Keep looking or really start diggin ?

[ALewis]

I love this forum.

Been going out in the Auburn area, Ca. NF American River area, pennyweight trail. Panning around, and running a fluid bed sluice. (Homemade, thanks to this site!)

I have been working a bar roughly 2 miles up from the bridge, my last trip I recovered 7/10's of a gram for the day. (So far my personal best

My problem is that I am always wondering what is "around the next bend". I have gone another 2 miles up river, sampling, never found much more than a few specks. So, I've been working same bar last 2, 3 trips. And, it seems to consistently produce....

Don't think I have many more trips left this Fall...Can't decide if the .6, .7 that my current spot is producing is enough to really go back and work hard, or if I should keep looking around ?

Just thought I'd seek out some suggestions....

 

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[ALewis]

Kept diggin....




Well, we made it. Had good intentions of prospecting, but somehow spent the entire day at "the spot".

We recovered a gram, and still have some con's to go through...hopin to get another .2, .3 outta that, we'll see.
This was from 37-38 buckets. All full this time...

 

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[Doitlaynstyle]

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=873100"/><img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=873102"/>

Well, we made it. Had good intentions of prospecting, but somehow spent the entire day at "the spot".

We recovered a gram, and still have some con's to go through...hopin to get another .2, .3 outta that, we'll see.
This was from 37-38 buckets. All full this time...

That's a good recovery my man. Keep on keeping on. Out of 500 buckets we pulled 8.4 grams. Your on better ground. Keep digging til you get it all!

 

[gold tramp]

a little clarification - Alewis states he's getting 0.7 grams a day, on a good day (his personal best). Someone above is talking 1,000s - its maybe 30 dollars last time I checked. as to looking around, my advice would be to pillage* that area and prospect new areas next spring.

* please see My Quote/Note Below
Jeff of pa

Pillage as much ground as possible good one FP............

 

[johnnysau]

Your both right around $60.00 per cubic yard of material. That's what Todd Hoffman wanted to mine down in South America, was only getting $10.00 per cubic yard in
Alaska, though was using heavy machinery. Congratulations guys, as they say - when the goings tough the TOUGH get going !

I have my handy dandy calculator home made, enjoy using it to figure numbers very easily in Ounces, Cubic Yard, PPM, PPB, grains, grams, penny weight. Just need the
ore ( bucket ) amount and gold can figure it out for you - just give me a holler.

Johnnysau

 

[ALewis]

Just thought I'd post an update...
Went out last weekend and had a great time ! This time I did not dig, I kept lookin...
Made it farther upriver (NF American) than I have ever been. Took Stephens Trail to Secret Ravine (Shhhhh)...then a lil farther.

Sampled a spot or two and found some bigger chuncks than my current bar....Really anxious to get back this weekend really see what I can find.

Good luck to everyone getting out there, be safe and dig hard !

 

[MadMarshall]

I would be careful if this fall/ winter proves to be wet Steven's will be a lost cause.. Plus be sure to keep an eye on the weather in the surrounding areas exspeacially if you are headed upriver. The river is very narrow in some places and the bedrock steep and a little rain can bring up the water up high quickly.. Just be wary of your surrounding and be safe.. Steven's to Pickering bar has some very steep and rugged canyons and some very awesome gold for those willing to take the Risk and hella long walk thru such a remote area of the river..I would think about buying A SPOT GPS I have it and I find it Reassuring. I am just glad I never needed it... Be Safe and get Gold..

 

[ALewis]

Thanks for the heads up Marshall...was actually out on the river for Labor day this year, woke up that Monday to rain ! Was not really expecting it...Brother and I had to pack out everything soaking wet. I get tired just thinking about that hike ! My first thought was rising water / Flash flood ! thankfully nothing even close to that, but I could only imagine.....
We will probably only be going that far upriver 1-2 more times this month, then going to take a break till spring....

We'll still be Pannin / Prospectin, just different area Gotta get that Gold

 

[GarretDiggingAz]

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=873100"/><img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=873102"/> Well, we made it. Had good intentions of prospecting, but somehow spent the entire day at "the spot". We recovered a gram, and still have some con's to go through...hopin to get another .2, .3 outta that, we'll see. This was from 37-38 buckets. All full this time...

I'm assuming you're using 5 gallon buckets. Usually I try to get my 40-50gallons per trip to take home. Plus I run a couple test buckets (2-1/2 gallon) to see if any color. After I hit my goal of dirt. Then I prospect.
I've gone several times (just did 5th trip) and I love my spot and don't see leaving it, but if I stumble across an area producing bigger pieces and weights per 5 gallons. You bet I'd move on. Your next spot could be 10' from where you are now, either up bank or up or down shore. HH

 

[ALewis]

Thought it would be fun to re-visit this post... Is one of the first I started.

I have worked this bar a few more times this year. Liked the color I was gettin in the beggining, seems to be dryin up a little tho. Took a look at some of my pics of the rising water levels and quickly see my mistake.

Hard to tell from the pics, but as the water has come up, I've let it move me over 5-10 feet up the bar. I was just trying to stay dry, but now I think I've moved too far.

Kind of funny, on another thread it was thrown out there that I should just keep working the better area, and shovel direct into the sluice. Kind of embarrased, but I did not think of that

Although I have seen that method, my spot was always a little too far, so I was moving buckets. Just kind of got stuck in that routine.

Always trying to come up w/ a new plan. Going to give it another try, either shoveling direct (need a set of waders!), or might try and make a sand & gold pump...We'll see....

2014 Total is not increasing at the rapid pace I was hopeing, but have been slowed down a little by our "winter", Still have that 1 Oz goal ! Even if I have to spend the entire Summer working for it! I am stock-piling my vacation time....

 

[Jeff95531]

ALewis...the reasons you (and me) didn't hear or do what some suggested is due to one thing. Inexperience. After a year of "classroom lectures with feedback" here and experience in the field, we're better prospectors for it now. Someday I hope to be a better miner too...soon.
Oh, and people keep telling me to be patient and not judge yourself by your totals....that's the fever talking to ya. Yea, they're right. It's the journey, not the destination. Have fun!
See you in April?

 

[ALewis]

You bet I'll be there in April, looking forward to meeting some TNet members....

 

[AzViper]

That's a good recovery my man. Keep on keeping on. Out of 500 buckets we pulled 8.4 grams. Your on better ground. Keep digging til you get it all!

Layn, that's 0.672 grams per yard of dirt. 500 divided by 40 five gallon buckets equals 12.5 yards of dirt.

 

[GarretDiggingAz]

Here's a pic of only what I've cleaned out of sluice. I've still got the cons to pan. Total dirt was 54 gallons. On the left side is what came from 14 gallons from one day. Then the right side was when I finished running the rest of the tote and the two other 18 gallon totes a couple days later.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Great stuff, keep digging that hole!