I've got gold fever back again.

[et1955]

It's been a hard 2 years after losing a job I had for over 20 years, but I got a new job 9 months ago and finally I am ready to hit the streams again. While I haven't been mining, I have been building new equipment looking forward to test them. Finding ways to deal with the restrictive laws I have to deal with here in Washington state is fun and a challenge. I will not divulge what I built because big brother is watching and that is a warning to all of you mining in mining restrictive states, for now it is legal. Also, I am creating list of all the places that I know that has good gold that I have mined over 30 years, remembering all those places is a fun challenge but also those special memories mining with my old friends that are now gone. I miss them all but my memories keep them alive. Best new year to all of you.

 

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[KYgotGOLD]

By the way “Just dig a hole there” is not terrible advice. You can spend much time predicting where gold will be found.

It is - where it is, and you will not determine that in any other way than digging.

Current geologic conditions are many times no reflection on ancient conditions that deposited gold in a violent or long term manner, which is much different than our 100 year storms.

Many times there is incredible gold lying just 3 feet down. You walk over it on the way to that spot you found something. Miners before you also walked over it.

I think that stuffs almost everywhere. The amount and how deep just vary. IMO. Simply because I’ve found it where the surveys say there none.

 

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[Tesorodeoro]

I think that stuffs almost everywhere. The amount and how deep just vary. IMO. Simply because I’ve found it where the surveys say there none.

I’ve vacuumed my floor mats in my truck and found pickers. You only need to be where folks mined in the past. Finding a new mining district or super rich un-mined ground that nobody knew about is 100% unlikely. Finding super rich ground that they skipped or passed by is not that crazy of an idea.

 

[et1955]

I have no problem spending hours of time researching. I love digging up old geo maps, or claim maps from 1900's, DMEA records, all that stuff. The most valuable info is not written down. It's the decades of experience from the miners. But unfortunately, a lot of humans suck. And people have been screwed over by those with bad intentions. So, when someone new comes along looking to learn, they often get shut out. I totally understand.
People always say try joining a club. I did, but the guys here couldn't tell me anything more than "just dig a hole here." They couldn't teach me how and why the gold is where it is.

Ed, I'd love for a chance to earn your trust, and maybe in time, some of your knowledge. If you're open to the idea, could I buy you a meal or a coffee, or meet you on

 

[et1955]

Trust when it comes to gold, will never happen. Sharing to my friends a rich spot I found ended in losing them, so sad but gold fever got the best of them. I feel sad for you newbies, Most areas are mined out here in western Washington. It takes a historic flood to replenish the gold in our rivers here and the last one was back in 1995. All rivers that had history gold in them were replenished and since then thousands of miners hit the rivers and found a lot gold. Normal floods do not replenish gold in the rivers, in fact they will actually cover over rich deposits with silt. Sadly I have tested those places after the 1995 flood and came back next year and it had over 6ft of sand over it.I learned the hard way about sharing knowledge, lost friends, got used and remember this " While gold will never rust but it will always corrupt".

 

[KYgotGOLD]

Trust when it comes to gold, will never happen. Sharing to my friends a rich spot I found ended in losing them, so sad but gold fever got the best of them. I feel sad for you newbies, Most areas are mined out here in western Washington. It takes a historic flood to replenish the gold in our rivers here and the last one was back in 1995. All rivers that had history gold in them were replenished and since then thousands of miners hit the rivers and found a lot gold. Normal floods do not replenish gold in the rivers, in fact they will actually cover over rich deposits with silt. Sadly I have tested those places after the 1995 flood and came back next year and it had over 6ft of sand over it.I learned the hard way about sharing knowledge, lost friends, got used and remember this " While gold will never rust but it will always corrupt".

The ending of this is facts. Too bad because it’s here for all of us and isn’t it more enjoyable to share the adventures.

 

[BoulderTroll]

I'm sorry you've been burned in the past, Ed. Bad people taking advantage of good people, then the good people have to protect themselves, I get it. I've seen conversations you've had with others on here that you took some folks out to the river and shared your knowledge. Guess they were some lucky ones.

 

[BoulderTroll]

By the way “Just dig a hole there” is not terrible advice. You can spend much time predicting where gold will be found.

It is - where it is, and you will not determine that in any other way than digging.

Give a man a fish vs teach a man to fish.
Sure, gold is where you find it. But you can't tell me you just go out to a river and just dig a hole anywhere. You probably scan it over, and are looking for the most likely spots. WHY? Why is that the spot you want to try first?

Usually once I got to a new creek/river and am scanning it over, I think about the types of places I've found gold on other similar places, and I start there. WHY? Because of prior experience. And when I go to a place I've been to a lot, my odds of finding decent gold there the next time is greatly increased. Because I have experience and knowledge of that creek. I know the indicators minerals, the likely traps, the flood deposits....

Yes, I like finding gold. But there's a lot more satisfaction to me when I know the WHY behind it. Then I can take that knowledge to find more later. Sure, I can figure out a lot myself, but there's people out there that know waaaay more than I'll ever know. I just wish I could find someone willing to teach. Hell, take me to a place that has nothing but fly poop, and I'll still learn something and walk away better.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Give a man a fish vs teach a man to fish.
Sure, gold is where you find it. But you can't tell me you just go out to a river and just dig a hole anywhere. You probably scan it over, and are looking for the most likely spots. WHY? Why is that the spot you want to try first?

Usually once I got to a new creek/river and am scanning it over, I think about the types of places I've found gold on other similar places, and I start there. WHY? Because of prior experience. And when I go to a place I've been to a lot, my odds of finding decent gold there the next time is greatly increased. Because I have experience and knowledge of that creek. I know the indicators minerals, the likely traps, the flood deposits....

Yes, I like finding gold. But there's a lot more satisfaction to me when I know the WHY behind it. Then I can take that knowledge to find more later. Sure, I can figure out a lot myself, but there's people out there that know waaaay more than I'll ever know. I just wish I could find someone willing to teach. Hell, take me to a place that has nothing but fly poop, and I'll still learn something and walk away better.

Sounds like you already know what you need to know.

 

[et1955]

I'm sorry you've been burned in the past, Ed. Bad people taking advantage of good people, then the good people have to protect themselves, I get it. I've seen conversations you've had with others on here that you took some folks out to the river and shared your knowledge. Guess they were some lucky ones.

There were ones that were great, but it only takes one to ruin it for everyone, because of one person and friend that I shared knowledge with the laws of our state were changed for the worst forever.