Kevin in Colorado...and elsewhere

Got out yesterday to sample a spot in North Central Denver at the confluence of Ralston Creek and Clear Creek. Both creeks are open to digging and are gold bearing. I did indeed find gold on both. Clear creek right there is quite pretty despite being very close to I-70.

Ralston Creek was running quite fast and at one point knocked over my rock pile and blew my sluice downstream (I was running my Prospector). I took off racing in hot pursuit and managed to recover it about 60 yards downstream. Way too much fun! I moved my setup closer to the bank on the inside bend I was working after the panic wore off ;)

No gold pic as I just moved and don't have my finish processing station set up yet :(

Edit: pulled out the finish processing gear, spread it all over the floor and went for it! The gold from this outing was decent considering I spent quite a bit of time taking pics and sampling. Interesting part is that it was all -50, nothing bigger.

After that was done, I panned out my cons from the last visit to "straw bench". Easily as much +50 as -50 and a generous result...I sure am going to miss living close to that spot! (At least until I find a sweet spot up here in Summit County)

BTW, I added an article to my website about the park and include lots of pics to guide visitors: www.findingGOLDinColorado.com
 

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Just a thought Kevin and cuz I'm a better fisherman than miner...I always take a cheap nylon fish stringer and bury the pointy end all the way in the ground after attaching it to my fishing pole. Gives you more reaction time. Maybe even a long attached springy lanyard like they use with outboards. Less time chasing equipment and more time mining. Win win! :hello2:

Fun time picturing it tho...:laughing7: Chasing it for over half a football field? Priceless! :thumbsup:
 

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Haha. The thing about run a way bazooka's, with all the back pressure in the scoop. They shoot on out of there fast! Maybe that's where the name came from?
 

Bet that got the heart pumpin' KinC ..lol..Twice I have just caught my zook as it was tipping off the little waterfalls it was set up on.

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk
 

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They take off fast. I got my first lesson on that today. Just about lost the new sniper, I was running my prospector with sniper after it in tandem. I adjusted the prospector a little but forgot that's what was holding sniper in place. Off it went, I was able to grab it before it made it in main flow of river. But not before the water flowed in hip waiters. Time for bibs
 

Love all the runaway sluice comments...it is pretty funny in retrospect!

Utah Mason, happily I did have chest waders on so I didn't get soaked :)

The good news about the bazooka is that it floats (at least after the initial acceleration and jettison of trap contents (sad day) so I could see it even in the chocolate milk of spring runoff.

Jeff, good advice on a shore anchor. I'm not a fisherman at all though so...what exactly am I looking for? Can I find it at Walmart or ?
 

KevinInColorado said:
Love all the runaway sluice comments...it is pretty funny in retrospect!

Utah Mason, happily I did have chest waders on so I didn't get soaked :)

The good news about the bazooka is that it floats (at least after the initial acceleration and jettison of trap contents (sad day) so I could see it even in the chocolate milk of spring runoff.

Jeff, good advice on a shore anchor. I'm not a fisherman at all though so...what exactly am I looking for? Can I find it at Walmart or ?
Click to expand...
I might pay $ to see the vid of you running downstream in chest waders :D
 

Never had to chase a sluice... Shoot, the leaves barely move in the water down here...
 

Hi all, I just added a new article on my website about Goldstrike Park. It provides access to both Ralston Creek and Clear Creek...both are gold bearing :)

Www.findingGOLDinColorado.com
 

Got out in the rain to dig today at "straw bench" because I was in the area for a high school grad party for a friend's kid. What's a little rain to a guy with a hat, raincoat and waders right? The creek was really rocking so I had my first chance to try out my new fisherman's stringer to secure my Sniper.
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1464331374.261292.jpg (see the blue cord?)
...a is for the idea Jeff!

I scraped about 12-15 gallons of gravel off of the bench and did fairly well on gold I think. Pics after I get a chance to pan :)
 

How do you get to that spot kev? The is some dense looking brush on both sides. Do you just wade/walk down in the water to the spot you like?
 

KevinInColorado said:
Got out in the rain to dig today at "straw bench" because I was in the area for a high school grad party for a friend's kid. What's a little rain to a guy with a hat, raincoat and waders right? The creek was really rocking so I had my first chance to try out my new fisherman's stringer to secure my Sniper.
View attachment 1318130 (see the blue cord?)
...a is for the idea Jeff!

I scraped about 12-15 gallons of gravel off of the bench and did fairly well on gold I think. Pics after I get a chance to pan :)
Click to expand...

Can't wait to see the cleanout! Will you be in town tomorrow? If so I'm off all day and it would be great to meet up at you know where even for short bit.
 

Duckwalk said:
How do you get to that spot kev? The is some dense looking brush on both sides. Do you just wade/walk down in the water to the spot you like?
Click to expand...

Hey Ducky, yes you have to walk downstream a little way but it's not far :)

Hey David, no sorry I won't be around tomorrow, I'm back up in Summit County where I belong ;)
 

Check out my new blog entry on digging in metro Denver:

Digging in the city means participating in recreational gold prospecting as a guest of a local government, parks & rec district or similar organization. While the tools of prospecting are the same (shovel, pan and sluice, maybe an electric highbanker like the Gold Cube), the process of finding a spot to dig is vastly different. No worries about the BLM, National Forest Service or checking on prior mining claims at the county clerk office. [ 664 more words. ]

http://findinggoldincolorado.com/2016/05/28/finding-spots-to-dig-in-town

...I'd love to hear your questions this brings up. What else do I need to add or explain here?
 

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