It Freaking Cold

[MadMarshall]

The water is freaking cold and that makes crackin a little difficult. It only takes seconds for my hand to hurt in the water.. only a few minutes for the pan to ice over.. Just plain cold. Can't pan enough material to get anything done always having to thaw out my hands and as always if you got a decent crack you can't throw in a sluice in anywhere near you.. So I figured I would just go ahead and sluice. This area appears in a few of my other vids.. My brother and I found it's value about a 3 years ago I think. It happens to be the easiest location we go to. Often I bring my stepdad here as it won't kill him.. Anyway we have named the area "the claim" nothing to do with owner ship but to the fact that after a year or so we met a man in the same area who said it was his claim and it was grandfathered in. A few inquires showed their was no truth. Oddly enough other the one encounter at "the claim" we have never seen him again.. So Hence the Name.. Though I was not present my brother swears he cracked a rock to discover a wall just covered in gold dust. he puts claim to about 2 grams of dust in a few tablespoons of dirt. The wall mind you was only a few inches by a few inches. Anyway it is of my thought that the gravel bar is not worth my time. If sluicing it seems best to stay higher up and dig the gravel pockets in the bedrock or the shallow gravel pockets closer to the water line. Not that it pays freaking awesome or anything but it averages a pennyweight or so day. every so often I will come across a little build up area and hit 2 pennyweight . Sluicing I can not recall this area ever breaking 4 grams for a days work even in summer. Now cracking in this area has had some good days producing 5 grams plus for a day's work. October I made a trip out with my stepdad and quickly found this crack. I think it was just shy of 4 grams. The crackin area that pays is really not that long just less then a football field. Some nice pickers have been found in this area but most common is thin flakes and poop. Mercury is also pretty common in this area. Anyway My brother and I made the trip to the area today to get the sluice box which I stashed from my last trip with my stepdad in October and do a little cracking well since we arrive around 730 and was already cold I went ahead and thru in the sluice figuring I rather have my hands cold twice then a whole bunch from panning. The sun hit us around 11 and we were thank full. The sun leaves us around 2 and we usually try to walk out with it unless were on some decent gold. Today 2 was fine. I went ahead and hiked out my concentrates. I haven't panned it yet but it looked alright. My brother really didn't get much done today and he was complaining that we cracked the area to death.. Overall not to shabby of a day.. I am headed to the same spot tomorrow with my stepdad. it should be a decent day. ill just feed him dirt all day..

 

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[Jeff95531]

That pan @2:07 showing nothing but pickers? Priceless It still cracks me up (pun intended) to watch you so nonchalantly work with pickers...especially on the tip of your finger over all that open rock.

Got any advice as to where to start cracking in a new spot? I have one spot picked out but would like to know how you sum up an area and determine where to sample first? Also, what are the minimum tools you wouldn't go without?

Thanks MM

 

[goldenmojo]

MM I must have been near that same area on Saturday morning as my pan froze over when I set it aside to warm my numb fingers. Speaking of pans please inform us when the cracked and broken pan passes over to the other side so we can all give it a moment of silence....

Goldenmojo

 

[MadMarshall]

My stepdad wasn't up for the mile hike this morning so we ended up a very short distance from where we parked. The day seemed warmer but panning was still cold. I never got onto anything really good today. only walking away with 6 tenths of a gram. We stayed till about 2. it was nice to hangout with my stepdad for a bit. I got to go get my sluice and shovel tomorrow as I intend to change my area of interest. The lack of weather can be a blessing if I am willing to tolerate the cold.. Got a few places in mind that have strong prospects hopefully at least one will hold true. I shot this video a little before me and my stepdad left honestly I thought it was better. it ended up being my best pan of the day.. Just how it goes some day's I guess..

Jeff I try to keep it simple usually packing the 4 pound hammer 3 masonry chisels some spoons a crevicing tool and a small crowbar and a pan and a snuffer bottle. I ll get back to you in a few on the rest

Goldenmojo Retiring the pan?Let not think of such things..

 

[goldenmojo]

MM it is nice that you get to spend time with your family and get gold too...Best of both worlds... hope your intended change works out well for you... and keep up the great vids as possible...

Goldenmojo

 

[MadMarshall]

Jeff
I look for narrow sections of the river or creek. Places where the water is rushing has proven good. areas where there are deep pools of still water aren't very good in my experience. I look for areas where high ledges have flood gravel or maybe an old channel that used to flow thru.. Areas where possible gold bearing gravel could be consistently being washed down by rains over the years. Their are so many possible indicators. It really boils down to knowing your area and a whole lot of sampling. For me now with the lack of rains and water so low I have been starting my search at the water line and working up if called for. This is just taking advantage of natural circumstances. Payable bedrock seems to come in patches I mean that its not uncommon for me to find more then one payday in a small area. These sections can be a few feet to a few hundred feet and in length. these pay zones seem to be somewhat defined in the sense that they begin and end with very little rhyme or reason.. more often it seems there is more sections of the river with little gold content to none. I can not stress that there is no fracture or crack to small. Sometimes these pay zones can be picked up a little ways up river or down river on the opposite side of the river.. I cant think of ever having a pay zone on both sides of the river opposite of each other Gold has a habit of being where it is not supposed to be so I wouldn't discount anything without putting a pan to water. Also I find that sometimes areas with good cracks can lead to some really good gravel/sand even if it looks like crap. I am somewhat picky on how much or what kind of gold will keep me at a spot. Some spots have I have been working for 6 months plus. I think the best advice is SAMPLE AND DESTROY..I am always trying to figure out why and how the gold got be where I found it.. A good imagination helps I think.. I hope something proves useful.. Anyway good luck in your pursuit..

 

[Jeff95531]

TYVM MM! I too have been taking advantage of the record low water here in Calif. So many new places open for inspection...but ya gotta start somewhere right? I appreciate the info and will definitely use what you gave me. The spot I'm looking at has huge (VW size) boulders, lots of rapids and a narrow ravine...100 feet down, 60 feet across, 100 feet upstream and a hundred feet downstream is workable...not counting the other side which is probably accessible right now too (with caution that is). I found the area by accident, lost it and recently found it again. At the time I found it again, I saw someone there with a bucket and a suction gun.

"Sample and destroy...A good imagination helps". Good chit man...thanks!

 

[Hemisteve]

Good stuff Victor,
I get down to the N.Fork once in a while and everything you said is true. I have eyeballed some spots and said to myself there has to be gold there. Nada! Nothing! Busted open some cracks and got a little fly poop and then sampled some gravels and got pickers. You never know.
Once again, thanks for the videos. Your expertise on that river has opened my eyes to what I need to look for.

 

[2cmorau]

this combo works great for me, time to get a new pair of polyurethane gloves