. That means most of the available public land is already claimed.

There is also quite a lot of private land in the area that is known to have gold. On these parcels, have permission, preferably written, or you could be cited for trespassing.

Other than that, go, play, have fun.

Time for more coffee.

WA, yes. Well aware. This isn’t the first year I’ve gone up to play around there either. Unfortunately, the county office is closed due to the circumstances and I cannot go and see claims but I at least have a good idea of where they lie and exact private property boundaries. There are some fringe areas I’m interested in checking out.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Knowing a few people in the industry I can say if you are looking for hard rock deposits your best results will be found with geology maps and reports. Look for the obvious - faults, contacts and enrichment zones.

A quick search on the Land Matters Washington State Geology Map shows 49 Geologic maps available for download that map the geology around Liberty.

Studying geology will put you on mineralized deposits much quicker than hoping a nugget will show up in your dry pan in a heavily mined area like Liberty. If you want to investigate fringe areas geology mapping will direct you to the right side of the ridge and point out the right drainage to check. You will probably still end up testing with boots on the ground but you will be prospecting much smaller areas with knowledge of the local geology.

You probably already know about Bulletin no 42 Gold in Washington but if you don't download a copy from the Land Matters Library.

Unfortunately, the county office is closed due to the circumstances and I cannot go and see claims but I at least have a good idea of where they lie and exact private property boundaries. There are some fringe areas I’m interested in checking out.

Kittitas County can still mail you record copies even though you can't go to the office. Ask them to waive the fees because you can't visit their office. It's worth a try. 509-962-7504

Just a little bit to the north Chelan County have their location records online for free. Lot's of productive gold mines there. Might as well research what you can.

Heavy Pans

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Number one resource is evidence of past mining activity.
Start from there using published information and Google Earth.

I bet a drone mounted camera would be useful as well, but I have not tried it yet.

Google Books search engine is very useful.

 

[OwenT]

Thanks for the maps Clay. I'm going to dive into them now. I don't know why I haven't been using that feature of Land Matters.

The state bulletins have been a great source of information, they're pretty much always where I start looking for info.

When it comes to putting in the work to finding lode or eluvial gold, it's only worth it to me if I have a chance of finding some crystalline gold. Crystalline gold has been found in a small area around Liberty, not north in Chelan county as far as I'm aware. There are a few specific hills that are of most interest. Based on the claimed acreages in each section, I can tell there is a little open ground here and there and that's why I wanted to get into the county, so I could make a map of all the claims in a certain area. I asked those working at the office and they said they couldn't help me see all the records right now but I suppose they probably would send me copies of a few specific claims if I asked.

 

[dave wiseman]

Sample the veins and stringers...even in a heavily worked area.What paid to work back in day is different now.A low grade vein might have been left alone in the old days as it wasn't profitable to work.One important fact is that some veins only carry fine gold...some carry high grade pockets and fines.The gold goes in and out in a vein..it's not continuos,even in the best of mines.Look in the reports for areas where there is free gold and pockets.Any color out of a quartz vein sample is worth further checking.Your metal detector will not pick up fine gold in a vein.Where species are/were found near or on the surface there should be fine gold which you can find by panning the dirt.The dirt may contain more yellow than you would find in species Your best friend is persistence and more persistence Stay the course and you'll be smiling one day.....also,check the veins along side a mine or prospect hole.