Just Joined from Northern Calif

[Rdg Sluicer]

Hi guys.... My name is Alan and I am from Redding. I introduced my self in the intro thread but figured if you guys are like me you blow right past that on your way to prospecting or sluicing threads. Anyway just saying hi. I mostly prospect along Clear Creek, areas west of Redding and Trinity County. I am pretty much a sluice and pan guy but recently bought a Gold n Sand Gold Sucker that I also like very much.

 

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[Aurabbit79er]

Well sir, welcome to the treasure net.
Bring your stories, and read ours.
I love this board, a lot of wild and wacky miners here.
You name it someone probably did it, but you can't blame me.
When I was younger, my dad and I fished and swam the feather River.
I love that area you live in.
Then again I love the whole state of California.
If you're obsessed with gold mining, you'll fit right in.

 

[TerryC]

Welcome, RS. There are alot of us here. You will quickly pick up tips and tricks from all. Take care. TTC

 

[63bkpkr]

Alan, are you the one on the left or on the right? Either way it looks like you have a helper! Welcome to Tnet and the rest of us gold junkies. Well gold and the outdoors as I'd be out there anyway but once I found gold I just went with more things to do.

Have fun.....63bkpkr

 

[warbike39]

Hey Alan, Welcome...I am also new to the forum and wanted to say there are a ton of great hints and tips and stories and even some unwanted opinions here (haha) and all the folks here seem very REAL and helpful. If you end up around southern Idaho next spring give me a holler and come do some panning.
Dave

 

[NeoTokyo]

Heya Welcome to Tnet.

Have you done well on Clear Creek?

I have done really well underwater sniping, you can check out my YouTube Channel to see my vids. CrainRacing - YouTube

 

[Fullpan]

Welcome RdgSluicer, - If you haven't browsed the forum yet, I recommend recent posts by trinityau and NeoTokyo as they been having success recently
in the Redding area.

 

[Rdg Sluicer]

Thanks for the welcome guys. I have already picked some stuff up just browsing around this afternoon.


As for Clear Creek Neo..... I do ok I guess. I really floundered for a long time trying to figure out what I was doing. I am stubborn and don't like to ask for help. Just recently it is all starting to make sense.

 

[NeoTokyo]

Its easy to do that, especially on a creek that has been worked so hard.
There is still great gold left there, but it is getting harder to find those pockets of gold.
I was very very lucky to find the two pockets that I did, open for anyone to prospect.

My first hole is 99% empty, my second is probably about 65% empty but under deeper overburden and larger rocks.

I have thought about the Rapids up a little higher, people call them the Pinch or Pinch Me rapids, very dangerous but I can only imagine the big gold that might be sitting at the bottom.
I wont ever take the risk to dive there though, way too crazy.

 

[Rdg Sluicer]

Nice vids....... so you are just crusing a long with a snuffer bottle. Were you using a snorkle or were you diving. Good Job!

 

[Rdg Sluicer]

I always though pinch me rapids were in the gorge and you had to kayak to them? Are you hiking in?

 

[NeoTokyo]

Whelp I try to scout an area out first on Google Earth, thats how I found my 2nd spot but my first spot was 100% by accident.

I may have gotten the name wrong, they are suppose to be up off the BLM land next to the Clear Creek Greenway I think right before it turns into Whiskeytown RNA.
I have not been up that way yet, I have only seen video's and read posts about them on a few other sites.

When I was walking around the gorge I didnt see anything that looked like the rapids I saw on youtube but maybe its during higher water?
Here is a vid, tell me if you know the area.

I bet there is some nice gold down in there but I wont be the one to try to find it! lol
The day they have to cut the water at the damn for whatever reason is the day I will go up.

 

[Rdg Sluicer]

It is suppose to be at the 4mi mark. I am not sure if that is 4 mi from the dam or need camp?

 

[63bkpkr]

Neo,
Cool video thanks for posting it. I see why it is called the Pinch! I especially enjoyed the last person giving us the nose wave off!! I used to raft and it is fun but one must be careful of what they take on, good stuff though. Backpacking all your gear in, inflating the rafts and rafting for three or four days with a bunch of good people is a blast.....63bkpkr

 

[NeoTokyo]

Thanks 63, its good research for the creek and fun to watch.
I got a little worried when the guys dont turn back over right away, there are a few other video's that make you hold your breath. x_x

I wanted to get dropped off at Need Camp and body raft my way down to a couple landmarks that I spied on google earth where BLM land starts and pick out area's of interest the first time down, mark them on a map or gps and then come back down the next day to hunt prime spots.

I can go light enough with my gear so that it not a problem bringing it with me body rafting down.

After seeing those video's though and hearing about some other rapids I decided against it and kept to our 2nd hole which is in short walking distance on a well worn trail.

 

[63bkpkr]

One needs to be properly wise around water as 'things' tend to happen if wisdom is not part of the day. I myself have not always been wise, I love to play in water and those home spun rafting trips I was talking about had a variety of incidents to prove my point. Would I do it again? Yup! One thing I quickly learned was to wear a simple hard plastic helmet with a tie down strap. I bought mine at a toy store. It saved me many a whack to the head that otherwise could have spelled trouble and it kept the hot sun off of my sparsely populated head. Even in a body float situation I would use the helmet as one never knows when something 'unexpected' could happen, besides I like taking care of myself. I almost always carry a pair of diving goggles with me and I wear some sort or running shoe for protecting my sensitive feet.

Rapids that one is not familiar with need to be approached with caution. Early one year before the spring runoff was truly finished I was down on "my river" when I noticed two yellow rubber ducky rafts headed in my direction. I waved the folks down and had a little share with them about what they were headed into. The guy and gal in the Mel Cottons two man raft that was leaking got out and hiked back out. The four man raft with the four guys in it were disgusted with me that I'd broken up the party and they went on telling me they had done this before and knew what they were doing. Two weeks later I came in with my group of four four man rafts with two men to a raft with added flotation to the floors and even though they were still yellow rubber ducky types the extra preparations made them white water able. Through one gorge, through the valley and down into the the real gorge. Half way through the real gorge where the down angle kicked up I yelled for a pull over. I'd spotted what appeared to be a yellow raft warped around a huge boulder out in the center of this rock chocked section of the canyon. We made a human chain out to it and were finally able to pull the raft from the grip of the water. As we gained on pulling the raft free this boot popped up in front of my face heel up. My heart went right to my stomach! It was an empty boot, whew. We checked the contents of the raft and I realized this was the raft with the four guys in it. So be careful on floats Especially if you are alone. That being said I do them, not that I am sane, but I do my best to be prepared for the adventure. If you are going to be in the water for a long time especially while stiring up the bottom then I would suggest using a wax type of ear plug as they keep out all dirt, Organic material being stirred up into the water during your investigations as well as the water.......63bkpkr

 

[NeoTokyo]

63, One of my deepest fears (As it is with probably 99.99% of the world) is drowning so I wont be going after those rapids after my research.


The Wax type ear plug is a must and on my list for next year.
I never thought about it but really hated getting all that dirt and junk into my ears and having to clean them so often.

 

[Hoser John]

8 DEAD SINCE 89 THERE ON LOWER CLEAR CREEK AND YET ANOTHER FLOATER THIS WEEK. ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION AS CLEAR CREEK is a automatically controlled ,by temperature release ,and can double and treble flow in less than 5 minutes. Crawdads,invertabrates and snails have plenty of food already so don't feed the fishies.....John

 

[63bkpkr]

Hoser that is an eyeopening bit of news that makes the 'creek' flat out dangerous! Thank you for the input.....63 + 5.66bkpkr

 

[NeoTokyo]

Here is the story about the woman that lost her life Kayaking on Clear Creek last Sunday, so sad.

UPDATED: Authorities identify woman kayaker who died on Clear Creek » Redding Record Searchlight